Photo courtesy of Eric Hart Jr.
Eric Hart Jr., a student in the NYU Tisch Department of Photography & Imaging, and 2019 Future Imagemaker Steven Tovar-Campos were among the twelve young photographers included in an article from the Washington Post, "We Can't Go Back to Normal."
From Eric Hart Jr.'s statement:
"When covid struck, I was forced to leave NYU and come back to my hometown of Macon, Ga. I became infatuated with my grandparents, and they became my new subjects. Then Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd were killed, and I felt a sense of outrage. I wanted to get out on the streets and join the groups of people raising their voices and fighting for change. I wanted the art I create to celebrate blackness and spark some light at the end of the tunnel. While these times are incredibly difficult to understand, I’m more than thankful that I have art to guide me through."
Photo courtesy of Steven Tovar-Campos
Steven Tovar-Campos, an alum of the Future Imagemakers program at the Department of Photography & Imaging, was also among the artists featured. He said in his statement:
"In my neighborhood in the Bronx, we are constantly being watched. Whether it’s NYPD helicopters, security cameras or ICE agents, these oppressive forces bring paranoia to the majority Black and Latinx communities.
One night, while I was walking around the neighborhood with my mother, a police helicopter shone a spotlight on us. My mother was completely unfazed by the light, which made me reflect on this surveillance state."