– by Richard Trueman –
Opening at the Old Schoolhouse Gallery, Friday, June 29th, 6–9 P.M.
STILL PHOTOGRAPHS
I would have killed for the photography aids I have now back in the 60s and 70s. When on summer holiday, I used to take my Beseler 23c big enlarger, chemicals, trays, tanks, etc. and set up darkrooms wherever I could. Now, most of that is in one sleek silver MacBook Pro.
Colour was near impossible then, always done in a tube, without view, and with dangerous, poisonous chemicals. Now I can alter any or one colour while looking at it on screen. No more loading of cassettes with black and white film. No more sending colour film to Kodak. One chip for any film, daylight or tungsten, and a thousand exposures rather than just 24 or 36.
Today, not an event goes by without someone recording it and sharing it (uploading it). Photography is a mainstream media with the advent of cell phones and the internet. Dedicated or Pro photographers are an endangered species. (But, I’m having fun!)
In this show, we have tried to cover all, with cell phone photos by Andy Vine, point and shoot, camera shots by Denise Wolda and Leona Jensen, to the bigger, interchangeable lens cameras, by Norm Gibbons, Lynn Marttila, Gina and Jurek Trzesicki.
Iris Steigemann, using a larger DSLR, shows us how we can present our memories through pictures of an event in book format, where she has complete control over what is in the book, how it is laid out, as she is the sole creator, and arranger and just request a few copies from an online company to share with friends.
Elke Finley, using a superzoom point and shoot camera, shows us glimpses of nature that make us want to look again so we may also see what she saw.
DIGITAL ART
“Art” too, has been augmented and in many cases, such as in commercial art, where computer software has replaced pen, ink and brushes. A piece of software like Adobe Illustrator lets you design a logo that can shrink it to business card size or enlarge it to billboard size with absolute quality regardless.
Richard Trueman, who used to be a painter, can’t help but turn a few of his digital photographs into watercolours on his cell phone with the help of an app called SketchGuru.
Carole Davidson uses Corel Draw II as her paintbrush for her stunning symbolic paintings of the natural world.
Victor Van Buskirk alias Dancing Wolf combines Photoshop and photos to create almost psychedelic art, that often becomes the basis for his poster work. At home above his computer are 25+ examples of Posters he has created in the past.
Sachia Kron combines her cell phone pictures with REAL pen and ink then combines them in Photoshop.
DIGITAL MUSIC
Music production has been revolutionized for serious composers but has also been made relatively simple for the rest of us.
Andy Vine has no problem recording his voice and guitar with two microphones and a common piece of software, then producing a CD quality disk.
The all-encompassing example by Bruce Hipkin is phenomenal. His short description tells us all, complete notation, orchestration and production of CDs in one room at home! Many years ago Irene Blueth and Bruce combined their talents using her Video and his Music and in one case, Diane Bersea’s Whaletown illustration, as their inspiration. And you have just got to see Irene morphing through her years or into a flower. She also has Whale footage set to music at her sound booth.
Dan Peters and his students show us how to involve youth from 9 to 15, where they learn introduction, theme and bridge, creating songs of their liking, again with “Garage Band” autonomy.
DIGITAL VIDEO
The “Film Clip”, an anachronistic term today, is taken over by the masses with their smartphone where they can immediately upload their holiday films or share with Instagram or Facebook. Kathleen Pemberton provides us with an example of iPhone footage using a puppet. The small but powerful GoPro cameras can be strapped to your helmet, chest, be part of your Drone, or be put in an underwater housing to record video while skiing, flying above your house, or swimming with whales in the Antarctic. (Sorry the latter could not be shown because of a busy work schedule, but maybe at a later date.)
The Federico Fellini like film, “Senses that Sin” is provided by Laura Balducci.
The spectacular Drone footage of the Sea Lions and above many Cortes places is done by Richard Yensen. His son, John Yensen, contrasts his father’s footage with dynamic views of Cortes beaches. (Wow, I didn’t know drones could do barrel loops!)
Mark Vonesch of REEL YOUTH helps the young create meaningful videos that are reports and documentaries of their surroundings. Featured are 11 videos of Cortes Seniors reminiscing about their personal history filmed by talented Cortes young people in 2015 and 2016
Elke Finley, voice, and Victor Van Buskirk, photos, team up to produce the poetic video, “Song of a Wild Soul Woman”, words by Mary Reynolds Thompson.
FRACTALS
All of the above improvements to our creative lives is due to mathematics. All the computations, the origin of the word “computer,” is hidden from us by programming languages in the interface that call upon mathematical formulas and equations to do the recording, saving, or other things we have to do to our captures. At its purest form, its just math and the pinnacle of that pure form is Fractal Iterations. Unfortunately, our fractal expert could not display a desirable result without equipment we do not yet have access to.
THIS SHOW
Is a must see and it begs you to come on the quiet days to sit and listen, watch and read.
This Show continues:
Saturday, June 30 and Sunday, July 1.
Friday, July 6, Saturday, July 7, and Sunday, July 8.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday 2–6 P.M., Friday 6–9 P.M.
Friday the 6th of July, 6 till 9 PM will be announced as to which artists will talk more about their work.
I thank my co-sponsors and load sharers, Irene Blueth and Richard Yensen. I would like to thank Victor Van Buskirk for designing the poster and for lending us his great big TV. Above all, I would like to thank the 20+ contributors who share our enthusiasm for this middle phase of the DIGITAL REVOLUTION.
– Richard Trueman
(This article was originally posted on Tideline, www.cortesisland.com, our community website.)