Local Artist Residency - Dan Epstein

Thank you for sharing your passion here at Local! Candidly, when we first met and you mentioned showcasing your portrait photography - I was a bit concerned as never turn away an artist but cringe when the work is anything but candid and too self serving. Your work is anything but! How did you arrive at such an awesome approach?

One of my earliest mentors was the incredibly talented photographerMichael O’Neill. He taught me that when doing purely editorial portraits for magazines, the point of it was to get the subjects to reveal something about themselves that they hadn’t planned on (or in some cases, didn’t want to). So much of my current assignment work is for advertising or public relations where the mission is to make the subjects look their best, and for the image to match the image of themselves (or that of the agency) that was decided in advance. You know, present themselves as they want to be seen. The challenge I gave myself for this project was to get my subjects to reveal something true about themselves. So I made myself available during the shoot by not being hidden behind the camera, and by engaging them in a real conversation. When they’re truly engaged in the conversation, they forget about posing. As a sidebar:the “set” I’ve been using so far was inspired by a portrait of a friend that I made 50 years ago when I was a student at The School of Visual Arts in NYC. I’d always liked it, and in the back of my mind, always wanted to embrace it again. In fact one of the subjects for this project was the fella from that portrait.

I'm sure your subjects understand this approach but do you ever hit a wall when a person will not open up? Is that when the water gun comes out?

Actually, no. Remember that everyone has been sort of pre-qualified in that they’ve been invited to participate in the project, so they know they’re being photographed, and that it’s an art project. I’ve found over the years when making any kind of portrait that it’s key to quickly establish a rapport, so I’m talking to them and engaging them from the moment they arrive. I like to think that they can tell that in this conversation, I’m really interested in them, and so they just become involved, thinking more about the conversation than the camera which is coincidentally firing.

I ask this question of our photographer artists...what do you think of the ubiquity of photography provided that cell phones now allow us to capture everything and with some degree of professional production levels? I ask this also having grown up at a time when film was precious and development took time and money.

It’s a two edged sword. While I love the idea of ordinary people documenting the meat and stuff of their lives; you know, the everyday moments that are the greater part of where and how we live, and even more significantly, what’s important to us beyond a shot of the Christmas tree, our kids on their first days of school, etc., you know, what really matters in their lives. I think that if I never see another iPhone photo of what someone has had for lunch, I’ll be ok. I think the line between the very important moments that we’d have recorded when film was precious, and the painfully mundane and pointless photographs made simply because they can be, isn’t fine at all. It’s fairly broad. A friend of mine once referred to the Selfie-Stick as “The Wand of Narcissism”.

I believe that in the midst of this sea of digital online snapshots, there will always be a place for the significant images that stand out, however they were made. If for no other reason than just because they will.

I spend a good amount of time with your images at the shop and come to appreciate all of the different gestures, facial expressions and levels of intensity. Can you recall what drove each of the respective shots?

Sorry, no. I can vouch that when I chose each frame as the one I wanted to use for each person, that frame did strike me as somewhat, I dunno, significant from the shoot. Each frame I chose, reminded me of the kind of experience I’d had with each subject during the shoot and frankly, reminded me of each subject.

Tough question but out of the countless images that you have captured, is there possibly a favorite?

This is a really tough one. Kind of like asking a parent if they have a favorite child. I can say that “Kate” is one that I really like because I know her to be a kind of bubbly, smiley, suburban mom of 4, but in her portrait she looks like a French movie star. She’s a talented photojournalist, and she lets that serious side of her rarely seen. I’m also sentimental about “Paul” whom in his portrait appears to be sharing a secret, which, in effect he was. “Mary” was a psychiatric nurse practitioner with a doctorate who prior to her retirement did counseling. Socially, she’s a very happy person with an easy smile, but engage her in a conversation, and that incredible focussed listening that she trained to do shows up. Both “Zach” and “Phoebe” are two people I know who can give you a joke for any subject you can think of. They are both caught mid-story, though I think neither would allow themselves to be seen that way if I were behind the camera instead of next to it. I love the portrait of “Tracey” simply because she so easily slipped out of the I’m-Posing mindset. See what I mean? You could pick any one of the portraits on the wall, I’d tell you why I thought that one was my favorite. In my heart: they all are. Or I’m just that capricious.

As a portrait photographer, where else do you find creative inspiration?

I like to cook. I always have since I was a kid. I’m not a fancy cook, I tend to stay within the realm of “family style” cooking. There’s something about the process of cooking food and then sharing it with people, breaking bread together, that’s not unlike, to me, the communal process of making photographic portraits. Likewise, I do a lot of assignments that have to do with food, and people who make it.

Learn more about Dan here: Dan Epstein Photography

Local Art Residency - Lauren Vroegindewey

We met each other some time ago and even before learning of your incredible dedication to your craft, I immediately felt the spark that indicates for me that you are one very special individual. So where do we start? Hmmmmmmm....ok let’s start with early years. Where did you grow up and how did you get to the Garden State?

It is such a joy to live in a community where the arts are highly valued. I first thank you and the Local team for always facilitating an atmosphere of warmth and love and for this opportunity to exhibit my work. I started in Sonora, California located in the foothills of Sierra Nevada close to the Yosemite National Park. I loved being close to the caves, lakes, and being present with nature. I moved to the Garden State, close to Warwick, NY after fleeing my father where my grandmother and uncle raised me along with my siblings. As I got older, I moved around quite a bit, living in different states, traveling; but found myself circling back to New Jersey now based in Montclair. I love this gem of a place. People look out for one another just as the local bike shop here saves discarded tires and bike scraps for me, knowing I can use them in future installations or set designs.

I previously asked about nature vs. nurture relative to your work. Provided how much depth and storytelling is in your work - do you know how you arrived at this medium? 

Oh yes, arguably the oldest controversial debates by psychologists or even when elucidated by Prospero in The Tempest. There are a multitude of forces where I don’t feel there’s an easy way to disentangle the two. They are not inconsistent; but rather complementary to each other. Often working intuitively drawing inspiration from my past and the environment around me, the subject matter and theme of each body of work determines the materials and the forms of the work. During research new areas of interest arise where my creative impulses lead to the next body of work resulting in the manifestation of my emotional expression.

 A running joke was that I came out of the womb painting imagery with my own shit. As a kid, art and storytelling was a way of escape from family dysfunction. One piece I held onto was from the age of five where I had my sister pose in our jungle-like backyard and incorporated pieces of nature into the piece. Growing up with very little, I was consistently creating with discarded objects or materials accessible. That element of being resourceful has carried over into my current art practice as a way to remind the public how much waste is generated by humans. I don’t like to limit myself to one medium as I’ll add another element, but keep the energy running through it. Further, my work is a product of interdisciplinary collaboration involving various mediums as I believe they all relate to each other when exploring notions of sustainability and vulnerability, pieces of my personal ethos.

Your work has some powerful messages and arguably some controversial themes but yet I never feel like it’s pedantic or your dictating a POV. How do you achieve this so effortlessly?

I attempt to empathize with the human experience; parsing the relationship between organisms and bodily structures and what it might mean to bridge the gap between the natural and manmade. I tap into the language around the human psyche as my work explores perhaps taboo topics, asks questions, evokes emotion, and provokes a psychological response in the viewer. I want viewers to question the choices we make daily. I think the questions can find their own answers and offer solutions, rather than tackling an extremist point of view.

Please share an overview of the work you graciously shared here at Local.

My work can be seen as a narrative of personal trauma and the trauma of the earth due to human intervention. There is a deep pain that is attached with being misunderstood, forgotten, and taken advantage of, and a sense of jarring awareness when we are stripped of our personhood or our identity. This could also be true of the very place we call home; our ecosystems. I am an advocate for using recycled materials, at times using up-cycled trash in my art to raise awareness of pollution and the human mark on the environment. My work encourages giving a voice to those who are often unheard and how the fragmentation of the mind can be pieced back together.

The Unspoken Series emerged out of a performance piece while in Scotland where I positioned myself in a discarded bathtub reciting poetry filled with dirt sourced from various landmarks, pomegranates, and the ‘five senses’ which were 3-D printed using biodegradable materials. These are stills from the performance turned into waterless lithography prints. The performance piece entitled, The Dirt Still Remains, tells the story of a traumatic event where the five senses were taken as the fruit is marked and heavily bruised. Through the process of cleansing they are slowly being returned; however the damage never fully goes away. There’s something so empowering and healing when using my body as a tool for an endurance performance. I am interested in the psychological aspect of training the body and mind to leave a state of comfort and complacency. I find it to be a  freeing experience as within my performances there’s a recurring theme of spontaneity.  

Begin to Heal emerged from my Five Senses Series originally drawn and printed in 2019. In 2020, I revisited this work and hand printed the drawings on homemade paper using abaca and gambi fiber. Begin to Heal suggests the potential for inner healing in the midst of social isolation due to COVID-19.

Blended Catastrophe, Breathless, and Reflection are prints of original oil paintings adhered to up-cycled wood panels reflecting upon our environmental crisis; bringing awareness and empowerment in order to minimize the carbon, plastic, and trash footprint and make strides to become more sustainable.

Your creative gifts are shared visually and audibly - but they also are applied to your professional career. Can you tell us what Art Therapy means to you?

It’s facilitating an environment to foster emotional, mental well being, and healing. People have been relying on the arts to communicate, express themselves, and heal for thousands of years. Art is a way of therapy where I am processing things I struggle to verbalize, perhaps a form of communication between my unconscious and conscious mind so working with adults with severe brain trauma I feel as though has aided in the continuation of my own healing. There’s something magical that happens when we broaden our perspective and jump over the hurdles of imposed discrimination, seeing human for human. The possibilities are endless in how art can create a safe space for growth, change, and inner healing.

 Before my uncle's death, a father figure in my life, he suffered from a traumatic brain injury. My fondness memory with him was excursions to the maple trees and making homemade syrup together. This experience in nature was the first time I related human trauma to the earth’s trauma. Perhaps this is why I’m so captivated and drawn to the work I do.

Learn more about Lauren here:

Website: www.laurenvroegindewey.com

Email: laurenvroegindewey@gmail.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laur.vroegs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauren.vroegindewey/

Local Artist Residency - Mike Ferrari

Mike, thanks so much for sharing your work with us and the Local community. The response on your format has been super-positive. When did you first think about this particular platform?

Hey Rob.  First off, thanks for the opportunity to show my art at Local!   After graduating Art School in 2001, I moved back home and set up an art studio in my parents’ basement.  I was constantly experimenting with my art and exploring different types of surfaces to paint on beyond traditional canvases.  After painting on wood and other found objects, I came across an old box of vinyl records that my parents had stored away, so I looked through them and found one that was probably not worth listening to ever again and thought, “why not?”  Trying to stay true to the medium, I painted a classic portrait of Billie Holiday with the big white flower in her hair and that’s where it began.

 Lots of discussion, notably surrounding what musicians and bands you decided to paint and post. How did you ultimately land on this mix for Local?

I just really like all kinds of music.  I’m always listening to music while painting.  In one session I can easily go from Wu Tang to Fiona Apple to Metallica.  I can honestly say that 99% of the artists that I choose to paint are artists whose music I like...or at least appreciate.  I also try to give the viewers a little of everything in hopes of sparking a positive music memory or feeling.  It’s always great seeing people really engage with the work and pick out their favorites, both artistically and musically.  I hope with this diverse collection of 48 records up at Local there is something for everyone.

As we're in the shop all day, I am constantly looking at the albums and reengaging with so many of these artists. Of particular interest is Dolly Parton. Her voice in 'Jolene' is arguably one of the most passionate, in and out of country music. Have to ask, how did you come to paint her?

She was one of the more recent ones I painted.  Dolly is a legend in so many ways and seems to be coming back around in pop culture.  She is one of those artists like Bob Marley or the Beatles that just transcends her genre.  I dare anyone to say anything negative about Dolly.  It doesn’t matter what style of music that you prefer, if someone puts on ‘Jolene’ those 3 minutes or so are going to take you somewhere special.

Curious - have you connected with any of these musicians through your art?

Not yet.  I’ve created several personal vinyl paintings for friends who are musicians and I’ve had a few local musicians reach out, but I’m yet to get the invite to Saint Tropez on Jay-Z and Beyonce’s yacht...fingers crossed for this summer!

Many people have asked, so I'll put it out to you here - what albums did you paint over for this project? 

They are all painted on first press copies of the Beatles’ White Album… No, just kidding.  People often ask me if the artists painted on the records match the music on it, and the answer is no – I would never paint on a vinyl record I would want to listen to.  I’ve acquired a large collection of old records from various places like garage sales and friends have given me old stacks that they didn’t want anymore.  There used to be a great music store in Hoboken called Tunes.  When I lived there, I would go all the time to look through the old clearance records.  I would pick up a bunch of vinyl for like 25-50 cents apiece.  It’s a different kind of crate digging.  I always wondered what the cashiers were thinking as they scanned my random collection of classical baroque, some obscure jazz, and Norwegian death metal.  As long as the vinyl is in good condition and not scratched up, I’ll use it...unless I end up keeping it for my personal collection.

Luckily, I preserved all of my albums from childhood as well as my parent's collection. I love that moment when the needle hits the vinyl and a crackling is audible, almost like that moment when starting a fire. Can we safely assume that you have albums to listen to as well? What do you love about this music format?

It’s a magical moment indeed.  My parents had a decent record collection from the 70s and early 80s and we always listen to music in our house growing up.  My brother and I had a small, typical 80’s kid collection like Michael Jackson, Weird Al, Beastie Boys, Culture Club, the Breakin’ Soundtrack, and other randomly acquired finds.  Most of those records are still part of my current collection of “listening” vinyls.  Though the format has changed many times over throughout the years, music has always been a big part of my life.  There is always great music flowing through my house, unless my kids take control of the music.  Obviously, vinyl has come back around within the past few years and it’s great to see people of all ages really embracing the medium.  With everything these days being digital and right at your fingertips, it’s nice to have a tangible alternative and a collection that is uniquely yours.  Being able to put a record on the turntable, drop the needle, and hear all the pops and crackles is just so much more of a personal experience than scanning Spotify and pressing play (disclaimer: I also love Spotify and think it’s an amazingly wonderful platform that I use almost daily).

I was so happy to learn that you are an art teacher provided our particular interest in this discipline. Thank you for everything you do! What is the most rewarding aspect of this path that you have chosen? Any singular moments that put you over the moon?

There have been so many great moments teaching art over the years. I have had the pleasure of working with some very talented students and am grateful to have played a part in their artistic journey.  It’s always nice to reconnect with past students that have graduated who tell me that they still remember specific moments from my class.  Whether it’s specifically about art or just a positive memory.  I don’t expect all of them to become artists but if they can at least come away with a positive experience and a slightly stronger appreciation for art, then I’m happy.  

Please tell us about any current projects you're working on, either connected to the albums or perhaps something new?

Well, the album art seems to be an ongoing project that started in my parents’ basement and continues in my current Montclair basement, and will probably never end.  I have an ever-growing backlog of artists that I want to take on.  In addition to the records, I’m always busy working on something, whether it’s paintings, drawings, collages, etc.  I have a few shows coming up in and around the Montclair area this spring and summer and I’m always on the lookout for different opportunities to show my work and connect to people.

Learn more about Mike here

Visit Mike’s IG here

Local Artist Residency - Caleb Levine

Thanks for sharing your work here at Local. It's easy to drift into a conversation about your age and the ability to capture this level and context of imagery - so let's get it out of the way. You're 17 now, when did you start taking photos with the desire to share them to a broader audience?

I've been taking pictures for about five years, beginning in the summer after 6th grade. Public display has never been at the forefront of my creative process, but when an opportunity arose to show my work to my community and support a great cause in the process, I seized it.

Your generation was born with a camera in their hand (b/c of cell phones) as prior had to actively go and purchase a SLR to capture imagery. How do you either bundle yourself with your peers with respect to regularly taking photos OR separate yourself because of your photography intention?

There are elitist photographers who consider pictures taken on mobile devices to be less valuable or worthy of praise, but I find this ridiculous. The advent of pocket-sized cameras has democratized photography in a fascinating way and is responsible for some truly remarkable images. I enjoy taking pictures on my DSLR and not my phone, however, for two main reasons: my camera allows me to manipulate the components of the lens and sensor more directly and finely, and the act of shooting on a bona fide camera provides an intentional headspace that mobile cameras lack for me.

I appreciated the time we took to post your photos at the shop as you had a POV on what went where and to what degree the images played off of each other. Is there a particular story you are working to tell?

Though I was intentional in my placing of the pictures, accounting for color and contrast and brightness and subject matter, I didn't bring one cohesive theme to my installation. It's more of a collection of my best work.

What type of camera do you use for these photos and what technical aspects have you learned about photography from when you started to now?

I shoot on a Canon 80D, and over time have come to refine my use of aperture, shutter speed, ISO, white balance and flash. These are the parts of the camera I handle regularly.

You are donating the proceeds from your sales to the Montclair Sanctuary Alliance. Tell us a bit about the organization and the work they do, especially now during some challenging times.

The Montclair Sanctuary Alliance is a network of interfaith religious bodies of Montclair aimed at supporting and advocating for recently-immigrated families from Central and South American who are at risk of deportation or detention. Moving to a new country is jarring and difficult. But coupled with a language barrier, a pandemic and economic downturn that makes job-search more difficult, young children who struggle academically and socially, and alienating political rhetoric and the impending threat of deportation - you get the idea. These people need help. And the MSA works to provide it.

What's next for your photography platform? Are you aiming to broaden your understanding of this discipline or simply see where the day takes you?

For now, I hope to have a successful show and support the MSA as much as possible. I'm truly honored to have been given this opportunity. Long term though, I plan on studying photography in college and continuing to shoot for years to come.

More about Caleb and this exhibition here

Local Art Residency: Q+A with artist Natalya Khorover

Natalya, what a treat to share your work here at Local! I don’t think we’ve shared anything quite like it. Tell us a bit how you arrived at this format.

It’s a long story, but I’m happy to summarize it - I was a kid in the Soviet Union, which meant I had thrifty upbringing. That was the only way to be. It was only natural that the thriftiness eventually found a way into my art. I enjoy the challenge of creating with the materials on hand, of making do.

Of all the work we’ve had at the shop, this seems to rank up there with level of physical challenge to create each work. How difficult is it?

Not difficult, just time consuming. Or slow, deliberate and meditative.

The vertigo series has captured my interest in a major way. It sort of reminds me of those beautifully crafted Marvel comics with no detail left out - but you create it with a sewing needle! Tell us about the genesis of this series.

That is the first time someone has related my work to Marvel! I am honored. I am one of those New Yorkers who drives, and back before covid, experienced plenty of traffic. Imagine sitting in your car in standstill traffic, caught under the BQE overpass or on the lower level of the GWB or the Queensborough bridge. If you’re me, instead of leaning on the horn, I look up and notice the large trusses, the interlacing beams, the rusty patches, the graffiti tags. That is where this series started.

The graffiti series offers this juxtaposition of small and fun but there’s a lot of them. Where/ How did you start and where did you end with this series?

I’ve had a fascination with graffiti since high school. I went HS of Art and Design on 57th street and had a lot of budding graffiti artists in my classes. This is my take on graffiti, again playing with the make do and use what you have strategy. Letters cut off from plastic packaging and rearranged with lots of stitching. Not sure if I’m done yet, still plenty of words I need to stitch.

Given this current existence and challenges with plastic - how does this material play in your messaging?

Plastic pollution is one of the largest contributors to the climate crisis. With my work I hope to keep at least a small portion of it out of our oceans and alert people to the problem at hand and hopefully inspire some to act on it.

Growing up in Soho/NYC - I was blessed with some of the best local galleries on the world. I can’t help but think this work needs a bigger stage. What’s next for you and this truly unique craft?

I am still looking for that NYC gallery for my work. Know anyone? Meanwhile I am happy to have an opportunity to exhibit my work, I look for opportunities to create site specific installations in public places and I teach my techniques virtually at the moment and hopefully in person in the near future again.

Thank you so much! Anything else you’d like to add?

Thank you for opening up your beautiful space to artists

Visit Natalya’s website here

Darin Wacs is Back with 'More Cute'

Created specifically with Local's magnet wall in mind, this series of plasma cut, autobody-painted, metal sculptures are analogous to magnets on a refrigerator door – well, a giant refrigerator.

Working directly on and with the metal, from drawing and outlining each playful shape, then plasma-cutting each figure, the forms produce their unique characteristics, accentuated by the perfectly smooth enamel paint colliding against the jagged and rough plasma cut edges.

Asked about the project's name, Darin replied, "The name of this project comes from a conversation I had with a friend who was a designer at Sanrio. One day her boss looked at her work and replied MORE CUTE!  And, who doesn't want 'more cute'?"

 This is Darin's second site-specific project for Local.

See Darin’s first Local installation from 2017 here

| darinwacs.com | instagram @wacswork | twitter @darinwacs |

Local Art Residency: Interview with Professional Photographer Donna Dotan

I’m so grateful for being able to share your work here at Local. It’s like nothing we’ve been lucky enough to display.

What were your thoughts in deciding to post in these confusing times? 

First of all, I am so grateful for the opportunity to post this series at my favorite coffee shop! So thank you! I think now is actually a great time to have this work on display. Life is going at a slower pace for many people, so I think art will be more appreciated now than when you're trying to get your coffee as fast as possible to catch the train! 

You are by far one of the nicest people I have met since moving here to Montclair. Where does that come from? 

I'm always nice to the person giving me caffeine and baked goods!

In our conversation, I was reminded how important it is to continue to support the arts. Musicians, actors, painters, illustrators, photographers...all still need to express themselves through their craft and encourage us to challenge what we know and believe. How have you used this time to continue your artistic journey? 

I wasn't working at all during the first few months of quarantine, which was a very drastic change for me because I went from shooting 3 times a week and running a creative agency with my husband and business partner, Brian, to being a full time momma of my two boys - Liam who is 5 and Jesse who is 19 months. 

In retrospect, I think stepping away from work as an artist is incredibly valuable. It allows you to step back, recalibrate and come back with a fresh perspective and renewed energy. I recently went back to shooting and it was amazing how differently it felt to absorb the space and create compositions that I might not have considered before. I hope all artists can use this time to look at their passion from an internal view, and then activate your work based on what you see.

Tell us specifically about this exhibit. What prompted the approach? Given its POV, what challenges were there in capturing this landscape?

This series is called Reflections from Above because the shots are all taken from the tops of glass skyscrapers in Manhattan. I "found" one of these reflections while on a shoot with Brian and from then on we were on a hunt to find more mind blowing reflections! 

In order to achieve the symmetry we wanted, the camera had to be pointed straight down and the shot had to be taken hand-held (without a tripod). This required wrapping the camera strap several times around the wrist, setting a manual focus on the view, and then holding our breath so the camera wouldn't shake! We did all of these at the "golden hour", which is about 15 minutes after sunset, and we only have about a 10-minute window to capture the perfect light and color saturation. We hope to continue to find more of these views and keep the series going, which currently has about 10 images. 

I like to think each new pass at something provides some level of learning or perhaps even personal growth. What did you learn in capturing these images?

We started doing this series at a time when all of our work was commissioned. This series reminds us that some of the best times we have as artists are the times when we are shooting for fun! 

I also think these images say a lot about who I am as an artist. I absolutely LOVE color, and I love enhancing color in photoshop. I love shooting at twilight. I love the rush of shooting from the rooftop of a 90 story glass tower. And I love being the only judge of my work. 

Brian says "It gave me a new perspective on New York City. Most of the time I'm walking around and I'm looking up, but rarely would I take the time to find a new way to see my everyday surroundings. This made me remember what I love about New York City, that it is constantly changing, evolving, renewing, and pushing the boundaries of what is fresh and exciting. 

I look at these photos and can’t help but think about jumping from some spectacular height (hopefully sticking the James Bond landing). What do you think now after seeing them up?

I think I want them to be BIGGER! I had one client print one on plexiglass at 45"x65" and it looked spectacular. 

What projects are you working on moving forward? 

I'm shooting a lot of new developments right now as well as luxury real estate. As far as personal projects, I have plans to capture people in their homes during the Covid-19 era. If anyone's interested in having me capture them and their families at home, they can e-mail me at donna@donnadotan.com. 

What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

Brian drinks iced coffee all year round! I recently gave up caffeine unfortunately (but I promise to still be nice!) 

Learn more about Donna and her beautiful view of our world here

Local Talk Series: Q+A with NJ Monthly Deputy and Dining Editor Eric Levin

Eric, we met a year ago while sitting on a panel at Montclair Design Week. How time flies! What have you been up to this past year?

I had the privilege of putting on a large solo show of my work in Jersey City. It was up from early July to the end of October. We had a great turnout at the reception, and many others came by during the run. My best friend and roommate from college, a professional photojournalist, even flew over from London. That was an honor, and we had a ton of fun. He said he wanted a great cheeseburger, and I found him one. I won’t say where, because, in my job, I don’t want to offend anybody or give anyone something to crow about unless it’s a finished piece of work in the magazine.

You are Deputy Editor/Dining Editor of New Jersey Monthly. How has this relationship with the Garden State influenced your photography work?

I am often on the road. I try to get all around the state during the course of the year. Wherever I go, my antennae are always out, looking for things in the ordinary, everyday world that stop me in my tracks. They stop me because they don’t seem ordinary to me at all. I often say that things that seem inanimate to others don’t seem inanimate to me.

You have self-published several books of your photography. How did you arrive at the point when you knew you were ready to publicly share your photography story?

When I discovered how good the blurb.com interface was, and that the paper and printing quality were quite good, I was off and running. I have a large body of work—in digital, going back to 2002, and on film going back to the ‘70s and ‘80s on Kodachrome.

At what age did you begin your craft and what was the initial driver for you to consider photography as a path?

I began by taking a course in black-and-white photography as a freshman at Boston University in the fall of 1967. Yes, I am that old. I learned by using a hand-held light meter and adjusting shutter speeds and apertures manually. A great grounding. I also learned to develop black-and-white film and to print in a darkroom, often staying up all night blasting the Beatles and Clapton and Coltrane. I still have the passion, for music and photography, but my heart has always been with color. As for stamina…I gave up all-nighters some time ago.

Of the current collection of images @ Local, which one brings you back for re-interpretation?

I’m not sure what you mean by that. All the pictures at Local are ones I feel good about, but they all represent a distinct moment in time and space, and if I came across those same things again, I would probably walk right by them if the light was dull. The light is always the key thing. 

Photography is an evolution, personal development as well as technology and equipment. Do you like where we are today and where photography is going or do you prefer a past time with arguably simpler options?

I’m glad I learned the basics with film, and a lot of great artists I admire still shoot film. But I for one would never go back. Digital does everything so well. I have a Canon digital SLR, but honestly, the iPhone has gotten so insanely good that it is now my daily camera. I got the iPhone 11Pro Max in September, and it is ridiculously good, opens with a single swipe, is sharp, with true color and now even includes geometrical as well as light and color corrections right in the phone.

I would like to name a few of my favorite photographers. For color, no one has been more influential in getting the art world to take color seriously—and no one has been more inspiring and awesome to me than William Eggleston. He is world famous, and there is no one like him. His pictures are quiet, calm, simple yet unsettling and resistant to explanation. Also deeply beautiful. Check him out! 

In black-and-white my top-line heroes are Lee Friedlander, another world-famous artist, and John Gossage, ditto but less well known to the general public. Both guys have the genius of imbedding pictures with some insinuating energy (and humor) that is hard to pinpoint but is always more than the sum of its parts.

What's next on your journey? Is there a project you are working on or working towards?

This winter I would like to make a book of my recent solo show, which was called Vehicular. I define the term broadly. It includes everything from a rainwater-filled wheelbarrow to an overturned canoe to a beach guard’s skateboard to bulldozers, haywagons, people on a cruise ship and people standing around waiting way too long for an elevator. You can see their impatience in their body language.

What's your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

I am a cold brew devotee. I make it at home by the pitcher. But I also love a good double espresso.

Follow Eric on Instagram @ericlevin

Local Talk Series: Q+A with Graphic Designer and Artist Tracey Diamond

Tracey, so happy to have your work up at Local. I knew you were a talented graphic designer but didn’t know there was this beautiful art for art’s sake side to you. What discipline came first?

Thank you Robert! The fine arts side definitely came first, but I didn't know to call it that at the time. I remember growing up doodling on the brown paper bags the schools made cover our textbooks with, and trying to recreate the art school drawing application ad in the weekly TV Guides. I think that's where it all started, or at least my first memories of it. In college, I studied Advertising and Graphic Design which is what eventually brought me to having my own Graphic Design/Branding business today, but there were many years in between that I focused more on fine arts, photography and writing. I would hike or sit outside and images or storylines would come to me, so I'd always have to get it down on paper (or canvas) as soon as possible. That is where my dreams would always take me and still do - writing and illustrating would be the ultimate joy in the every day career world for myself. That and also learning how to animate what is constantly playing in my mind when I am drawing, writing or painting.

There’s quite a variety of work on display. Tell us why you selected these particular pieces to share?

It's been over 20 years since I have really had my work on display, at least like this type of showing. So to be honest it was hard to select one style only to show since I was so excited to be stepping back into this world again! I also wasn't sure which style or styles would be what people enjoyed so I wanted to put it all out there (in a hopefully non-chaotic way!) and see what would happen.

You work across a few different artistic tools. How did you arrive at this particular mix?

There is the side of me that loves to paint and those images/styles would come from taking photos of nature scenes that pop out to me with colors and textures. These puzzle piece shapes and textures were all I'd see and that is how I came to create the "puzzle peace" style in my work (naming it after the sense of calm it would create in me when creating and how others said they felt in looking at the finished pieces). In time I developed a similar series to the gouache and acrylics but using ink or Sharpie markers instead - more portable and a different type of color pop result.

I'm also a huge animation lover and have many stories I've written with playful characters illustrated out. So while those particulars are not on display, I did want to display that side of illustration that bubbles up at times too. Sometimes it's cartoony, sometimes more sketch illustration. It's whatever comes into my mind based on what I am seeing in person or in my mind calling out to be drawn.

You spend quite a bit of time on the computer for work. How cathartic (or not) is it to work with your hands to create and develop your art?

I grew up in a time where the creative arts were being taught mostly off the computer.... my college classes of color theory, typography, graphics were filled with spray mount and x-acto knives and rubber cement erasers. That is all still heaven to me. There is nothing like that feeling of doing things by hand and having paint/ink stained fingers. It's like the artist's tattoo - that washes out eventually but you carry it around like a badge of honor. "Yes, I am an artist." May sound funny but it brings such a smile to my face and heart to look down and see my hands stained and materials spread on the table. The same is with taking photos, creating murals, fabric art, wire sculpture, anything creative that I am doing. If it's a hands-on project, I am all in.

Is there a particular message you aim for your work to communicate?

That's an interesting question. When I started this, it was only for myself - it was something I'd doodle on napkins while waiting tables in and after college. I'd zone out while listening to music and draw random shapes depending on what the sounds brought up for me. It was a relaxing way to spend time and just be in the moment. People started to respond to it and with that I suppose grew this hope that people would see the playfulness of what the shapes started to become.... I would find this random shapes were actually images of people or animals, without event planning it. And then my artwork took off in a whole new direction and people really ressponded to that. They would point out images within the images they'd find. It was as if they were finding their own stories inside this visual story before them. It's really amazing. So I suppose I hope that people enjoy what I have created and get lost in the magic for a little while of imagination

What has living in Montclair meant for you in how you approach your craft?

One of the reasons why I chose Montclair as the town to move my kids and I to was because of the support of the arts - for myself and for my kids to embrace the love of their own arts passions. Montclair is filled with so many creative people that having the space to have those conversations sharing the ways we see the world has made it easier to open my time and world back up to something that was on hold for too long. In recent years I have done projects here and there as a result. A few years back I was hired to illustrate Jay Blakesberg's book Hippie Chick with my funky doodle style creations. Total pinch me full circle moment of being a person who would draw random inked artwork in a sketch book at Dead shows to years later creating those same styles to be printed alongside Jay's incredible photos he took at shows along his own creative journey. As people began to see my artwork, I was asked to participate in the newly created Cedar Grove Artwalk where 20 local artists were given street banners to create our own expressions of what Cedar Grove has to offer. Last year, their inaugural year, I illustrated two views of Mills Reservation in my Sharpies Puzzle Peaces style. This year I painted two versions of the same view of mini flowers that scatter the landscape. The banner experiences were so incredible and would never have happened if i hadn't moved to Montclair. It opened myself up to wanting to rework my time, for sure, to have art be more a part of my world like it was once before.

You are very involved with the genesis of MDW (Montclair Design Week). what is your hope for this program?

I was a part of the MDW pioneer group on the arts side of creating graphics and the website in the first, developing year. In being involved, my hope was to be a part of opening people's minds to see things differently. That design is everywhere and it doesn't always mean that Design = Art. Design can be how a program is structured for a classroom, how paint moves across a canvas, how a business is structured for success, how flavors are blended in meal...design is everywhere and is about how we creatively express ourselves. This year my role has shifted a bit to more of the backend needs, but the hope is still the same while seeing what the new volunteers are bringing to the development the second time around.

Is there a current art project that you have on the works?

Yes actually! From having this experience here at Local I was asked to participate in an upcoming Live Painting project in collaboration with photographer Armando "OUTthere" Diaz which was a total suprise and I excited to try that for the first time. I was also commissioned for some pieces based off of what visitors have seen hanging in the space here which I am still smiling from. So that is super exciting too! Outside of that, I am going to look for new spaces to show my work and hopefully make my way into the publishing world with books or albums (ok, I'm an 80s kid, so band related art) or animation. That's all been a huge dream of mine for a long time and feels like it's time to get back to making it happen.

What is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

Oh boy - so I am a big lover of a Dirty Chai Latte, especially when I have a lot of work to get through. And on the tea side, I once discovered the loose tea combination of Hibiscus, Rosehips and Camomile and nothing beats it. One sip instantly transports me back to a peaceful place of drawing inspiration since that is what I would always have next to me while my sketchbook was out.

Learn more about Tracey on her website here

Local Talk - Q+A with Photographer Scarlett Givner

At what age did you learn that you had an interest in taking photos?

I am 13 years old now and I started taking pictures when I was 11.  The first photo I took from this series was P.M.A.R. in New York City.  It was taken in an alley way. The image of the stick figure against the brick just pulled me in

In this age of cameras built into cellphones, do you take pictures on your phone or do you use an actual camera? If so, what type of camera?

I take pictures on my phone because I never had access to a camera and its easier to just press one button- I don’t need to fiddle with a lot of confusing buttons on a typical camera.

Do you plan for time to go out and capture images or do you take photos here and there as you go throughout your day?

I just take my phone with me and when my camera is on I see the world differently.  I see things that look like they have a story. I feel a pull to take a photo when I see the right image

Are there any particular photographers that you look to for inspiration?

I love photos from National Geographic and I find that inspiring.

How important is it for your family to support your craft?

They love my pictures and are very supportive of me. Most of my family members have at least one of my photos in their house.  I think they choose the photos they like based on their personality.  For example, my grandma likes really bright colors and is into fashion so she really likes ‘Shoe Repair’.

What's next for building your photography craft? Are you seeking any type of arts + photography education?

I want to be an actor when I grow up but photography comes second so I may want to pursue it later on.  I will continue taking photos when I feel  inspired.

Tell us a bit about the photos you have shared with us @ Local.

My collection is called Steam Punk Rainbow because sometimes when I take photos I crank up the lighting in chrome and also use the noir effect.  I like to take pictures of buildings, alleyways  pipes, statues and it reminded me of steampunk.  I like taking pictures using angles because I feel they are more unique that way.  It’s pretty cool to walk into Local and see my art on the wall.  Now people can enjoy my pictures as much as my family does.