Alan Raquel 
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 Gallery: Casa Frela navigate UP   Album: 2005 - 2007 ART EXHIBITIONS HELD AT CASA FRELA navigate UP   Album: 14 A Photographic Conversation navigate UP 
       
Alan Raquel - Artist Statement The complexity of urban life provide the inspiration that propel my photographs. Physical and psychological interactions between people living in the metropolis cultivate a kaleidoscopic atmosphere which emanates many expressions that provide the stage and setting for the images.

"Mise-en-scene" is a series of photographs that depict an imaginary scene from a film which fuses the photographic traditions of portrait, fashion and street documentary with film. Also a filmmaker, these dramatized portraits of actors are not a literal reenactment, but are set up in a tableau manner similar to film's mise-en-scene where the placement and setting of the actors, lighting and the environment are all planned out in front of the camera.

Referencing the film noir genre as the dominant inspiration for this series, my intent is to retain the characteristic aspects associated with this filmmaking style while utilizing them in the shooting process and translating it into an image. While drawing from the psychological states of the character perspective that is prevalent in this genre like anxiety, alienation and paranoia, the actors are directed to embody the role of the desolate, rejected and lone figure, whether it be a detective or a femme fatale. Like the films, all the locations take place in an urban setting where the photos are shot in empty streets, industrial areas and a vacant theater, all of which are in New York City. The visual aspect was also achieved by shooting only at night, using low key lighting and wide angles, but the images are shot in color instead of the traditional black and white for a more contemporary look. Also inspired in part by Surrealism and Expressionism, some of the images have also been composited with other images to illustrate a visual labyrinth of mystery and complexity.

This series is a continuing exploration of urban related themes in my work and the first that focuses on the genre of film noir.

 Alan Raquel - Bio Alan Raquel was born in the Philippines, raised in San Francisco and currently lives in West Harlem. Alan has worked as a photographer for modeling agencies, community and theater groups in San Francisco. His photographs have been published in Filipinas Magazine and the Male Super Models book. He entered City College a few years after moving to New York City where he is about to graduate with a double major in Media and Communication Arts (Film/Video) and Art (Electronic Design). He has received awards including the Sidney Meyers Award for Film in 2005 at City College, Runner-up in the Documentary category at the CUNY Asian American Film/Media Festival for the films "Kaduma" in 2004 and "Balikbayan" in 2005. Another film called "The Photograph" won the Experimental category in the 2006 CUNY Asian American Film/Media Festival. Upcoming projects include a continuation of the photographic series, "Urban Collisions" and a video/photo project about his experience during a recent trip back to the Philippines.
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 Gallery: Casa Frela navigate UP   Album: 2005 - 2007 ART EXHIBITIONS HELD AT CASA FRELA navigate UP   Album: 14 A Photographic Conversation navigate UP 
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