Student: Chris Guerrier ’24
Class: Studio Practice
Grade: 10th
Teacher: Amelia Walske
Beaver sophomore Chris Guerrier ’24 is receiving national attention and praise for his photo, The Portrait. Inspired by the work of New York photographer John Edmonds, the photo is of Chris’s sister, Christine Alcindor ’21. Unlike most portraits, this photo is taken from behind and focuses on Christine’s headscarf and how it complements the curtains in the background.
“It’s interesting because portraits are typically the front of people’s faces, so I was fascinated to see the backs,” he said.
Chris has been at Beaver since 6th grade. A member of the Black Student Union, his interest in photography started in the Intro to Visual Arts class, which exposes students to an array of art mediums, but he’s always had a passion for art and drawing. He started taking art more seriously in middle school with the help of teachers Amy Winston and David Ingenthron. At the end of his 8th-grade year, he realized art was something he wanted to pursue deeper in high school.
During freshman year, after the Intro to Visual Arts class, he took a photography class, taught by Sejal Patel. This is where The Portrait project launched. For his end-of-year project in the class, Chris researched New York photographer John Edmonds and his portraits of the backs of people’s heads. This inspired him to create his own work. While at home, he noticed his sister’s headscarf looked similar to the curtains in their bathroom; she stood in front of the curtains and Chris took many experimental photos.
The Portrait was born.
When he presented his photo to class, Patel recommended he display it in the Beaver Art Gallery for the Winter Exhibit. He also signed up to show his work at Page Waterman’s Art Gallery, where his photo received an honorable mention last year.
This year, Chris is taking Studio Practice—an advanced art course—that Chris said is his favorite art class so far at Beaver. Through the course, he submitted his photo to the Scholastic Arts and Writing program. In January, his photo received a Gold Key, which meant that out of the 260,000 students from across the country who submitted work, he was one of the 2,000 finalists. Then, in March, he got word that he was awarded a National Gold Medal—a prestigious award with notable alumni like Stephen King, Charles White, and Andy Warhol.
“It has been incredible watching Chris’s artistic growth since middle school. Chris is open to exploring all that our studios have to offer and is also able to go deep into his ideas. Both his artwork and his interest in sharing the concepts behind his ideas inspire us all. Chris getting recognition at this level is also inspiring!” – David Ingenthron, US Art Teacher
Chris will go to New York on June 9 to receive his award at the ceremony celebrating all the chosen artists’ and writers’ achievements.
Looking ahead, he wants to continue pursuing photography as well as trying different mediums. He’s already looking to submit his artwork for another competition.
“I’m putting myself out there and not being afraid to showcase my work to people,” he said.
To see more of Chris’s photos, check out his Instagram: @whatsonchriscamera
More about this course: This class creates the community, structure, and space for the most serious artists to pursue their own work. Students taking this class have shown to be independent, dedicated artists who are prepared to bring their own personal interests to the class. No projects are assigned. Group critiques, research in contemporary art, readings, and documentation of the creative process will be major elements of the course.