September 27, 2012
After taking numerous trips into the city of Utica, Evan Warnock ’14 became fascinated with the incredible subcultures Utica has to offer. As a Friends Without Borders volunteer, Warnock worked closely with young refugee students in the city. He got to know these young adults and knew that he wanted to document his encounters and share them with the Hamilton community.
After taking Professor Knight’s introduction to photography class, Warnock became fascinated with photography and realized that he could use this fascination to bring some of Utica to Hamilton. Warnock took a series of photographs of 10 young refugee students whose families made Utica their home. He called the photo series, “A Place They Call Home.”
He claimed his process was pretty simple.
“I earned their trust, because that’s basically all you need as a photographer,” Warnock said while describing how he conducted the project. He spent the bulk of his time getting to know the students. Some were timid at first, but they grew to enjoy the project just as much as Warnock did. He captured a broad range of emotion.
Some were extremely animated, while others just stood there and let him take the photos. Warnock claimed that each student’s personality showed through his work. When asked what he wanted viewers to take from the project, Warnock said that he wanted more Hamilton students to develop an interest in Utica as well as a fascination with the cultures of Utica. He wants more students to get involved with the Utica community.
“Volunteer, go to dinner, go to the zoo, see for yourself that the negative perceptions and stereotypes of Utica are untrue,” Warnock claimed. With this series of photographs, Warnock wanted to show that these individuals, displaced from their homes, found a way to make a new home in Utica. He wants Hamilton students to follow that example and make Utica, a city only 20 minutes away, their home too.
“This project demonstrates the ideal confluence of a student’s passions with learning that extends beyond the classroom. Evan has found the delicate intersection between art and diversity education, and his pictures vividly juxtapose his participants with the backdrop of Utica’s challenges and celebrations. I see this as a project that is full of hope,” said Amit Taneja, director of the Days-Massolo Center. Warnock’s “A Place They Call Home” exhibit is currently on display in the Days-Massolo Center.