Artist’s Statement

There is much beauty to behold in this world, moments that the eye captures, the wonders it sees… moments that should be committed to perpetual memory, but sadly only to become fragments of a faded recollection, or more often, simply forgotten. I draw inspiration to record these timeless and special moments, to capture them in my mind’s eye, and through my lens, transforming each image so that I can share them with others in hope they too may see what I see and find equal enjoyment.

Nicholas H. Teetelli

 Nicholas Teetelli is both a published and international award-winning fine art photographer. He was born in New York City and grew up in lower Manhattan’s Greenwich Village. During the late 1960s, and into the 1970s, the Village was a hotbed of culture and the arts. During this period, Teetelli was introduced to art and photography, developing an interest in what would become his lifelong passion.

While he took some photography courses in college, Nicholas Teetelli is primarily self-taught. Spanning the last four decades, he has learned, developed, and honed his skills independently, becoming an avid and serious amateur photographer who has recently turned professional.

Although he lived and grew up in New York City, he has spent many summers in the Greek islands and has traveled to many other places in the world. He continues to travel extensively in pursuit of the perfect photographic image.

During each journey, with camera in hand, he records much of what he sees, sharing the impression of his mind’s eye through composition, light play, and shape and design. His photographic portfolio is diverse: it includes landscape, architecture, portrait, flora and fauna, underwater, and street photography.

He has recently brought his portfolio to the public eye and, in short order, has had more than one hundred of his photographs juried and invited into exhibition

at dozens of galleries and museums across the United States, receiving many awards for this work. He has won awards in international competitions in Moscow and London and a featured artist at major art shows at Art San Diego, Spectrum Miami and the upcoming Artexpo in New York, and has private gallery placements in Vienna, Austria and Bologna, Italy.

He almost exclusively uses Leica cameras and lenses which yield superior results for him. He has recently added a Hasselblad medium format camera to his bag.

Artist Statement – Jocelyn Young

People have always thought me a little different. I never knew how to handle that difference – was it a good thing? Or a bad thing? After years of learning the digital camera and shooting everything under the sun, I finally took a hard look at who I really am. I am different; I am a little weird. In my self-assessment, I realized that I like biology and I like animals and I like the water. So, that is what I focus my photographic attention on. Using my own backyard pool, I photograph people under the water using my underwater camera. My main model is my 16-year-old daughter, an enthusiastic accomplice, and an excellent swimmer and diver.

Recent Juried Exhibitions – Jocelyn Young

Black & White Online Exhibition at Bauhaus Prairie Art Gallery. Dave Banks, juror.“Girl Swimming”, 1^st place (2016).

Flowers Exhibition at 1650 Gallery; Los Angeles, CA. “Vento” and “Stella” (2016)

Snap to Grid, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art; Los Angeles, CA. Multiple pieces (2016).

High and Dry at International Center for Arid and Semi-Arid land Studies; Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas. Amy Holmes George, juror.   “Falling Down” (2016)

Haunted Darkroom Gallery. Russell Joslin, juror. “Stare” (2016)

Anaheim Art Association 53^rd Art Competition; Anaheim, CA.  “Mystery Horse” (2016)

Orange County Fair; Orange County, CA.  “Horse Lover” (2016)

Orange County Fair; Orange County, CA. “Sad Flower” and “Onion”, 2^nd place (2015)

Juan Laden

Juan was born in Panama, raised on the East and West Coasts of the U.S.A. and over in Europe. Since 1973 he has been based out of Lander, Wyoming. Travel, so far, to all of the continents other than Africa and Australia, is an ongoing lifestyle. He has been shooting black and white film cameras since his teens in the 60’s, and still works in the “wet” process creating Silver Gelatin Prints in an effort to share his unique vision. Starting in 1999, Juan has shown in several venues around Wyoming, Michigan and Denmark along with winning several competitions and having his works published and collected in several countries.

Artist’s Statement

Often the first question I am asked is, “What subject do you shoot?” My reply is, “I shoot composition and light”. Of course it seems trite, but in actual fact that is the concise answer. “Subjects are incidental.” Of course there are many subjects that I do shoot and I have life projects and many subjects that I work with to create a body of work. Still in one way, there are just two subjects, that of humans and that of nature. I also like the juxtaposition of the two, both in harmony and discord. Still, without composition and understanding of the light, photos become at best documentation. Not that I don’t enjoy beautiful documentation, but I strive to achieve images that speak to more than what is in the actual print.

I have never had traditional or formal training, but have had the blessings of inspiration from creative people in my life, especially my mother; and assistance from many skilled photographers. Working with an intuitive eye and basic technical knowledge, I create images that I can share with others. I see myself as a vehicle for a story through light and the balance and tension of composition that can communicate to the rest of humanity.

Artist Statement – Zach Krasner

Faced with a puzzle trying to paint a boat, anything short of the boat will be a failure. Visually, I will sketch out the boat starting with its hull. From the bow to the stern, I will make lines along the curves of the boat as I see them, work my way to the mast with tall marks and block in the sail with shapes in proper perspective.

Using fresh paints, I mix them to find relative colors as they are in my eyes, and I paint the boat humbly as it appears in front of my easel. Indeed it looks almost like a boat, but there is more to this puzzle.

There is the character of the boat; the worn texture on its sides, barnacles from trips out to sea, peace from wooden docks, and age through rough storms. Loud is the yelling from stretched afternoons, and quiet are the many morning drawls and dusty bottles . The boat is courageous, and I paint it how it is, brushing in rough strokes and making colors bold. Can courageous be painted?

I paint more of the boat. I paint its home: flat waters and neighboring birds, frayed fishing nets and old, worked worn ropes. And what is the boat without its captain? I paint the captain. I paint Southern Comfort, and in the painting are the boat’s stories I hope, the boat’s history of weathered waves, brand new, old.

The painting is grey, as all paintings are—blue grey, payne’s, white, bits of orange and turquoise, and it is as much the boat as I can paint so I abandon it because there’s no use to paint anymore than there is. I sit down, staring at the painting, imagining the boat and what it would think of its portrait, if it would nod in the wakes in approval or if it would wonder, too, of the puzzle in hand. How’d I do, Boat, what do you think?

After a few moments of wondering in the sun rayed, wind-wrecked silence, the familiar realization arises that I have only painted colors and shapes from feelings, and understand that I never painted the boat—did I ever?—that I could never actually paint the boat. I can only paint myself. I recognize the captain. I would take it down, think why I ever painted the boat to begin with, and start again. I suppose I have failed. It is a consequence of painting, of searching, that is easily avoided if only one stays safely harbored.

But as they say, t’is not for what boats are made.

Recent Exhibitions – Zach Krasner

 2017 National Figure Contemporary SCAL Exhibition, Santa Cruz, CA

2016 First Friday Street Fair Oakland, CA

2016 100 Van Ness Exhibition San Francisco, CA

2014 Selected Works of The Marchutz School of Fine Arts Aix-en-Provence, France

2014 “Sorted & Sundry” Exhibition — The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC

2014 “Forward” Exhibition — Ackland Art Museum Chapel Hill, NC