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Karastan Contest Honors Student Photographers

Winners were selected in three categories by the public .

Mairi Beautyman -- Interior Design, 9/9/2008 12:00:00 AM

Carpet manufacturer Karastan has announced the winners of its Rug-ged America photo contest, recognizing creative snaps of Karastan area rugs in innovative settings. Winners were selected in three categories by the public -- a total of 11,000 votes poured in through the Karastan Web site.

A $3,500 cash prize was awarded for each winning photo, selected for its "originality, imagination and emotion."

Sharon Rankin, a recent graduate of the Antonelli Institute in Erdenheim, Pennsylvania took the top prize in both the Residential and the American Setting categories. Her Residential photo is of a Karastan rug in a solarium setting, near an indoor swimming pool and roaring fire. For the American Setting category, Rankin incorporated a 1971 Chevelle SS and a 1968 Mustang. A chocolate Lab sits on the Karastan rug, which is the only item in color in the black-and-white shot.

Natasha Kertes, a recent graduate of the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, is the winner in the Public Space category. She photographed a couple dancing on Karastan's Tiana Glacier Blue rug, spread out over a sunny beach. The overall concept, says Kertes, is "the enigmatic narrative suggested by the figures, whose intimacy we seem to interrupt."

The contest was launched in celebration of the Karastan's 80th anniversary.

Karastan is part of Mohawk Industries, which offers broadloom carpet, ceramic tile, wood, stone, laminate, vinyl, and rugs for both residential and commercial applications.

From top: The winning photo in the Public Space category by Natasha Kertes, a recent graduate of the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale; the winning photo in the American Setting category, by Sharon Rankin, a recent graduate of the Antonelli Institute in Erdenheim, Pennsylvania.