Rocstar
2024 | Photography, Wheatpaste, Wet Plate Collodion | Rochester, urban life, skate culture, resilience

Rochester’s character runs deep. Its history is layered, built on perseverance and innovation. From factories to cultural movements, the city is constantly evolving. It’s a place of hard work and raw moments. Rochester loves photography. It’s the birthplace of Kodak and still full of artists. Photography here is about truth. It’s about stories, about layers.

"Rocstar" shows this spirit. It’s a look at what makes the city real. A big wheatpaste wall forms a textured background, posters telling stories of grit. Enlarged tintypes from the 1850s show textures and strength. They symbolize Rochester’s resilience. I set up my portable wet plate darkroom in the skate park. I watched the skaters. Showed the craft. The patience it takes.

My tintype portraits and the skate park share a raw, gritty feel. The skaters’ faces and poses are like figures from the 1850s—rugged, facing life head-on. I worked on this for three years. Shot in real time. Skateboarding accepts falling. Every fall is part of growing. My work celebrates imperfection. The strength that comes from trying again. I got close to the skaters. Watched them fall and get up. They teach resilience.

This project is about Rochester’s spirit. It’s honesty and grit. It’s pride. It’s about moving forward, no matter what. The city’s layered, real, strong.

The show brought out a good crowd. I gave an artist talk that many stayed for, standing-room only. Folks from all over came to hear about the work, about Rochester, about resilience. They wanted to listen to the story of the skate park—the community fought the city government for years to keep it. They developed the park. Their fight was long and hard. At the show, that community felt seen and celebrated. Their effort, their pride—it all mattered. The room filled up, and that’s enough. That’s how the work speaks—quietly but strongly, to Rochester and beyond.

Nick Kundrat created a short video showcasing the show. It documented the space, the people, the work. He also interviewed me, letting me talk about the project and what it means. The video reached more people. It kept the story going. It’s not just about me. It’s about Rochester, its community, its heart.