By Keegan Stewart
The GVHS photography students were asked to capture life during the pandemic through photographs. For more photos, go to gvphoto.org. In addition, the art department has been posting student artwork on their Instagram, @artgvhs.
When asked to capture life during the global pandemic, I struggled with deciding if I should look at this entire situation optimistically or pessimistically. I chose the former, realizing that although the world seems to be crumbling right now, this quarantine is the perfect opportunity for self-growth and discovery.
In the past weeks, I've noticed that due to the little control that I have over the current situation, I've been putting energy into the many little things I can control. This series captures the mind’s journey from helplessness to productivity in the midst of difficult times. The subject slowly travels from depression to energy and ending with a desire to give back to the community. Life has given us lemons. It's about time we make lemonade.
The subject of my photo is my younger brother, Gavin. I felt that he was the perfect example of the struggle students are going through right now. He’s only thirteen, but he is facing a large moment in history. It has been difficult for me to watch someone so young and naïve experience something so isolating, so I wanted to highlight Gavin’s strength and maturity during these times.
As bizarre as it sounds, the inspiration for buying sixty fake lemons came to me in a dream. I had a dream where it was hailing lemons, and suddenly it began raining lemonade. The next day, Ms. Startup introduced the photography assignment. Lemons were fresh in my brain, so I instantly thought of the common phrase, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I felt that this positivity- provoking quote was perfectly applicable to the cycle of emotions felt during a global pandemic.
More of this series can be found on throughkeeganslens.weebly.com
