Stephan Apicella-Hitchcock
The images presented in the 2018 Faculty Spotlight exhibition are selected from a body of work made in the south of Japan over the past eight years. I first started walking throughout the small island of Hikoshima during visits to see my wife’s family. After my son was born I continued my walks; however, with him strapped to my chest, my camera in one hand and a baby bottle in the other. Now my son and I walk the island together and he often points out things to me that he thinks would make interesting images. As well, he makes his own images with a point-and-shoot camera.
My previous contribution to the 2015 Faculty Spotlight exhibition was a group of busy, black and white images focusing on human interactions and the daily dramas that typify life in Rome, Italy. These color images from Hikoshima are decidedly different. They are void of people, quiet, and concentrate on generating a sense of place through modest observations. Foremost, I am always engaged in the process of studying the world, then representing it in a straightforward, descriptive manner. Fidelity to what is framed is of paramount importance.
—Stephan Apicella-Hitchcock, 2018