Streetlight’s third issue features the work of Charlottesville painter Cynthia Burke and photographer John Grant. They talk here about the progression and process of their work. Cynthia Burke SL: Cynthia Burke, how did you come to paint birds and animals, especially ones often dressed in such imaginative finery? CB: Coming from New York City, I didn’t know anything about animals..I didn’t have a chance to be around them…I think I’ve always been a little scared of animals. A lot of my animals are dressed up, maybe to make them humorous and a little more friendly. Some … Continue reading Art in Albemarle and Beyond…{issue no.3}→
“The Art of the 15th and 16th centuries is a gold mine of inspiration for me as well as the lithographs of the early Naturalists. I am also drawn to textiles and often have backgrounds resembling rich fabrics. The diversity of the natural world yields a never-ending supply of subjects for my paintings, however I never place my subjects in their natural environment. It seems far more interesting to give them a little of ours. The result is sometimes humorous and, I hope, often thought provoking. The accessories in my paintings which seem … Continue reading Art by Cynthia Burke→
“In my photographic work I seek to distill and dramatize natural elements, transforming them into symbolic metaphor. I embrace the often clichéd or sentimental botanical portrayal, presenting objects in ways that infuse them with an enigmatic quality that expands expectations and tweaks the imagination. In my career, I’ve now come full circle, back to my original interests and instinctive love of photography. Experimenting with new technological tools and techniques, my work most often focuses on botanical imagery. My work featured in Streetlight ranges from 2006 to 2012. It reflects my continuing … Continue reading Art by John Grant→
Who knows what people will do in the dark. After several days of lights flicking off and on this summer, I was somehow reminded of the cigar boxes long stored on the laundry room shelf. I’d collected these boxes at least a decade ago with the fantasy that I would some day fill them with intriguing ephemera in the tradition of my inspiration, artist Joseph Cornell (1903-1972). Within the confines of small, graceful chambers, Cornell created intimate environments that were magical, mythical, playful, sensual, scientific and searching. They were also beautiful. Cornell’s imagery drew on … Continue reading What To Do in The Dark→
“The ceramic vase is 5 years young, a complete improvisation, based on the seed crystal of a female model saying that this session was her last, that she would be flying away. Thus I drew the flying female figure thema. This vase is from an exhibition called Deep In Shallow Thoughts. “The Bucketus Ignobilus is from an exhibition last autumn called Long Winded Short Stories, and the drawing is to be a plate in an upcoming book of drawings. The image is a double self-portrait actually lifted from the back side of … Continue reading Art by Robert Bricker→
“These drawings were done during an experimental period when I was drawing from reality and from my projected photographs (slides). I loved the idea that I could juxtapose images…like a location and geese in a pond with something floating above them. I think the images relate to poetry in that you can have a line in a poem saying one thing and then another saying something else that’s associative. It leaves a lot to your imagination.” Chica Tenney’s work explores themes of ritual, human connection, a sense of place and the evolution of … Continue reading Art by Chica Tenney→
Artists Chica Tenney and Robert Bricker Streetlight’s second issue features the work of Virginia artists Chica Tenney and Robert Bricker. Tenney, a painter and multi-medium artist, and Bricker, a sculptor, generously share their thoughts on the philosophy and evolution of their work with Streetlight. SL: How has your work evolved over time? Robert Bricker: I have always been a figurative artist, whether it be drawing, sculpture, poetry, lyric or literature. My sense of composition has developed a lot. I do not let traditional proportion and anatomy interfere at all with the Rhyme Scheme of a … Continue reading Art in Albemarle and Beyond… {issue no.2}→
Maybe it’s the Blue Ridge Mountains. Maybe it’s the red clay, rolling pastures, horse farms, holsteins and herefords. Of course, it could be Thomas Jefferson’s Academical Village. Whatever the lure, Charlottesville and Albemarle County have an abundance of talented and varied visual artists. Streetlight looks forward to highlighting many of their works in the months ahead. Our first issue features the black and white photographs of Bill Emory and the paintings and mixed media of Rosamond Casey, both Charlottesville residents. Emory’s fine photographs document the past and present, candid and mysterious images confronting family, cows … Continue reading Art in Albemarle and Beyond…{issue no.1}→
“Back in the 90’s I fabricated a painting tool, somewhat like a squeegee, that could produce an image that appeared three-dimensional. Uprising and Powers of Ten are two paintings from that series. As more narrative themes emerged in my work, this tool did its part off in the corners, no longer front and center. The photo/paintings, Initiation and Chinese Whispers, [below] are from my recent series Men in Suits, A Day on the Hill, a visual query that tracks such men through the streets and marble halls of Capitol Hill… After collecting … Continue reading Art by Rosamond Casey→
“I stumbled off the track to success in 1968, started chasing shadows that summer. Since then, in addition to farm-laborer and newspaper photographer, my occupational incarnations include dishwasher, janitor, retail photo clerk, plumber, HVAC repairman, auto mechanic, CT scan technologist, computer worker and politico (whatever it takes to buy a camera.) I am on the road to understanding black and white photography. Photos are my heart and memory. I live in Charlottesville and Slabtown Virginia (James and Rappahannock watersheds).” -Bill Emory Visit Bill Emory’s website www.billemory.com to see more of … Continue reading Photography by Bill Emory→
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