Andrew Baris received his BFA in Photography, with a minor in Printmaking from Hartford Art School, University of Hartford. He is a Connecticut-based artist living and working in Hartford, CT. Andrew's art work relies heavily on analog photography as he examines relationships both personal and unacquainted. With a background in printmaking, books and zines are a regular creative outlet for Andrew as well, exploring how images can relate to each other and how they are perceived depending on how they are depicted in a series. Recently, Andrew has been interested in photographs as objects and exploring how physical space can help translate his ideas relating to connection and disconnection.

DAD (Recent work)

This body of work is an on going exploration of my relationship to my father. My father is Bi-polar and has been in and out of my life since I was a teenager. Thinking about idolization of the "dad" and what a father is in the 21st century I try to make sense of how a lack of time spent together, as well as his struggle with mental health have affected our connection. I am photographically exploring the physical, emotional, and time based space that is prevalent in the relationship with my father.

It's All Down Cellar: I photographically explore issues of loss, change, youth, and old age. My working process is slow, as I use a 4x5 inch view camera which allows a breadth of conversation, thoughts, and feelings to evolve naturally between my subject and myself. Particularly I am looking at how illness can devolve the family dynamic. My grandmother was the matriarch of our family. As a child I witnessed her hosting family gatherings, taking care of all her children's children (including myself at one time), and being a thoroughly devoted wife. Two years ago she was diagnosed with dementia, and with that came a loss of personal identity. The stillness of space around my grandfather signifies the void left by his wife’s absence. The documentation of my family became even more complex after I was diagnosed with diabetes. My apprehension of change and aging intensified and the subject of loss became important for me to explore deeper. Photographing the landscape became a form of catharsis for me, and within the context of the series the images formed a visual representation of change. I began to make more self-portraits both inside and out, and the changing seasons seemed to correlate with my developing sensibility. Using photography I have established a basis for making art through personal incident. The relationships depicted in the imagery offer a poetic glimpse into the complex nature of family and its shifting dynamics. While this family is mine, the transference of thought and emotion is universal.