Orphenus Burger, Photography BFA
Interviewed by Gia Leigh, Visual Arts Major and Madeline Marchant, Visual Arts Major
Gia Leigh:
To start, it was really nice to get to walk and talk with some of my classmates. This opportunity rarely ever presents itself naturally these days. The question prompts also helped because it allowed us to dig deeper and we were able to share things about ourselves that we normally wouldn’t. I was able to get to really hear Orphenus within those 10 minutes of someone talking and the others actively listening. I enjoyed photographing them after our talks because I was able to see them better. Due to this new perspective on them I was able to capture them in a way that is more authentic to who they really are.
Orphenus’s goal is to be an art teacher after school. They said that for a while they wanted to teach younger kids. After experiencing a classroom full of younger kids, they are now thinking about continuing with more schooling so they can work in higher education. One of Orphenus’s pivotal moments in life is when they came to terms with their sexuality and came out in high school. It was a very hard time in their life because they were not around as many people who understood them. Over time they were able to become more confident in themself and find their people. A current challenge in Orphenus’s life is finding a balance between friend’s and time for themself. They are trying to be less reliant on their friends as well as actively working on being more conscious of when they need to make time for themself. I also learned that Orphenus likes to photograph people and experimenting with studio portraits.
Madeline Marchant:
We spoke to each other about our aspirations, our struggles from when we were younger and our current struggles we may face today in adulthood. Orphenus shared that they struggled a lot with identity when they were younger as a young teenager. They also shared that they are trying to figure out what is next for them in their career as a teacher.
The experience was a nice way to start the class and introducing yourself to new people. I do think it forces you to open up because the questions are not just surface level. I like that it is more than the typical icebreaker at the beginning of the semester. Just listening takes a lot of skill sometimes. In everyday conversation there is always the back and forth and sometimes people feel unheard but this exercise helps with that. It allows us to speak our truth without judgement or backlash from others.
September 2024