Sabrina Bakalis

Sabrina Bakalis

Entangled Existence

APRIL 25 – MAY 5, 2024

Honor’s Thesis Exhibition – Mezzanine Gallery

This body of work delves into the human figure, not just as a physical form, but as a vessel of experience and memory. Photography, in all its diverse forms – cyanotypes, photograms, projections, and prints – becomes a bridge between past and present. Photography unites these distinct material vocabularies, as a medium that relies upon the action of light to record visual exploration and creative experimentation. Light, the essence of photography, acts as a metaphor for memory itself. Just as light leaves an imprint on film, our experiences leave indelible marks on our perception of the world. 

These “spin-offs” – distinct approaches within the photographic realm – offer exciting avenues for the exploration of creative risk-taking and the fluidity of memory. Imperfections and distortions inherent in these processes become analogous to the way memories shift and morph over time. Shadows cast on these works echo the way experiences cast long shadows on who we are. 

The process is central to these works as a mode of expressing the human experience. I am fascinated by how people occupy space, and how our experiences shape our perceptions of environments. Mood, surroundings, and feelings are all contingent. I examine body projections, both literal and metaphorical, to explore how we project ourselves, and how we cast our shadows, in different spaces. 

The installation invites you to move through the space, to engage with the fragmented figures, lighting, projections, and layered imagery. As you walk through and experience these interactions with the works it is mirroring the experiences between bodies and nature, internal and external environments, in a new light. 

This movement mirrors the way we navigate our memories, piecing together fragments from the past to understand our present selves. The unsettling nature of the unknown in these alternative processes reflects the uncertainties of memory, where details can be abstracted, hazy, or even distorted. I aim to capture the different feelings and emotions that occur each time we occupy a space. 

The shadows and distortions inherent in these techniques echo the way memory can be unreliable, yet undeniably a part of who we are. We constantly learn and experience new things as we move forward, and these processes allow me to capture a glimpse of this ever-evolving story.

Sabrina Bakalis, a senior double majoring in Mathematical Business and Studio Art, is passionate about the intersection of creativity and analysis, particularly within the business of the contemporary art world. This passion is reflected in her minor focus on Art History with a concentration in the Contemporary Art Market. Primarily working in photography and alternative processes, Sabrina recently had a solo exhibition at the Brockway Recruiting Center, perfectly situated in the heart of the Business School. Further demonstrating her artistic commitment, Sabrina served on the University committee for the Mark H. Reece Collection of Student-Acquired Contemporary Art in the Spring of 2024. Sabrina has exhibited in the Hanes Gallery’s annual Student Art Exhibition every year in her undergraduate career where she has won an award for her Handmade book A Bridge: Between Past & Present. She is excited to see where her passion and career take her!