By Jami Coon
Bachelor of fine arts and art education major, Jethro Gillespie, used a holga camera to take the photographs that hang in his show, 'Holga Photographs by Jethro Gillespie,' now showing in the Harris Fine Arts Center.
The exhibit is a 12-piece collection of photos Gillespie shot while on a field study trip to New Zealand and Tonga last spring.
'Actually my emphasis is print making,' Gillespie said. 'I just did this show kind-of on a whim. Photography, I don''t really have much experience with.'
Andrea Kristensen, visual resource curator for the slide library in the department of visual arts, said the show is unique because the type of camera used is not utilized very often.
'I loved the interesting perspectives,' Kristensen said. 'They are not your typical straight-forward photographs.'
Gillespie also said the camera was unique and a fascinating way to take photographs.
'The holga technique is cool,' he said. 'It is a primitive way of making photographs. It''s like this little plastic, toy camera. There is nothing fancy about it. The film does wacky stuff and you get different effects with it.'
Julie Flynn, photography major from Mesa, Ariz., said she thought the show was unique, but in a different way.
'A lot of BYU is based on the philosophy that the world is our campus, and they have kids from all over the world, they have study abroad programs, and half of us know another language,' Flynn said. 'He did part of his studies in Tonga. It''s not just like your typical fine arts show that is just pretty. It''s stylistically documented to this place and you get a definite feel for Tonga.'
Gillespie said he loved the chance to study abroad and obtain some field experience there, but it was not always his plan to pursue art as an education.
Becoming interested in art when he was in high school, Gillespie was inspired by one of his teachers to continue in art. After serving a mission in Mexico, and upon his return to BYU, he thought he would never touch art.
But after a year, he became interested in art again and applied for the BFA major.
Now, a couple of years later and still inspired by that same high school teacher, Gillespie has recently been accepted to the art education program. He wants to be a high school teacher, he said.
Before Gillespie has the chance to influence younger generation students, he said he hopes students at BYU will appreciate his show.
'I hope they see the formal qualities of photography,' Gillespie said. 'Even though there is subject matter in it, it is much more about the formal aesthetics.'
'Holga Photographs by Jethro Gillespie' will hang around the perimeter of the B. F. Larsen Gallery in the Harris Fine Arts Center through next Friday.