Blake Fitch was born in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1971. Fitch received her BFA on full scholarship from Pratt Institute (1994), with a major in photography and minor in photo history. After graduating she studied photography at the Art Institute of Chicago (1998) before earning her masters degree in Arts Administration from Boston University (2001).
Documentary in nature, Fitch’s work has focused on the human condition, including themes of: identity, rites of passage, civil rights, belonging and the investigation of community in third world countries. Her work has been described as graceful and confident. The quality and breadth of her imagery has enabled her to receive a variety of grants and sponsorships including support from Kodak and Calumet Photographic. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is held in the collections of numerous museums, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Worcester Art Museum, and the George Eastman House of Photography.
About the series “Expectations of Adolescence”
Adolescence is a time for identity play, a time to try on various masks in the journey toward self-discovery and adulthood. Through our imaginations we perceive endless possibilities, but slowly awaken to the realities of resistance.
In this project I have explored the changes that accompany this phase of a girl's life in America. I hope to have captured the simple moments in her search for her own identity as it becomes publicly displayed—at a dance recital or simply by the way she looks at herself in the mirror—and then subsequently informs the various traits that are either incorporated or discarded on the way to becoming an adult. |
