Array 15, a photo and video exhibit showcasing the work of 15 Photography III students, will be displayed in the Harry and Laura Nohr Gallery until Dec. 22. Opening night was held on Dec. 3.

According to Steve Yunck, associate professor of Media Studies, the exhibit was the result of a semester-long group effort by students, and may be the last exhibit from a Photography III class. The class will no longer be included in the media studies curriculum due to budget reductions.

From a love of tattoos to a respect for students struggling with mental health concerns, each student had a unique source of inspiration.

For Carley Rote, senior graphic design major, inspiration came from comic book art and the widespread use of Photoshop to manipulate images of women. Carley said her biggest challenge was creating a visually appealing pop art effect in each of the six photographs. Her project was titled “Under the Mask.”

“I wanted to portray the idea of what is real and what is not,” Carley said. “I wanted to show the beauty of women and how strong they could be.”

Rote’s sister, sophomore animal science major Crystal Rote, said that she was blown away by all of the projects exhibited. Crystal attended the gallery night on Dec. 3 and is one of the models featured in Carley’s project.

Hannah Shuler, senior business administration major, was inspired by her experiences working in the residence halls and seeing the mental health struggles that many students face. Shuler’s project features posters for the Stomp Out Stigma campaign. The posters will be displayed on campus next semester.

Shuler said her biggest challenge was figuring out the best way to present this in a way that was easy for people not suffering from these conditions to understand but not triggering for those who do suffer. Shuler worked with University Counseling Services to develop the posters and learn about the conditions portrayed.

Bailey Wallace, senior graphic design major, produced a series of 10 black and white photos inspired by her love of tattoos, of which she has 45.

“I wanted to try something different,” Wallace said. “I had never used my macro [close up] lens before.”

Wallace said she was very happy with how the project turned out and she intends to give it to her tattoo artist at Bad Cat Tattoo in Platteville as a Christmas present.

Most of the projects were photography-based but Molly Christenson, senior media studies major, produced a documentary about the University of Wisconsin-Platteville sunflower oil. Christenson said it was a challenge to be one of the few students in the class working with video instead of photography.

“The most rewarding part was seeing people’s reactions, the compliments and seeing it at the Pop-Up Film Festival,” Christenson said.

The Pop-Up Film Festival was held on Nov. 18 in the Nohr Gallery and according to the UW-Platteville website, featured “a collection of short films with big ideas for sustainable foods.”

Photography III is the most advanced imagery class in the Media Studies curriculum, Yunck said, and it demonstrates an in-depth media specialist approach.

“I think there is a need for this as an outlet for students to be creative and show their talents,” Yunck said.

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