Catherine Russell at the Palace Theater 4/18/09

Here are shot photos I shot at the Catherine Russell concert at the Palace Theater in the Eastwood neighborhood of Syracuse, New York on April 18, 2009. I want to thank Catherine for allowing me the opportunity to shot a few photos of her and her band during their soundcheck.
The concert was presented by WAER-FM (88.3 Syracuse).

From the Cluttered Closet

all photos by Larry Hoyt - copyright 2008 Larry Hoyt

click on photo to enlarge image - highly recommended

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Photos I shot at the Cluttered Closet consignment store, on Beech Street, near Westcott Street, in Syracuse.

On Being An Artist

from the top:

-- recent watercolored self-portrait

-- Melissa
-- Watercolored Self-Portrait

-- Into the Darkness (self-portrait)

-- Jennifer (slight watercolor)

-- Luba at Jazz Central
all photos by Larry Hoyt - copyright 2008 LarryHoyt

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I don't know if it's possible to be an artist without considerable reflection upon what it means to be an artist.

Even for those lucky chosen few -- the incredibly creative ones to whom the gifts of talent come naturally -- at some point in the process of making art, some questions arise:

among the most basic - to what extent does the artist create from his own need for expression, vs.

the artist's desire to communicate thoughts and feelings and perceptions to others, to an audience.

For most true artists, I think it is both -- there's the absolute internal need to create, coupled with the desire to communicate with others. I don't know if it would make much sense to have one without the other.

I've been thinking a lot lately about my own need to create, especially in the realm of photography. Sometimes I feel like I want to document every interesting thing I see, all day, everyday.

But, obviously, at some point, one needs to edit this process and work on developing a focused approach to the art that one can justifiably call a style.

I don't know if I've achieved that yet, but I am working on it.

Sometimes I feel like I'm still working to perfect my basic skills as a portrait photographer.

Above are some portraits I was looking at --some recent, some from years ago, some nice lookin', some not so nice lookin' -- that got me thinkin' about my fascination with capturing images.

It's very much an on-going process.

For the most part, I think my overall style(s) in photography are fairly eclectic, but I do try to make sure that every photo I show has a clearly defined (if not totally in focus) subject. I want to convey something about what attracted me to what I saw.

If there are any hidden subtleties in the images, that's likely just icing on the cake -- but I must admit, I do like icing!

Th3 - A Critical Mass of Art Energy

top to bottom:
1 - outside the Delavan Art Gallery;
2 - the Orange Line Gallery;
3 - Point of Contact;
4 - Melissa Tiffany, owner of the Orange Line Gallery;
5 - inside the Warehouse Art Gallery
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all photos by Larry Hoyt - copyright 2008 Larry Hoyt
-- click on the picture to enlarge the image --
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To borrow a term from nuclear technology, I'd like to suggest that the arts scene in Syracuse is approaching "critical mass".

But, instead of little neutrons jumping around in fissile material, the critical mass in Syracuse's art scene comes from an increasing number of active art venues, plus the large number of regional artists exhibiting high-quality works on a regular basis.

And, as evidenced by this blog among many other indicators, compared to previous levels of interest, the media and the general public seem to be taking greater notice of this area's art scene.

As this critical mass of art energy creates its own field of excitement and activity, one might ask if an art explosion is imminent.
That, in my opinion, depends upon how many true patrons of the arts, public and private, step forward to financially support the artists and the venues.
With enough financial support, Syracuse could become a true art destination for collectors and art lovers from around this country and beyond.
Just as the Syracuse housing market attracts buyers with its relatively low prices for attractive houses compared to other parts of the country, so too, the purchase price for high-quality art here in Syracuse is well below that charged in most other art center cities.

The word has to get out -- not just here in Central New York, but throughout New York State, New England, the eastern seaboard, the whole country and beyond: the art scene is happening in Syracuse! It's getting ready to explode!

But, even if an art explosion does not occur here in Syracuse, it seems to me that the current art scene has already reached an impressive level of sustained energized activity, comparable to the sustained energy produced by a controlled nuclear reactor. This long-term art scene energy has already reached the level needed to sustain long-term high-quality productivity.

One prime example of this critical mass of art energy is the monthly Th3 art program, in which more than 20 art venues in the Syracuse area hold receptions or special events every third Thursday of the month, attracting more media attention, and, it appears, more art lovers and curious spectators wanting to check out what's new in the Syracuse art world.

Above are some photos I shot of the Delavan, the Warehouse, the Orange Line, and the Point of Contact galleries at the recent September edition of the third Thursday Th3.

More photos and commentary can be found at my other blog:
http://www.newfolkfotos.blogspot.com/
And more photos and commentary will follow here shortly --

Lenore S. DeCerce: "it's always been poetry"

It's not everyday
one meets
a poet.

A real poet; a dedicated poet.

At least not in my experience.

But I recently had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with poet Lenore S. DeCerce at the Contemporary Gallery in Syracuse.

After only a few minutes of conversation, it was obvious that Lennie (as she prefers to be known) is serious about her work. The previous night at the gallery, Lennie had given a public reading of her collected poems entitled

Leaning Against the Bed with One Knee.



"For me, it's always been poetry," she says, seated comfortably on the gallery's couch.
"It's more intimate than any other form, and it allows a freedom that other genres do not. I don't really believe in grammer and technicalities -- poetry allows me to completely ignore them. I use spacing and line breaks instead."
One of the things that impressed me about Lennie was her enthusiasm for her work.
From my questions, she knew I was genuinely interested in this subject, enough so that she readily offered me a copy of her manuscript. I looked over several poems and she suggested one in particular:
==========================

You used to be such a good girl

she says with a look
and long draw on her Newport

It's my fault
I'm an enabler
Everyone tells me I'm an enabler

She flicks ash
and
I
look at my hands
the floor
the air above her head
and reply
the same reply

It's not your fault mom

I am not your fault
===================

Lennie reflected on the deep emotions contained in the few words of her poem, and how they affected her when she read that poem for her mother.
Not too surprisingly, tears were shed.
Lennie continued:
"I started writing initially because as the youngest of three daughters, I was often reminded that I was better seen and not heard. I needed an outlet and paper became that outlet. I could say it's therapy, but that doesn't quite do it justice. I can't lie on paper. That's not to say I'm a liar - I'm not - but on paper it's different. My poetry is primarily non-fiction."
====================
Coward

a shadow
will confess
more than I
I will keep
my voice
entombed
in lead
I will bury
it
in sand
and walk away
I will embrace
the dark silence
that will follow
I will surpress
and I will deny
I will rationalize
I will unearth
my foundation
and start again
I will live as if
=====================
In addition to her poetry, Lennie, a LeMoyne College graduate, is also working on a screenplay.
"What I love about screenwriting is the detail," she explained. "It's all detail, actions, speech, reactions. I'm a very visual person; it's like there's a screen in my head. I see things before I write them down."
Regarding the relative lack of respect or interest in poetry in modern culture, Lennie offered this perspective:
"I feel poetry is on the backburner with most people if they bother with it at all. I blame academia for that. They spoon feed students the same old crap from elementary school on up to college. They don't introduce poets that people can relate to. Students are taught to be intimidated by poetry and to constantly analyze analyze analyze and I think that kills it for people."
But for Lennie, the freedom and creative space she finds in poetry cannot be overstated:
"Poetry is oxygen, and without it, honestly, I don't think I'd be."

======================
all photos copyright 2008 Larry Hoyt


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Brian Butler - Artist Who Draws

all photos copyright 2008 Larry Hoyt

- click on image to enlarge -

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Friday evening (7/25/08), I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with Central New York artist Brian Butler during a reception for the closing of the Contemporary Gallery.

Brian is one of several artists whose work had been shown during the gallery's one and only group exhibit, which ends August 1.

His very busy, richly detailed drawings catch the eye with abundant miniatures depicting everything from faceless human figures to forests of cones, anonymous urban high rises to a rogues gallery of beleaguered human faces. Brian also incorporates larger stylized versions of sci-fi figures and border-line grotesque horror images.

Not surprisingly, Brian acknowledges his love of comic book images, citing the influences they have had on him, consciously and subconsciously. He also admits to something close-to-an-addiction regarding video games - often violent video games. "Everybody has a dark side," he mused.

When asked to chose one adjective to describe himself, he answered fairly quickly "eccentric".

Another word that came up in our conversation was "obsessive" - Brian's obsessive commitment to drawing detailed miniatures in his work.

The saying of this magic word, obsessive, prompted gallery co-founder Courtney Rile to check on and quote a comment made by Post-Standard art critic Katherine Rushworth in her July 13 article on the Contemporary Gallery:

"Brian Butler's obsessively detailed pen and ink drawings are obsessively compelling."

"It's what I do", he said, with no further explanation needed.

In cooperation with the Contemporary Gallery, a 16-page "coloring book" of Brian's work has been published is for sale at the Gallery for the ridiculously low price of $10!

If one includes the coloring book's cover drawing, that's 17 Brian Butler drawings for less than a dollar a piece. Only 25 copies of "The Coloring Book" were printed, and they are numbered and signed by the artist

(although I must add that on the copy I purchased, Brian's signature looks a bit rushed; still, I do trust that that is indeed his signature.)

On this blog, I shall generally refrain from making pronouncements regarding what I believe is good art, bad art, great art, or non-art.

So much of what goes into those judgements depends on the eye of the beholder, plus a great many other variables.

But I can say unequivocally that I found Brian and his art to be very interesting. Brian is obviously very passionate about his work and he seems to be taking it out as far as he can go.

I wish him all luck and great success.

A Very Funny Video!

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