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Fresh Perspectives

Photography by Pathways to Education students

This past spring, students from Rexdale, Regent Park, and Lawrence Heights (the Toronto sites of Pathways to Education) worked with Sheena D. Robertson (Whimsical Productions) and Victor Gomez (Winged Centaurus) to explore photographic skills, and create images and messaging that authentically represent their communities, and themselves. The goal? To communicate something about themselves - while creating a critical dialogue about how others choose to represent them.

Using digital cameras, Sheena and Victor worked with the students to explore how visual images are taken to create specific effects. Students were also recorded talking about themselves, their community, and what they see in the faces of the people they pass every day. This "audio symphony" accompanies the exhibition so the images of the youth are juxtaposed with their voices.

The portraits of the students were created by Victor and Sheena in consultation with each youth in order to capture the 'essence' of the student artists, and so that the audience may understand something about whom the artists truly are.