The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/29770
Art People: Benjamin Wronkoski Photographer Benjamin Wronkoski is seen in New Zealand. Ben Wronkoski is a 22-year-old senior at Hartwick College majoring in history, with minors in documentary photography, anthropology and U.S. ethnic studies. At Hartwick, he is a member of the varsity men’s tennis team, in the honors program and is a Blue Key tour guide. He is from Dolgeville in the Adirondacks. During the spring of my soph- omore year I applied for the Duffy International Scholarship, an alumni-funded international research project, and I created a field oriented photography study in New Zealand. My intent was to capture the raw beauty of New Zealand’s diverse and stunning physical landscape while looking to expand my photographic skills. I was award- ed the scholarship and arrived in New Zealand on Christmas Day 2009. For the next seven weeks I backpacked through the two islands that make up New Zea- land. Traveling by bus, I hopped on and off in different locations, hiked in national parks and slept in campgrounds. After taking part in the inten- sive photo study, I attended Vic- toria University in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, and 8 O-Town Scene April 21, 2011 continued to further immerse myself in Aotearoa, the Maori word for the country meaning Land of the Long White Cloud. I was continually challenged to document this beautiful place in a way that was unique to my own artistic expression. By the end of my travels I had amassed over 10,000 images. It was very difficult to choose only about 20 to showcase in a show titled “Te Ao Marama _ A Duffy Experience in New Zealand” at the Yager Museum of Art and Culture on the Hart- wick College campus. The Yager Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., and the show will be up until May 28. More photos can be seen at www.flickr.com/photos/ benwronkoski. _ Ben Wronkoski The silver fern is an iconic New Zealand symbol found throughout the North and South islands. Cathedral Cove in the Coromandel Peninsula in the North Island.