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In any democracy, and especially in D.C., the act of protest is a way to get one’s point across — and while a protest may be loud and rambunctious, moments often contain beauty.
Oxford English Dictionary defines “protest” as, “a statement or action expressing disapproval or objection.”
When D.C.-based photographer Antonia Tricarico photographs protests in the nation’s capital, she’s a conduit to what’s happening in front of her.
“I’m not going there asking them to pose, or if I can take photographs,” she told WTOP. “I’m feeling the emotion.”
Tricarico is in the midst of a Kickstarter fundraising effort for her new book, titled, “Be My Rebel: Protest Photographs through art, music, action, and essays.”
Two of her earlier books captured the inherent protest of punk rock: “Frame of Mind: Punk Photos and Essay from Washington, D.C. and Beyond, 1997-2017” and “The Inner Ear of Don Zientara: A Half Century of Recording in One of America’s Most Innovative Studios Through the Voices of Musicians.”
Earlier this year, WTOP visited the site of Inner Ear Studios, which closed its South Arlington location after 30 years.
Tricarico said the images she captures can contain raw emotions.
“It comes from rage, but also determination,” Tricarico said.
She said she feels empathy for the people she is photographing.
“I totally understand that sometimes an action that looks like it’s coming from rage and violence can really put people in a weird spot,” she said.
Tricarico envisions a hardcover edition with 200 pages containing over 200 photographs and 18 essays from local artists. The Kickstarter campaign will run through Dec. 10.
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