Carson Michaelis
P02 → Constructing Culture
Spring 2023
Photo Essay
During a studio trip to Florence and Fiesole, and a following week in Rome and Tivoli, I took a series of pictures and created a series of watercolors and sketches that confront the idea that the icons of archtiecture and culture that we hold up are not as they seem from across the Atlantic. If not mobbed with a mass of tourists, they are often surrounded by a much more domestic entourage that removes much of the luster we associate with its’ image. These surrounding elements should not be ignored by either cropping or post-processing, instead they should be respected. The labor that goes into their maintainance and the way that they are still able to create community is just as important as their beauty.