Photomanipulation nominee

As an individual diagnosed with the genetic disorder Bardet-Biedl Syndrome, I have struggled with the increasing possibility of going blind. As an artist, losing my vision would be particularly tragic since I use my sight as an essential tool for creating photography and visual art. Through this series, the camera is used to visualize a world where I may no longer be able to see. These five montages were made by digitally overlaying 35mm film frames that were purposefully deconstructed using a candle flame, a process difficult to control. The moments depicted are abundant in quantity yet impermanent in nature as they fragment and morph together into one while decaying over time. Even with their disintegration, the delicate imagery is alluring, showing beauty in the remains. As one loses their vision, what can be seen of their loved ones and surroundings becomes more valuable, and as their sighted world disappears, they may feel isolated and trapped. I fear the uncontrollable fate of my vision. After viewing the series, I would like the viewer to be left struggling to hang onto something tangible as the images appear to disintegrate and melt away.

Hannah Schneider is from Raleigh, North Carolina. She is a first-year student in Duke’s Master of Fine Arts in Experimental and Documentary Arts program. Since discovering the darkroom in 2021 as an undergrad at Meredith College, Schneider has fallen in love with the experimentality of creating work there. Her work merges archival and digital photographic practices, transcending the line between photography and digital art. Schneider has had work published in the Colton Review (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023), presented in the Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition (2021, 2022) and DISRUPT Exhibition (2023), and was a finalist for Photolucida’s 2023 Critical Mass. She is passionate about using photography to push the boundaries of the media and create narratives that make visible what cannot be seen. With her work, Schneider hopes to create captivating, personal pieces that leave the viewer in contemplation.