As a child, Kyleah Rusch always had a camera in her hand. She remembers preferring to be the one behind the lens, rather than having her picture taken. For a child with such preferences, there was no better Christmas gift for Rusch than to receive her very own Basic Canon DSLR. She was twelve years old. Her photography career was a distant dream.
Rusch didn’t know it then, but a second favorite childhood pastime would serve her well in her college years: baseball. From t-ball to tournament league, Rusch’s brother played baseball throughout their youth. The outings were a family tradition.
“I didn’t understand the game and wasn’t really interested in watching," Rusch explained. "I took photos to pass the time.”
Beginnings at UW-Stout
Time passed and perhaps thousands of photographs taken, and Rusch found herself deciding on where to attend university. Her strong interests in art and technology drew her to the entertainment design program at UW-Stout.
“I never doubted my choice to be Stout," Rusch said. "From the age of fifteen, I knew where I wanted to go. Stout was the only school I was interested in.”
After arriving, Rusch said she immediately felt like a person. “There is a level of professionalism instructors bestow upon their students. They treat me like a colleague and genuinely want to see me succeed.”
Art and art history Lecturer Darren Tesar became Rusch’s mentor and advisor and, to Rusch, is an example of how the university cares for their students. Rusch stressed the importance for students to make connections.
“Maybe it’s a professor, maybe your advisor," Rusch said. "Whoever. Have at least one person to go to if you’re struggling, who can check in on you.”
When the studio arts program established its new art photography concentration in fall 2017, Rusch recalled her deep fondness for the art-form and switched majors, becoming UW-Stout’s first art photography student. Tesar remained her advisor, complimenting Rusch’s skills behind the lens.
“Kyleah employs the medium of photography in its most basic and de-regulated form, namely as a tool for constant mediation and remediation,” Tesar said.
Entering the Unknown
Shortly after Rusch entered the art photography program, another opportunity arose for her to practice her talent and discover a new niche. When a position for a Blue Devil Athletics photographer opened, Rusch immediately applied.
In her interview with Layne Pitt, Sports Information Director, Rusch honestly admitted she didn’t know anything about sports. She just loved photography. Pitt decided to give her a shot. Using her own camera, and with little experience except for shooting her brother’s baseball games, Rusch photographed a variety of Stout sporting events and began by just taking pictures of where the ball was.
Rusch changed her methods when she learned from the Green Bay Packer’s photographer how important it is to frame a shot, learning her photos should tell a story. With a background in Fine Arts and documentary photography, story-telling came easily to Rusch.
“I needed to use an objective lens to create a personal connection,” Rusch said.
But she was unsure of her photographic efforts and lack of sports knowledge. Rusch came to Pitt with her concerns. He told her not to sell herself short.
“It’s much more than just snapping a photo," Pitt explained. "Timing and placement are key to sports photography. Where Kyleah excels is in her interaction with the students, returning with excellent sideline photography which tells as much of the story as what is going on in the game.”
As in her day to day photography, Rusch is interested in what we value and how we express that value.
“I’m not interested in the touchdowns, but rather what might be going on at the other end of the field," Rusch said. "I know my colleagues will get the shot of the game-winning catch, but I like to watch the people. I like to capture the coach’s emotions or the crowd’s reactions, how teammates interact during a lull in the game. They’re like family. I don’t have to understand the rules of the game to capture a great shot.”
Rusch’s game-changing experience was to photograph Minnesota Hockey Day at the Xcel Energy Center.
“There were holes in the glass and the lighting was great," said Rusch. "It solidified for me that maybe sports photography is what I want to do.”
Recognizing the quality of her work, WIAC has purchased several of Rusch’s photos.
Personal struggles and rediscovering confidence
Experiencing an existential crisis last semester, Rusch doubted herself again, wondering what it meant to be a photographer. Who is the photographer?
Tesar explained Rusch’s crisis as her needing to "become more comfortable with the indeterminate role of the photographer in a world where everyone (curious children, untrained adults, master technicians) and, indeed, everything (animal-mounted cameras, security systems, accidental camera obscuras) can be a photographer."
Rusch felt like a little blip in the digital world. So, returning to analog photography, she began a social experiment. Curious to know what others see, she gave a random person a disposable camera to take pictures with and followed this person around. Rusch captured the same images with her well-trained eye,
“Analog photography is an unforgiving medium," said Rusch. "One has to be more conscious of what they’re shooting. You’re limited by the number of pictures on your roll. You must take your time to capture your subjects well.”
Processing both rolls of film in the dark-room, Rusch was reassured about her training and talent. She was pleased with the pictures she’d taken, both in their composition and value.
“I discovered that a good picture with analog is captured mostly by skill,” Rusch said.
Rusch developed one of her all-time favorite photos that day. But to her surprise, it wasn’t from her roll of film. Realizing a great photo may also be the product of chance, she was fascinated by a photo taken by the other person, struck by the image as the photo slowly developed. Oddly enough, the photo was of a sewer drain.
“It was strangely beautiful," said Rusch. "I found myself just staring at it.”
Her question about what others see was answered: we all view the world with a different eye and can find beauty in every day, sometimes obscure things.
What we value
Reflecting on what shapes her photography, Rusch considers her viewers’ perspectives.
“I like my viewers to feel something and pull an understanding from my art, to make a connection," Rusch said. "We should never just consume art and move on. It’s not commercial. It’s not meant to be eaten. Viewers should take time to appreciate art.”
To give her viewers this time, Rusch meets them half-way by limiting what she calls the othering in the art world. She will ask herself, will my mom get this on her own? Rusch figures if others understand my subject matter, then she has created something that will speak to her general viewers.
Rusch’s work changes depending on what her interests are at the moment. She likes to study the intimacy of the family and often views the world through what she calls the female lens. Using this concept in her photography, Rusch found she could also explore it in her lithography printmaking course. Rusch developed a series of lithographs portraying the walk of shame: the private journey a woman takes each month.
“Half of the world’s population experiences menstruation, but it’s a fact of nature women feel they need to hide," Rusch said. "We try to conceal products in a shirt sleeve or deep in a purse pocket as we walk to the bathroom. I created a series of prints, taking an intimate look into what it’s like to be a woman, an experience guys just don’t understand. And most were even embarrassed during the class critique when it came time to discuss my art.”
Studying the world through the female lens led Rusch to just stumbled into her minor: Women and Gender Studies, a program which broadened her global horizons. Having lived a relatively sheltered life, she realized her small-town community was kind of suffocating.
“I wanted to explore people’s differences," Rusch said. "To learn and interact and understand.”
This yearning for self-growth led her to join the Gender and Sexuality Alliance.
“GSA has given me a different exposure and shown me how I value myself and others," Rusch said. "It is so important that we not only tolerate our differences but accept and embrace them.”
Rusch hopes all students find a way to grow. Involvement is an easy way to do this.
“It doesn’t have to deal with your major," said Rusch. "Stout’s Pick One! program is a great way to find new interests and meet new people. I know when I walk away from Stout, I’ll have more than an education.”
She also hopes students entering the studio arts program remember to take time for themselves. Rusch recommends students take time to exit their art-brain.
"There is such a high level of alertness and energy needed in classes and labs," Rusch said. "You feel like you’re giving all of yourself at once. It’s exhausting. Take time for yourself to recover, to recuperate.”
Past and future exhibits
Over Summer 2018, Rusch had the opportunity to speak with other artists and further experience what it’s like to view the world through another’s eyes. Rusch completed her internship at FOGSTAND Gallery & Studio, located in St. Paul, Minn. and Hualien, Taiwan.
Tesar, who serves as FOGSTAND’s program director credits Rusch for helping install a wide range of exhibitions, including photography, performance, sculpture, and video installations. She spent valuable time working with visiting international artists.
“To talk with the artists, learn how they create and how they make a living was a powerful experience," said Rusch. "I love being able to talk about art.”
Rusch’s senior show at UW-Stout’s Gallery 209 will be in Spring 2019. A two-person exhibit with Chu Her, their show will feature photography and printmaking. Rusch’s mentor for her senior show is lithography professor Rachel Bruya. Professor Bruya noted Rusch’s enthusiasm and perseverance, her tenacious attitude and her well-developed work ethic.
“It has been a privilege to see Kyleah develop and grow through her artwork,” Bruya said.
Rusch’s upcoming exhibit at Gallery 209 is much anticipated.
