My name is Rachel Willoughby, and I am a Psychology major in my senior year of my bachelor's degree at SNHU. I have been working as an assistant for the McIninch Art Gallery for the past four years. I am extremely grateful for every unique opportunity, and experience working with them has given me. For this week's collection spotlight, I have chosen the work Sanctified by photographer Jesse Burke. It depicts a woman with a net drawn over her face, the image itself in grayscale colors. This piece is part of a larger body of work titled Wild and Precious. Jesse Burke traveled the country with his daughter and explored their connection to the natural world around them through the medium of photography. Inspiration for the titles came from Johnny Cash songs.
Sanctified is a very moving portrait. Though the imagery and colors are simplistic, they manage to capture a serene and intimate ambiance. The figure almost looks like a statue with her eyes closed, which adds even further to this calm, quiet atmosphere. I chose this piece for the beauty of its simplicity and the inspiration behind it, as I strongly agree with Burke's stance on the importance of forging a connection with our natural surroundings. Through my own experience, I have found that I tend to lose touch with nature in my day-to-day life, jumping from one screen to the next. As such, Burke's work helps remind me to step away from technology now and then and live in the moment.
Rachel Willoughby
Psychology major
Senior at SNHU
