Student's photography takes summer vacation around the world

Exhibiting work internationally is a big goal set by many artists. And Alexandra Gataeva cleared the high bar while still a student at Rochester Institute of Technology. 

Gataeva, a fourth-year Fine Art Photography student, spent her summer earning a place in five exhibitions throughout the U.S. and abroad. 

During the summer, her striking photography could be found in museums, galleries and art centers in Kansas, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Greece — an opportunity that gave her a coveted international audience. 

“It feels great. There’s a very satisfying feeling in having a finished piece hung on the wall,” said Gataeva, who also had a photo selected for the online portion of the “Field Work: Landscape and Architecture” exhibit at Portland, Ore-based Black Box Gallery. 

Gataeva’s other work was featured in shows at Blank Wall Gallery in Athens, Greece; Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts; Praxis Photo Arts Center in Minneapolis, Minn.; and Midwest Center for Photography in Wichita, Kan. Each had different pieces, showcasing Gataeva’s wide body of work. 

“I have the freedom to express myself and ideas or issues. I use photography in an intuitive and also in a conceptual way,” Gataeva said of her work. “Photography is something I’m passionate about because of all of the technology involved in it and the industry is constantly evolving.”

Gataeva began entering her photography in exhibition calls for entry focused on instant film photography, monochromatic photography, earth elements, landscape and architecture — all elements and mediums she prefers, given her recent travels to vast, isolated locations.  

“I would say my work has an edgier style,” Gataeva said. “There’s an emphasis on suspense or mystery that challenges people to think about what’s going on in the images.”

Gataeva said the curriculum in the School of Photographic Arts and Science (SPAS) has allowed her to develop a multifaceted skill set. Furthermore, her experience working in the Photo Cage — SPAS’ repository of industry-standard gear available for student checkout — has supplied a deep knowledge of different equipment and troubleshooting technical issues. 

“Being a student at RIT, you’re given all the resources you could possibly ever need to be a photographer and it’s your initiative as to what you do with it,” Gataeva said.

After graduation, Gataeva said she plans to pursue post-graduate studies, potentially in London. 

Gataeva's other exhibited work from the summer: