Panel discussion topics, section 1:
MR.
HOCKENBERRY:Angelo Sciulli specializes in nature photography.
He is particularly interested in endangered and rare species and environmental
subjects. Before making a career change to full-time photography,
Angelo worked in the field of chemical research. His pictures have appeared
in numerous magazines, calendars, and National Park publications.Angelo
has amyetrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS, or Lou Gehrig's
disease. The photo displayed on this screen is titled "Beetle II."
Angelo, I love that little guy up there, except that I don't know if
it's a guy. What can you tell me about that image?
MR. SCIULLI:
I am not sure it's a male beetle either; it is a very small subject.
My wife and I were vacationing in North Carolina. I got up early to
do some photography while my wife slept in. I found this beetle sleeping
on a grass blade right beside the cabin. I am having trouble speaking...
can you understand? The beetle must have been female since it was sleeping
in like my wife. (laughter)
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
The beetle didn't mind.
MR. SCUILLI:
No.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
The image on screen now, the next image, White Locks, is another of
Angelo's photographs. There we go. Terrific, Angelo, congratulations
by the way. (applause).
Next to
Angelo, Traci Parks, operates her own architectural photography business,
Miracle Images. She is fascinated with glass and paperweights as
captured in the rainbow image now on screen.Traci has a visual disability
which she believes gives her a unique perspective from which to create
dramatic illusions. Using everyday objects as subjects, she concentrates
on the interplay of light, color, texture, and patterns. Rainbow
is the signature piece for the "Through the Looking Glass" exhibition,
and you can see it on the posters out there. Traci, how did you compose
this image, and tell me what your mission was in trying to put this
together. It's absolutely beautiful.
MS. PARKS:
Thank you. It's the... the center of the picture is a glass paperweight.
The round part, it is iridescent. It was given to me as a gift for my
graduation from photography school by my photography instructor. I think
he did it on purpose, he wanted to see what I would do with it. The
image...
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
It's great. It's almost like an eye looking... I mean it has a quality
of naturalist... it has a quality of life to it and then in purely abstract
terms it's ...
MS. PARKS:
It is iridescent.I would love to meet Henry because I'm the only
other blind photographer I know besides Henry.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
Well, he plays downtown in New York regularly.
MS. PARKS:
Okay, I'll get there.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
And his albums are at, you know, any of the places, Tower Records, any
of those places. Another image of Traci Parks is the Miracle Image,
which you can see now. It's also Traci's work. Congratulations.
MS. PARKS:That was the very first picture I ever took, on the very first roll
of film, and that is the one that made me decide to quit my full-time
job with benefits, go back to photography school. I had no idea how
I was going to pay for it, whether I could focus a camera, or whether
there were any jobs for photographers.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
Well, we know the answers to those questions.
MS. PARKS:
Yes.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
And congratulations, by the way.
MS. PARKS:
Thank you.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:Joan Sarah Wexler, our local artist showcased in "Through the
Looking Class." The companion images on screen, "Lotti and Harry at
Lucinda's Wedding Reception," are part ofa series that Joan has
snapped at social gatherings. She studied at the Rhode Island School
of Design, as well as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,where
she pursued a psychoanalytic and spiritual approach to photography.
Her work has been featured at several Washington, D.C. venues, including
the Tart Gallery, Touchstone Gallery, and Kathleen Ewing Gallery.Joan
has a psychiatric disability. So, Lotti and Harry... I love them. Tell
me a little bit about them.
MS. WEXLER:
They're... Lotti is my mother's first cousin, who grew up together in the
same household. My mother was raised by Lotti's mother. Lotti is the
matriarch in the family. She was 96 in this photo, and her husband,
Harry, was 98. Harry died at 99; Lotti is still alive and she just celebrated
her 100th birthday. I've been chronicling her for the past 11 years
because I think she looks absolutely wonderful for her age.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
You know you capture the informality of social gatherings in this set
of images. I'm wondering what your mission is for the overall series.
MS. WEXLER:
To chronicle... I've been chronicling family parties for about 11 years,
and I don't know yet what I'm going to do with it. Perhaps exhibit them
at some point.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
It certainly gets you invitations to some parties, though, I imagine
(laughter). Joan's coming. Anyway, congratulations, Joan, that was terrific
work (applause.)
The next
image from Joan is actually... no, we're going to move to Tom Lee's works
here. Tom, on my left, his works are bold black and white images that
contrast light, shadow, and texture.Tom strives, in his words, to
make the complex appear simple and the ordinary appear extraordinary.
He often experiments with infrared film and radiation, making green
leaves look white and blue skies look black. His works have appeared
in numerous photography shows. Injured in an automobile accident, Tom
designed a lap tripod for his wheelchair and operates his camera by
mouth, biting down on cable releases to click the shutter. The photograph
on screen now is titled "Old Man." So, Tom, tell me about that guy.
MR. LEE:
Well this is an old friend of mine; I used to actually work for him
in high school as a house painter. And I find that the best compositions,
or best poses, are poses that people fall into naturally. And I just
had him sit in the chair in my studio, he kind of fell into that pose
naturally, and is often the case, I just said hold that for a second
and snapped a few shots. He had such wonderful character in his face
that it just made the picture.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
Well visually the texture on his face really plays into your technique
for finding lots of contrasts.
MR. LEE:
Right, I like that. I usually work with just available light, and I
like a lot of light in shadows. And it just turned out really well as
far as the texture in his face and the lighting across his face.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
And if I may indulge in bad artistic analysis, I notice that you didn't
let him smoke there in that picture, Tom.
MR. LEE:
Well his doctor wouldn't let him smoke at that age, so he (laughter)...
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
I knew there was a story.
MR. LEE:
... So he just kind of used that as a pacifier, I guess.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
Here's another image by Tom Lee called Amusement Park. Tom, congratulations.
MR. LEE:
Thank you.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
Suzanne Levine is the only artist, it is Levine, right?Suzanne Levine
is the only artist on the panel whose photographs include overt images
of physical disabilities. Ironically, she has dyslexia and other
information processing disabilities that are not visually apparent.
Suzanne has a degree in visual anthropology. Her photograph, Spirit
of Survival, is displayed on the screen. First of all, where was that
taken? I was trying to guess.
MS. LEVINE:
That was taken in western Mexico, in the state of Cina Loa, in a small
village called Ojoya, which is at the end of a dirt road, at the base
of the Sierra Madres.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
And was that conveyance pretty much that person's full time way of getting
around?
MS. LEVINE:
Well, actually he had pressure sores. Within this village there is actually
a self-help rehab center by the name of Project Projemo. And people
come there for rehabilitation, usually people from up in the mountains
or other people who don't have access to more traditional health care
and/or money for rehab. And he had pressure sores and needed to stay
off his "tushi," so they...
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
We're familiar with it...
MS. LEVINE:
... they put it... they used this flatbed-type of wheelchair. But there is
someone who works there who does use this type of wheelchair all the
time because after he had his accident he never did any physical therapy
and his hips, one of his hips ocified, and he was not able to bend it.
So it actually wasn't an uncommon thing in that area.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
Did this individual know you were taking a picture?
MS. LEVINE:
At that moment, no. But he does now. He actually has a copy of it and
right after I took it I was just walking by in the courtyard and I saw
this and I said oh, and I pulled out my camera and took it. And then
afterwards went up to him and chatted.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
Here's another of Suzanne's images, it's called "All the Colors."
MS. LEVINE:
Actually, that was is "Taking a Break."
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
Oh, it's called "Taking a Break." Of course, and it's right in front
of me. And this photo is called "All the Colors," right? Is that right?
MS. LEVINE:
Yes.
MR. HOCKENBERRY:
Oh great. My mistake. Anyway, Suzanne, thank you very much, and congratulations.
MS. LEVINE:
Thank you.
