A Critique of Southern Dreams: Portrait of the Ideal
Photo by Haley Bordelon
Capturing the essence of something or someone as they exist in a given moment of time drives photographers with an innate desire to show life within the fraction of the second that a picture is taken. For Scarlett Hendricks, a local photographer and portraitist, that essence of life and emotion within the fraction of a second is what drives her to create works of art to be passed down through generations of a family. Inspired by a portrait of her grandmother, she found herself with a passion to “capture and express … family feelings” meant to harness traditions and stories to be shared for many years. In her exhibition Southern Dreams: Portrait of the Ideal, housed in the small gallery space of our campus’ Meadows Museum of Art, Hendricks showcases her talent of portraiture and her ability to encapsulate memories, personalities, and emotions of those she works with.
Photo by Scarlett Hendricks
Focusing primarily on senior portraiture, Hendricks wants to capture that moment of growth and maturity as one graduates from high school and prepares for the real world, but she does such in a way that also allows for their innocence and youthful attributes to show through. Many of the families she works with have been clients since the children were little, so she can photograph them as they grow into adulthood. With the rare ability to do so, Scarlett Hendricks finds herself as part of the family tradition and inherently part of the stories passed from generation to generation.
My only critique of the exhibition is that it may have been better suited for a larger gallery space. Each portrait has an individual feel and the artistic attributes of the pieces are undermined only by the staggered hanging. Nonetheless, all the portraits are wonderfully and artistically taken, and the exhibit as a whole provides a beautiful portrayal of the range of human emotion.
From the curious behaviors of little children to the love-filled gazes of couples, Southern Dreams: Portrait of the Ideal is filled with many emotions that viewers can relate to and create a sense of familiarity between. Scarlett Hendricks’ well-trained eye knows which glimmers of personality to capture and share with families for many generations to come. Her talents and prestige in the world of portraiture here in Shreveport give her a place as one of the best photographers in the local area. Please do come see her exhibition in the Meadows Museum and find yourself surrounded by and part of the family traditions created by her works.
