As I approach the final semester of college I am drawn back to the environments that have shaped me as an artist. In this series of images of found objects, I am exploring the sentimental and tender relationship between myself and the urban landscapes in both the Bronx and Harlem. As opposed to following a traditional photojournalistic style, I took a more nuanced and nostalgic approach to making photographs which deeply resonates with notions of home. Fabrics posing like a group of women, plants reminding me of immigrant communities in New York City, scenes dramatised or emphasised by sunlight. Through the use of colour and composition I construct a warm and familiar environment which at times did not exist, in places where I would have felt cast out as a queer person of colour.
Chris Rosas Vargas (He/They) is a photo-based artist born and based in New York City. They’re an approaching graduate at the Parsons School of Design pursuing a BFA in Photography. Their current work concentrates on exploring the notions of home and belonging within uptown communities. They have participated twice at the Borough Arts Festival exhibitions at both the Lower East Side Girls Club (2016) and the Museum of Modern Art (2017).