Deanne Andrus’ “United Apart” shows the ties that bind

by Jay Bowman.

“‘United Apart’ is a visual representation of a modern day marriage. It shows a relationship punctuated by work-related travel. The desire to stay close and in contact, despite the distance in miles, created an opportunity to share daily experiences through pictorial collaboration. By creating photographic art, the artist and her husband work together to visually erase the miles.”

This thesis exhibition of Deanne Andrus, second-year M.F.A. photography student, is a glimpse into the 21st century marriage in which technology allows a couple to share one another’s experiences when separated by distance. Andrus, who obtained her B.F.A in photography at SCAD prior to enrolling in the graduate program, began this body of work after reaching the midpoint in the program. The process began with Andrus’ husband, Garth, simply sending her photos to show her the sites in a particular place to which he traveled.  This, however, grew into a symbiotic artistic experience for the pair. Through the creative process, the couple connects in a way which makes the distance meaningless.

Each print is a photograph of a given area in her house as seen with an image by her husband projected into it. The series presents quiet moments of reflection within her home such as a view of the dinner table or a view of her bedroom from the hallway outside. On top of this she projects the photo from her husband. At times these contrast against one another, a view of country field shot from the driver’s seat on top of an empty place setting, for instance. In other prints, the two settings are oddly unified, such as a photo of her husband’s hotel room projected on the bed and wall of their bedroom.
In the prints Andrus violates the first and most commonly accepted rule on projection: project onto a flat, white surface for maximum clarity. The result is a blend of two viewpoints difficult to separate. Some challenge the viewers ability to discern whether the view is of a streetscape of New York City or the couple’s garage at home. This, however, is a part of the intent. Through this blend, Andrus illustrates the strength of their connection.

At the same time, she shows the unmistakable undertone of solitude. In no photos is the artist or her husband seen. The beds in the hotel and the home are both unoccupied. The place-setting for one at the dinner table does not have food.

It would feel lonely if not for the unification of the couple’s vision. Instead of melancholy, one sees connectivity and the determination to share life in spite of distance. Through the pictures, one can almost hear the two saying to each other “Hey, here’s what I’m looking at right now. I want you to see it with me.” From that, the lingering message is a hopeful one, not of two people longing to see one another but two who are together at all times.