A Conversation with Torrance York, MFA

Art as a Beacon

Navigating life after a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease

A conversation with Torrance York, MFA
Moderated by Donna T. Chen, MD, MPH
Sponsored by UVA Department of Neurology and UVA Medical Center Hour

After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015, Torrance York, a fine arts photographer and educator, used her camera to integrate this life-altering information into her sense of self.

Through her project, Semaphore, York explores the shift in her perspective post-diagnosis and draws connections between the visual world and her internal experience. Presenting photographs of nature, the body, medical images, daily life, and light to capture her experience, York’s images bear human vulnerability, while connecting to her audience with optimism. York’s Semaphore project, collected in a book of the same name, speaks to anyone whose journey requires growth, patience, and perseverance.

About the speaker: Torrance York, an artist and educator, earned an MFA in photography from Rhode Island School of Design and a BA from Yale in American Studies. She received a Connecticut Artist Fellowship grant in 2010 and was a resident artist at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center, one of the most respected visual arts programs in the country. She has exhibited nationally and internationally. Her work is represented by Rick Wester Fine Arts, NYC.
In 2022, York published her monograph Semaphore about the shift in her perspective after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Featured in various publications and podcasts, Semaphore has been awarded in Lenscratch’s 2021 Art & Science Awards and as a Critical Mass 2021 Finalist. Semaphore was selected as a favorite book of 2022 by online photography magazine What Will You Remember? This past summer York presented Semaphore at the World Parkinson’s Congress in Barcelona. A selection from Semaphore is currently on exhibit at the Danforth Art Museum at Framingham State University in MA until January 28, 2024.

For more information, contact Charlene Kaufman.

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