GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — A husband and wife who spent months traveling the world to create their ArtPrize 10 entry say their work is about demonstrating the connection between all people.
“The connection between people can create a love and compassion between each other in harmony, like in this piece,” photographer Mariano Cortez said Tuesday.
He and his wife Chelsea Nix created "THE STRING PROJECT," which is a finalist for a juried award in the two-dimensional category. Their photos were snapped around the world, including some in Michigan, and each shows someone holding a white rope. It's a symbol, the artists said, of the human connection.
“I can relate to anybody in these pictures, so we’re trying to focus on that and bring that to life,” Cortez explained.
He and his wife met while volunteering in India and wanted to showcase how everyone goes through high and low moments of life.
The self-proclaimed “budget photographers” set a limit of $30 dollars per day when they began traveling to four continents for the project. The process included spending some nights on airport floors.