Colton Rothwell (University of Montana)
321 Kensington Ave
Award of Excellence
The COVID Experience
321 Kensington Avenue is an interpretive series I made while in quarantine with three college couples in a single house in Missoula, Montana. Immediately after our returns from spring break, the world shut down and daily life as we knew it was uprooted. We were forced to isolate in our three bedroom college home. As we slowed down from the usual busyness of college life and began to look inward, I began to notice the strain it had on these romantic relationships, through each individual's actions. I also began to notice the light in my house. Through the use of artificial and natural lighting, as well as analog and digital mediums; I felt sparks to create these images spontaneously. These images are a direct result of the times we live in and the individual impact it had on myself and those with whom I am close to. We all felt alone even though we were together, something we had never experienced so intensely.
Story: 321 Kensington Ave
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Light from the outside is obscured with smoke to create a sense of existential stress.
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The small kitchen in our house became an area of contingency between romantic couples.
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Cars began to feel like vacations from the cabin fever.
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A self portrait from my room in the basement. Shot on 120mm film.
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"We were alone while together."
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A candid shot from the living room.
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Natural light in our rooms was no longer was a call to action.