Xavier Tavera's Artist Statement
A printed photograph is a very small part of the whole photographic experience. For me, the photographic experience begins with the idea of an image and ends with the printed photograph. Everything in between is what makes photographing immensely interesting to me. Looking for the right people, contacting them, scheduling, making appointments, meeting them, interviewing them, and finally placing them in front of the camera. It is almost impossible to capture the whole experience in one photo. What you see lacks all the conversations, the smells, and the sounds.
For this project, the presence of the photographer was significant. All the subjects are looking directly at the camera and there is a communication between the photographer and the subjects.
The presence of the photographer will disappear when the viewer is presented with the printed photograph. The subject will no longer look directly at the camera but directly at the viewer, so the communication transfers from the subject and the photographer to the subject and the viewer.It is difficult for me not to make a direct connection between this photography project and my own college experience. I had the same feeling on my first day at Carleton as when I started my education at a university in Mexico City. There was a bit of anxiety with the uncertainty of a new place that has new rules, codes, new students, new classes, professors, protocols, customs, and traditions. Very quickly those feelings went away when the people I photographed on my second day made me feel more relaxed.
In the course of the project, I was invited to join a swing dance class; I was asked to participate in laser tag; I sat in on a theater rehearsal; I learned about robotics, radio, juggling and astronomy; I learned the difference between Kendo and Naginata. Most importantly I learned about the students’ dreams.