Most
of the work presented here comes from “Twelve Months on the
Wall” a series of memories recorded at the Seawall in
Narragansett Rhode Island. Always in motion, always changing it
is not a destination so much as a waypoint, a place to stop and
enjoy, a place to recharge between work and home.
My primary interest is in capturing the human experience, not in
a single instant, but by capturing the world as we experience it
- in a continuous stream of images. The Work presented here
makes use of multiple exposures assembled in a panoramic format,
to condense an event or experience into a single image. I am
attempting to create an image based on how we see and experience
the world. I am not interested in capturing the decisive moment,
but in recording the flow of events that make up our daily
lives. These images are, in effect single, frame movies or
storyboards condensed into a single box. To view these images is
to playback a memory, to experience the event as if you were
there, presented with different points of view to process and
explore. My interest is not in showing what something looks
like, but in trying to convey the feeling or energy of what it
was like to be there.
My
profession was in the restaurant industry, 1985 to 2008.
Starting from the bottom as a dishwasher I worked my way up the
ladder, prep cook, pantry cook, line cook, kitchen supervisor
and kitchen manager. Then 2008 hit and I had back surgery, no
longer able to go back into the profession, I was disabled.
After getting over the mental block, I started getting into
digital art, which led to photography and man did I love it.
Being able to catch a moment a landscape and keep the clean shot
or edit it in a program. It was like poetry or writing a novel,
I was able to communicate my feelings through photography.
I have always liked writing poetry, leaning towards the somewhat
dark side of the scale, morbid thoughts of loss, loneliness and
love that can never be tasted. Now photography has stepped in
and filled an empty space within me. It gave me a purpose again
the opportunity to create in a completely different way.
My dad was an avid hobbyist photographer, at one time he even
had a darkroom to develop his own prints. If I could rewind the
calendar 30 years, I would have enjoyed the opportunity to share
the journey and the art of photography with my him.
My photography is always changing with my moods, bold, soft and
a lot of the times somewhere between. Nightmares and Memories is
a collection of photographs representing the fears of a memory
taking one step closer away from oneself. How the warmth of a
memory can fade into a cold nightmare.
Joseph Hanlon
1-401-239-4631
jwhanlon68@gmail.com
The
ideas for the work I produce come from cultural influences,
foreign and domestic.
If the piece can be made to be functional so it can be helpful
as well as an eyeful, so much the better!
I
was born and raised in Holyoke, MA. I am a self-taught artist,
developing my own style by reading and studying other artists
work. I visited many libraries, museums, and galleries. I have
been refining my artistic skill for about 33 years.
I absolutely love all kinds of art and styles. The creative
process is like an exciting adventure, never knowing where the
journey will take me. I sometimes see visions of what I would
like to paint. These also include intuition, spirituality,
passion, life experiences and so much more. I take lots of
photographs of landscapes, buildings, etc. I love to collect
stuff, items I find out on the street and many other places to
create some interesting pieces.
My preferred medium is oils. Sometimes I can totally switch over
to mixed mediums and feel the same way. So, I guess I should say
that all my mediums are my favorites.
I breathe and live in my art. I have a deep Faith in my Creator
that no matter what, everything will be alright. I also believe
that Art is a vital part to the human spirit. It’s an inner life
that we all need even though for the most part it is sadly taken
for granted. I am truly grateful for this gift that I can share
with others. Even if it’s a moment... there’s nothing like
touching someone’s heart, mind and spirit. That is why I create
art.
