Artist Statement
My fascination with neon started very early. Growing up, our family operated a Dairy Queen. On the roof of our store was a beautiful neon sign with a glowing ice cream cone. That glowing cone represented home and family to me, and I remember looking up at it to this day.
In my twenties, I was experimenting with creating neon signs and artworks using neon as an element of the work. Founding Crystal haze a pioneering firm in fine art glass etching. We went on to collaborate with Erte (the father of art deco) to create a series of sculptural works called the Erte Luminieres, which used neon to illuminate etched glass versions of Erte’s classic Art Deco designs. Expanding on this concept we created many works…some of monumental size.
I have always been drawn to the work of American artist Edward Hopper. He had a way of communicating the essence and feeling of the scene with simple and elegant compositions and figures. Henri Cartier-Bresson has always been an inspiration for, like him, I believe the true power of photography is the ability to capture “The Decisive Moment”: that passing gesture or interaction that becomes universal and timeless.
My current work, "Poetry of the Night", is inspired by these masters. Street photography is a visual art form that features honest chance encounters and randomly candid incidents, within a public atmosphere. Framing and timing can be key aspects of this genre, with the aim being to create images at a poignant moment in a transcendent adaptation. As a result, the street photographer can be seen as an extension of the viewer: an observer of the streets.
"Poetry of the Night" explores the urban landscape, finding scenery – bathed in saturated neon – which gives the compositions a signature color and vibrancy. The narrative is about the electricity, vigor, and emotion that is New York City after dark. Using a layering technique to create an amalgam of multiple exposures, a unique view of the atmospheric surroundings is realized, its painterly expressions evoking latent Surrealist affinities.
Most of my scenes are pre visualized. I know the final look and effect, just need to wait for the streets of New York City to provide the actors in the scenes. Other works are created from fast-moving, hand-held shots as in classic street photography style. My compositions are designed to bring your eye into the story of the scene.