Lindsay Morris: A Small Taste of Freedom

A Small Taste of Freedom was an exhibition by the photographer Lindsay Morris which resulted from a collaboration between Morris and the Guild Hall Teen Arts Council (GHTAC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Composed of portraits and audio interviews of GHTAC members living under New York State’s “stay at home” order, the exhibition captured the everyday happenings, coping mechanisms, and escape modes of area teens living through this historic moment.

Morris’ series is a true reflection of the challenge teenagers faced as their final months of school, graduation, prom, and other rites of passage slipped away. The project began as a portrait series of high school seniors in their cars, recording the expressions and body language of young people on the cusp of adulthood, with the automobile representing a quest for autonomy and freedom. As spring began and the reality of the pandemic set-in, the adventurous and hopeful narrative of these young people changed.

A simply stated question was posed to Guild Hall’s Teen Arts Council members: How is Covid-19 affecting you? Their answers regarding family hardships, concerns about academic success, fears regarding our global community, and free-floating anxiety are embedded in the visual and audio material exhibited, but even without accompanying interviews, the facial expressions in these portraits tell a story of loss and uncertainty. 

On view August 21 - December 27, 2020. Curated by Anthony Madonna and Casey Dalene.