Dear Root Division Committee!
Thank you for taking your time to review my studio application and my art work. My visit to the Root Division studios last week and an exellent guided tour from Adam, left me wholly impressed and excited about the opportunity to participate in your organization.
Before explaining my interest in Root Division, let me briefly tell you a little about myself. I was born in the former Soviet Union and grew up in Tiraspol, a small town with a pretty interesting history. Today, Tiraspol is the capital of Transdnester, an autonomous region that considers itself an independent nation. It is however not recognized as such by any other nation in the world. My family immigrated to the United States in 1992, soon after Transdnester declared its independence in the aftermath of a violent civil conflict with Moldova. As you might imagine, my experiences in the former Soviet Union and immigration to the US have had a profound impact on my life and my work.
My interest in photography and art matured during my time in undergraduate school while attending Haverford College where I majored in Fine Arts. After graduation I continued to develop my work while completing a Post-baccalaureate program at Bucknell University and later teaching photography at Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia. After completing my MFA at Virginia Commonwealth University, I decided to take some time to travel and make work outside of an academic community. In the winter of 2009 I traveled to Mexico and worked on several organic farms, perusing my interest in permaculture and alternative methods of farming. During this time I met my partner, who happened to be living in San Francisco. Deciding to continue my adventure, I followed him to San Francisco soon after returning to the US. I fell in love with the city and decided to stay, indefinitely.
Since my arrival to the West Coast I've began photographing a new body of work inspired by the grand landscape of Northern California and the idealized notions about the West Coast that are often prevalent in American culture. However, for the past several months I have mainly focused on finalizing the sequence of the day i set the sea on fire, a book project that consists of photographs taken in the last six years.
Working from my apartment has suited my needs so far, but I am quickly outgrowing my small dwelling and require a space devoted solely to art making. More importantly however, I cherish interactions with other artists and being part of a community, which I have yet to find in my new home of San Francisco. I hope that the Root Division community can provide some of the nourishment that I have been seeking out and that my experiences as teacher and an artist will be of benefit to your organization.
Sincerely,
Vita Litvak
May 1, 2010