Brookhaven Courier

Issue date: 10/8/07 Section: Entertainment

Media Credit: Samantha Nickel Photographers Cathy and J.W. Burkey speak with students about their digital illustrations in the Atrium Gallery.

Some people live in the real world, or the world as it is. Photographers Cathy and J.W. Burkey live in "the world as it isn't," which is the name of their exhibition in Brookhaven College's Atrium Gallery.

The husband and wife team have artwork that they said displays the differences in their photography styles.

J.W. said photography has always been seen as an honest art form. He said this isn't true because the photographer always makes choices: what to include and what to exclude; when to shoot and when not to.

"I accept this fully and don't even try to be honest," he said. "I'm usually more interested in showing an idea than in showing the world as it really is."

He said Cathy's work is more of a documentary style.

Cathy said: "My stuff is pretty straight forward. J.W.'s work is more conceptual."

She said she graduated from Texas Tech University and majored in advertising. She is now the photographer for the Dallas Zoo.

"I live in a world of ideas," Cathy said. "I think any artist has to have a head full of ideas and a notebook to keep up with them."

Oscar Vela, graphic design sophomore, said his favorite part of the exhibit was that each picture told a different story. He said photography is one of his hobbies and not what he wants as a career. He said he enjoys doing more hands-on work, which is why he is majoring in graphic design.

J.W. said the most important skill to learn in pursuing graphic design is to think like a designer.

"Your skills in Photoshop and InDesign will be stale before you even graduate," he said. "Being master of a computer program is not a skill that the world will pay you much for. Being a master visual communicator will make you valuable."

He said people won't pay a student to choose typefaces and color for them, but they will pay someone well to communicate their message better than they could themselves.

J.W. said designers get ideas from everywhere.

"We just need to stop trying to be cool all the time and allow ourselves to become excited about what we see as we did when we were little kids," J.W. said.

He said he lives in the world as it isn't as much as he can, except when there is great food and good friends around.

"The interior world of the mind is a much more interesting place to spend time," he said.

Students can view the exhibit "the world as it isn't" until Oct. 26 in the Atrium Gallery in B Building.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools