Photog Dean has style all her own

Freshman A&M-Commerce photography major Ambrea Dean features a personality and style that reflects an Old World vibe.

"I am inspired by a lot of old Noir films," Dean said. "For a long time, I didn't really feel like I had grown into myself. I think, like my art, the way I dress has evolved and changed over the years to suit who I am."

Her atypical wardrobe and unique personality has caught the attention of many peers, including Sean Kennedy, a graduate English major and Dean's current boyfriend.

The two met in the Hall of Languages, and after a brief conversation and an exchange of numbers, the relationship began.

"She looked like the kind of person that I just had to meet, otherwise I would've felt as though I had missed out on something special," Kennedy said. "She is an incredibly complex person."

Dean's artwork bears the same distinguished style as her clothing and personality. Her images are often thematically dark, and stand out against the brigade of trendy photos.

"My photography within the photo program is a lot different than many people's," Dean said. "It seems to be less pretty and more conceptual. I can't ever just make a photograph. There is a whole process that goes into it. I have to write about it and sketch my ideas out. I have to shoot it from different angles and use different techniques. I end up pouring hours into a single photograph, trying to get it to look like what I see in my mind."

Her work was featured in the Student Art Show this semester. She received an honorable mention, which made her the only freshman recognized at the exhibit.

Dean is currently working on two side projects in her free time, and exploring the world of art integration. She is also developing her investments in a form of interactive art.

"Often, she'll take a typewriter and write lines of her poetry scrolling across envelopes in different directions, sometimes even typing over previously typed text in order to create an effect," Kennedy said. "The unique thing about this particular type of art is that it is interactive. She intends for people to touch it, move it around, unfold flaps of paper to reveal hidden portions of the work of art/poetry."

Her second project is a blog that she created for her English class. The title of the piece is "Discerning Need," and Dean describes it as a "self portrait." The blog incorporates her art, poetry and life experiences in a way to argue "need." Like her photography, the blog is very conceptual.

It is Dean's choice to stay true to her distinct personality.

"She makes her own individual style work for her in every way, from her clothes, to her personality, to her art," Kennedy said. "She is, first and foremost, her own unique individual self."

For more information on Ambrea Dean's current projects visit http://011011100110010101100101011001000.blogspot.com/