Aimee Thibedeau was surprised to find that her senior photography project would revolve around a condom.

Thibedeau, a photography major at Sacramento State, said in her upper-division photography class, taught by Nigel Poor, the students are assigned a final project where each student receives a manila envelope filled with miscellaneous items compiled by a student from the previous semester.

Once the students receive an envelope, Thibedeau said, they are required to use those items as the subject of their own photo shoot. In her envelope, Thibedeau found a condom and other food-related items that seemed to have no common theme.

“That’s the point,” Poor said. “This is an exercise that is about randomness and chance, and the students are required to make a compelling image without control of the source materials.”

Thibedeau said the students are then expected to take their produced photos and organize them into an exhibit, which they manage and control themselves.

This semester’s show, “The Final Reveal,” will exhibit each of the student’s projects from Poor’s class. The students’ art will be showcased until Tuesday in Beatnik Studios on 17th Street.

Poor said having the students assemble the envelopes connects the classes and is more interesting than if she created the envelopes herself.

“I started this project with my senior portfolio class back in the fall of 2006, and the first semester I made the envelopes,” Poor said. “After the first semester, I thought it would be kind of neat if the students created the envelopes rather than me to put a whole different spin on this project.”

None of the students know who put the envelopes together, Poor said, which adds to the suspense factor of the project.

“It’s exciting and interesting to see how the students deal with the items given because they know about the project from word of mouth, so there is some type of anticipation,” Poor said.

Poor said not knowing the contents of the envelope strengthen the students because they must create a scene out of something they have no control over.

“If you have to do a photo shoot and have no idea of what the person looks like who is coming in, you have to immediately figure out how to shoot the best angle on what you are given,” Poor said. “So when you get that envelope, you have to take what you are given and make it your own.”

Thibedeau said not knowing the person who made her envelope created frustration for her while completing this project.

“You wonder if they put any thought into the items or if they just put random items in an envelope,” Thibedeau said. “It just looked like someone cleared off their counter and put them into an envelope; my items were so random.”

In her photograph on display, Thibedeau created a somewhat sad picnic with the food items and condom given to her in the envelope. She surrounded the table with blown-up condoms to portray a cheerful scene, whereas the words “you, me and oops” which were frosted on cupcakes and placed on the table, suggested otherwise.

“Since I had to include all of the items in my image, I made a scene that expressed, “Oops, the condom didn’t work and I’m pregnant,'” Thibedeau said. “It turned out to be a really sad tea party.”

Thibedeau was originally angered by the random items in her envelope but she soon grew to appreciate them, particularly the condom.

“Having a random condom with the more food-related items made it more interesting,” Thibedeau said. “So for the envelope that I am leaving, I am going to leave a condom and it will be interesting to challenge someone the way I was.”

Ryan Greenleaf, senior photography major, is another graduating photography senior working on Poor’s unusual project. Greenleaf said when he opened his envelope he was somewhat worried.

He opened his envelope to find a handwritten cursive quote about God that he could not personally relate to.

“In my piece I was a little concerned with how I could create an image based on the quote that I didn’t really agree with,” Greenleaf said. “I put my own spin on it and cut up every word in the quote and kind of made my own quote, like refrigerator magnets.”

Besides the task of creating an image from random items, Poor said the students also face the challenge of running this exhibit by themselves.

“Students have to make the announcements, hang the show, deal with the press work – basically everything involved in a show,” Poor said. “They are completely in charge.”

Poor said for most of these students, this is the first time that their work is showcased in a public space and not on campus. By having their work featured off-campus, Poor said students are able to experience the atmosphere of a real exhibit.

“All kinds of things come out of the exhibit,” Poor said. “Students learn the importance of really working hard on something and the pride in what they put up.”

Poor said this exhibit is important for any photography major because it will provide commentary from all members of the community.

“Parents, friends, people from the art community are going to be there looking at their work,” Poor said. “Students are able to get way more feedback from what I can provide in a classroom.”

The main purpose of this show, Poor said, is to show students that the success of the exhibit is in their hands; they can either make a master piece or completely fail.

“I created this because I wanted them to know what it felt like to have control,” Poor said. “This show will either sink or succeed and it’s completely on their shoulders.”

Erin Rogers can be reached at [email protected]