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Serene Ford Northington
Upon graduation from the Photography & Imaging Department at Tisch School of the Arts in 1998, Serene received The Rosenberg Fellowship that enabled her to produce the photographic exhibition entitled I'm The Girl Who Survived The War: Photographs From Vietnam. It was a unique and personal endeavor in which Serene went to Vietnam for the first time with her mother who was making a return after twenty-seven years. The project included writing from both Serene and her mother. As the title indicates, this project was an assertion and reclamation of herself as an individual amidst a painfully complicated place in history. Serene has continued to develop to this body of work. After a recent trip to Vietnam in November 2002, she has added more images and retitled the project War Retold in an exhibition for A/P/A Studies & Institute. Serene has embarked upon many photographic travels. She has covered six continents with her camera. In 2001 Serene developed a photo essay entitled Fade to White about West African skin beaching and prostitution. The images are an intimate portrait of men and women who lighten their skin for cosmetic and economic benefits. The story is of particular interest to Serene because she is concerned with issues of identity, self-image, and transformation. The photographs were published as a feature story in The Source Magazine and The Village Voice. Whether she photographs transvestites in New York or military camps in Israel, Serene gravitates to stories that address to the fluid nature of identity. Serene has been photographing since high school in the suburbs of Seattle. From there she moved to New York City to work for Magnum photographer, Bruce Davidson. With Davidson, Serene was able to gain a vast understanding of photography from an artistic and operational point of view. They worked on editorial, advertising, and fashion assignments as well as editing his latest book A Time of Change. She established her photographic foundation from Davidson who encouraged her to pursue formal academic training at New York University. Serene lives in New York with her husband and two dogs. |