Crossing Boundaries: Stories of Strength and Survival is the result of
a five-month long project by four members of the Young Photographers
Alliance: Shane King, Marke Liimatainen, Taylor Martin and Erica Meza.
They were mentored by professional photographers Laura Doss and Barry Schwartz.
During the summer of 2014, these photographers worked with young women
at a rehab center run by The Teen Project. The young women there had
faced a range of challenges, from gang violence to drug addiction and
domestic abuse. Each photographer approached the project with the
theme of “boundaries” in mind. Boundaries can be constructive –
setting limits on behavior, resisting the negatives influences from
others – or they can be destructive, driving people into emotional and
physical isolation. Through this project, the artists hope to inform
viewers about the problems faced by others, and to highlight the
important work done by The Teen Project to help people improve their
lives.
Shane King is from Los Angeles and graduated from Loyola Marymount
University with a degree in Studio Arts. His project in Crossing
Boundaries is a set of portraits of two young women who were members
of rival gangs. While in rehab and free from the confines of their
gangs, they became close friends, and are now putting limits on their
pasts to make room for their futures.
Marke Liimatainen is from Tervo, Finland and a graduate of Santa
Monica College. Her project is a visual narrative of the past of each
of her subjects, revisiting a painful time in their lives when they
felt they were without personal boundaries against abusive
relationships and drug addiction, and drawn in to crime for easy
money.
Taylor Martin is from Northern California and graduated from UCLA. Her
project depicts the how her subjects see themselves and how others see
them, conveying the self-perceptions of her subjects and the feeling
of isolation.
Erica Meza is from Los Angeles and is currently studying photography
at Santa Monica College. Her project combines multiple exposure
photography and interviews in her subjects’ own handwriting to open
their most personal stories, pains, and dreams. In this way, she
strives to show their personalities creatively, while letting the
viewer avoid judgments based on physical appearances.
The opening reception is on Saturday, October 25th, from 6 PM to
10 PM at the WNDO Space, located at 361 Vernon Avenue, Venice,
California, 90291. The show can also be seen there on Sunday,
October 26th from 11 AM to 4 PM.
Crossing Boundaries is presented by the Young Photographers Alliance
(www.youngphotographersalliance.org <http://www.youngphotographersalliance.org/> ), with generous support from The Teen
Project (www.theteenproject.com <http://www.teenproject.com/> ), the WNDO space (www.wndospace.com <http://www.wndospace.com/> ),
Digital Fusion (www.digitalfusion.net <http://www.digitalfusion.net/> ) and Jarritos (www.jarritos.com <http://www.jarritos.com/> ).
Prints will be available for donation by order, and information for donating to
the Teen Project will be provided at the show.
For more information, contact Shane at shane@shanefking.com
