Local Art Residency - Janette Afsharian

LC: Janette, we first connected more than a year ago when the concept of showing your work at Local was first discussed. What I remember from that call is that we were on the phone for more than an hour (which is a rarity these days) and it was the most honest and enjoyable conversation I had in a long time. You have this pure form of communicating that both made me laugh but also made me feel better about some of my own thoughts. Have you always been this forthcoming in your dialogue?

JA: We totally clicked. Our phone conversation was great. But seeing you in action at Local it’s pretty obvious you have a talent for making people feel comfortable. It may be one of those, “it ain't me, it’s you” type of things. However, you are right that I’m pretty candid. I have a tendency to lead with letting people know I’m not on 100% footing on many things. I’ve been joking around lately saying that in a job interview when asked what are some of my weaknesses I’d say, “I’m wrong a lot of time.” Thankfully, I’m self-employeed. Also, I’m super cool until I totally panic. I like to tell people I’m the person that you’ll have to shake and slap a few times when things get in a high stress situation. Even though I like to lead with my mess, at times, I do have my crap together (sort of) but I like to connect with people on the interesting and funny stuff... the struggle that’s where I relate.

LC: I love this approach because I can tell immediately when either a person, a brand OR anything else for that matter tries to be or do something that they do not have the experience or right to express. Think this is part of the beauty of growing up in NYC... most of us can immediately sense authenticity or lack of it. How did your childhood and/or formidable years contribute to you being so real?

JA: That is 100% why when I moved to New York City 25+ years ago, I knew I had found home. I grew up with two cultures that strongly believe in manners over truth. The Iranian culture (my dad) and Texans (my mom) have may subtle mannerism which always left me wondering what was the truth. In New York if they like you knew it, if they wanted you to get the fuck out of the way, you knew it. I loved it!

LC: OK so I was setting you up with questions number 1 + 2...tell me how this honesty translates into your craft and expressing yourself in your art?

JA: Honestly, I have no idea. I think I’m trying to work out something in all these lines but I’m not sure. I paint in my attic listening to music. It’s meditative for the most but part but I do get frustrated at times because I can’t draw a perfect cat or deer or something like that but then I just move back on to my abstract line drawings. I try to balance the colors and find depth and balance as I draw each line with yard sticks. I try to perfect some things and destroy others as a progress. I think about my family, friends, kids, my past, crazy times, marketing art, and grand ideas of being an artist as a grow old. I'm really simply painting because I have always wanted to but also always found a reason not to until now. I’m just doing it.

LC: Tell us about this work you chose to share -

JA: Right now, I have a total of what I think of as four collections of work. The first, are in a minimalism style and fall into the Gerhard Ricther area (people say). I love these but some may I think they are too simple. Surprisingly these are ones I get the most purchase requests for on Instagram. I haven’t been able to part with them yet. Next, is the plaid series. These are the most fun to paint and look pretty cool in person but I didn’t think they are complex enough. The third, are leaning into cubism. I don’t have enough of them for a collection plus I just sold one of these yesterday so I have even less now. The forth, Linear Motion, is what I selected to exhibit because they are what I’ve been experimenting with most lately. I think they capture where I’m at with my painting at the moment. A combination of all of the other collection trying to fit into one space and be seen.

LC: I can tell you how much I appreciate it as it just seems so timely right this very moment. There is so much going on right now...so many distractions..so many directions but it is ultimately up to each of us to make sense of all of it. Also, these paths/lines can be quite chaotic but if you step back and breathe, they can also be quite beautiful based on your interpretation. I've gotten more comfortable with this concept as of late. In my best Wendy Williams voice, how you doin' (through all of this)?

JA: I think the painting capture how I’m doing. The lines are stationary yet there is a lot motion.

LC: Alrighty then...I know you are quite busy so I'll save the rest of my questions for when I see you next. But before you go, critical inquiry - what is your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

JA: Black coffee in the US. Black tea in Iran.

Learn more about Janette here and find her on Instagram @janetteafsharian.art

Local Art Residency - Todd Boressoff

LOCAL: I have to start out by saying how very grateful I am to have this particular work in the shop at this time. Our 5th anniversary as a business is on the horizon on 2.2.22 and having images of my beloved NYC in the shop is really fitting. 

The years associated with these images are 1968 - 1972 and one can’t help but make the connection to current day in that there’s quite a bit going on as a city and as a still relatively young country. Did you fully feel the gravity of the moment as these images were captured?

TODD: For the majority of these photos I was simply trying to stay alert for something interesting – an expression, a design in the frame, a juxtaposition of details, etc – and to shoot spontaneously. However, for three I was very aware of the gravity of the moment. With the photo of the cop shooting I was intensely aware of him, though in the moment I never saw the innocent boy with the Impeach Nixon sign. The tickertape parade was of the returning Apollo 11 astronauts (the three waving at the bottom of the photo). I climbed up the facade of Grand Central to get the angle. The third was of the 1969 Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam.

LOCAL: We haven’t had vintage prints in the shop before. These images were captured and developed by you. I’ve worked in a dark room before and can say that the photographs take on a greater meaning when the photographer essentially takes care of the image from conception to birth. How do you feel about that invested development process vs. todays rather ubiquitous photography process?

TODD: I am ambivalent. Anti: I hate the proliferation of self-promoting selfies. I also regret that photojournalism suffers with news outlets slashing photo budgets in favor of photographs sent by the public.  Pro: The digital world enables me to take more risks, to better examine a subject from multiple perspectives. And digital photo development is a godsend. Lightroom and Photoshop enable me to work in color more effectively than chemical processes. I still take care of the photograph from conception till birth. I spend as much thought photographing and as much time “developing” as I did fifty years ago. The digital world lets me take online courses at the International Center for Photography with “classmates” from all over the world. We can screen-share our work and get feedback instantly, not just from the teacher but from everyone. Also, I can share work on Instagram, again with photographers worldwide. If you are interested, search on Instagram for todd_boressoff.

LOCAL: I appreciate that these photographs are not for sale demonstrating the value to you as the photographer and to some degree, historian. In this world where commerce is king and queen and nearly everything is for sale, how do you reconcile the artistic value vs. making some dollars? 

TODD: To concentrate on becoming a professional photographer, in 1970 I took a half-day position as an assistant teacher at a preschool in Park Slope. I learned two things. I hated the job of becoming a photo professional – taking pictures that others wanted, promoting myself, spending more time on selling than on taking and making photographs. I also learned that I loved early childhood education, which led to a forty year career in roles from assistant teacher to many years as a teacher, director, advocate, and policymaker on the local, state and national level. But I never stopped loving photography.

LOCAL: One of my favorite images is the mirrored reflection of the record store. So much going on inside the shop and there’s the one woman who paused to look up and you captured it! I can draw so many parallels to philosophy and the importance of taking a moment to stop and look up and around. Did you know how incredible this photo was in the moment you developed it?

TODD: Not when I took it, but yes, when I developed it I liked it a lot. But it has continued to grow on me. Those are real records, LPs. You could thumb through them to your hearts content and chat with the folks around you. I miss that.

LOCAL: NYC has gone through quite a bit in the 50 years since these images were captured. How do you use your craft to make a bit of sense of how things have changed but in many ways, stayed the same? 

TODD: I don’t. I don’t really use photographs to try to make sense of things. Just to capture for myself, and hopefully others, what I’ve seen.

LOCAL: Of these photos, which has the greatest meaning to you and why?

TODD: Sadly, I can no more answer this than I can which classical composer or which tenor saxophonist has the greatest meaning for me. Or even which piece by Beethoven or which solo by John Coltrane. In a way the photographs are like my children. How could I choose? But I can choose which has the most meaning for me at this moment. It is the little boy looking out the back window of that car. I identify with him these days, spending so much time trapped inside.

LOCAL: Anything else you would like to share about this powerful exhibit?

TODD: Just to thank Robert and Adele for again presenting my work on that beautiful, well-lit magnetic wall (with none of the expense and work of framing).

LOCAL: What’s your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

TODD: This is well known to everyone at Local Coffee: a small 2% latte.

Local Art Residency - Ann Kraus

We're so grateful to share your work here at the shop. What a beautiful canvas as we move into the holiday season. Tell us a bit about Random Daydreams. 

I am very excited to be exhibiting my work at your location and am thrilled it has received such a warm reception.  Pulling together the mono prints for Random Daydreams has been a wonderful experience.  They are a departure from my  acrylic paintings of clouds and sky-scapes that are more subjective and planned.  While approaching my landscape painting I normally have an idea of what I would like to portray.  On the other hand, my abstract prints are an extension of thoughts and feelings that are transient and done spontaneously.  So the art produced is very similar to unconstructed musing (daydreams?) without a specific destination. They can be summarized as intuitive and open to interpretation by the viewer. 

 How did you land on this particular layout and shape? 

 The shape of my prints are dictated by the size of the gel plates I use. I have a variety of sizes and overlap the colors and textures to create depth and perspective.  I also use acrylic paint designed for this purpose and vary the opaqueness and transparency to create a mood that is colorful and vibrant.  But again, there is no preconceived planning and the shapes and colors speak for themselves. So there are no “wrong answers” as to what they represent.  

I am always curious about the artist's journey so tell us, how did you arrive at this particular work at this point in your life?

My artistic journey has spanned many years.  My mother was a painter back in the 1920’s and I was always encouraged to express myself in drawing and painting.  I still have a number of her paintings and her spirit is alive in the work.  I have come to believe that listening to your inner voice will be manifest in your work.  And while the body of my work is now sky scapes and clouds, the abstract mono prints are the result of that inward turn and interior focus.   

You participate in quite a bit of gallery work as well as supporting our town's 'Studio Montclair'. What does it mean for you to support this active community?

Studio Montclair is a marvelous local group and the organization is well regarded in the art world.  Prior to the pandemic, I volunteered as a gallery sitter at the Upper Montclair location and always enjoyed the relaxed and welcoming environment featuring vibrant local artwork. The town is so lucky to have this organization here. 

Of course Montclair has always been a haven for artists dating back to the late 1800’s where a “colony” of artists could be found here.  Probably the most famous was George Inness but there were a number of world renowned artists including painters, sculptors, stained glass artists and engravers.  So maybe there is something in the air that just invites a creative cohort and nurtures those who express themselves through art.

We're hopefully coming out of a terrible time for humanity as the Pandemic 'seems' to be on the retreat - curious how this time has affected the way you think about your craft.

I think the pandemic has presented a unique opportunity for those living through this turmoil to use it as a springboard for creating work.  In the early part of the period, I found myself working through the fear and anxiety by producing artwork such as “The Apex” which was in a recent Studio Montclair show and subsequently included in an article published by The Local newspaper. My memory of that time was being glued to the daily television reports and listening to the number of positive cases and deaths in our area. Then I would retreat to my studio and pour that energy into my paintings. 

But with the vaccine, a brighter stage of optimism bloomed and my paintings changed to reflect that environment.  A good example is the present show where the colors and vibrancy are harbingers of good times ahead. What a wonderful way to celebrate a bright future!  

What's next on your artistic journey?

I’ve recently returned to The Art Student’s League when they reopened after the worst of the pandemic.  Painting clouds and impressionistic landscapes continue to interest me and I will continue to refine my style.  I study with a splendid instructor Ronnie Landfield who is considered one of the best painters in America.  His style is lyrical abstraction, but the color field painting and use of light is unique and I have benefited greatly by his observations.   

 Additionally being in a group setting with other painters is always a treat as you get to critique and exchange ideas. In fact, during one of those interactions I learned there was actually an international  “Cloud Appreciation Society” out of the UK with 50,000 active members.  Needless to say, I then joined and my work has been featured on their website given the subject matter. So you just never know what these interactions will produce. 

 I am also a member of Pleiades Gallery of Contemporary Art in the Chelsea Art District in NYC.  I enjoy the collegial and collaborative atmosphere of this small gallery and look forward to another solo show in the near future. So life as an artist should be neither static nor isolating, but always evolving and engaging.  I guess that’s my approach to my artistic pursuits and life in general. Be joyful and positive!! 

What's your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

Oh, without a doubt, @TayTea Wild Woman tea is my favorite!! 

Sales of Ann’s work displayed @ Local Coffee will graciously benefit the Montclair Animal Shelter.

Learn more about Ann through her website @ Annkrausstudio.com

Local Artist Residency - Lindsey Wilderotter

Lindsey! So happy to have your work up at the shop. I feel like we discussed this opportunity a good time ago and here we are. How do you feel sharing a bit of yourself at the shop through your photography?

I am so happy to have my work up at Local! I remember reaching out last year and you telling me that the next available time would be Fall 2021 and it felt like it was going to be forever away but now we are finally here and it feels great. It truly feels amazing to have something that I created displayed and shared with your shop. When I have walked into Local to grab a coffee, I have seen so many beautiful artists' work hung up on that wall and it feels really cool to have that be me for this month. Photography has been such an outlet for me and I love telling stories or evoking emotion through my photographs so I am really excited to have some of those be shown to the local community.

Tell us a bit about these photographs. When, Where and Why?

These photos are from a few different places but mostly the timeframe is between fall and early wintertime. The first section of my photos are some of my favorite fall photos from local spots around New Jersey. Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year. I love to watch the leaves change and the world around us come to life with color. It is truly so beautiful and I love to capture this time of year through my lens. Most of the fall photos displayed are from Verona Park and South Mountain Reservation. The second section is more of my travel photos from both Scotland and Canada. I went to Scotland a few years ago with some friends and was so taken aback by it’s beauty that I literally had my camera in my hand every second I could. And it was the same in Banff, Canada. That place was truly special, there were mountains everywhere I looked and it really took my breath away. The third section is a combination of both travel but also adding in some more colorful lighting. A theme that I wanted to show through this display was not only the travel/landscape side, but also in a few of my photos I love to capture reflections. Especially with the changing of the seasons, I tend to do a lot of reflecting on where I have been, what I have seen and where I want to continue to go. These photos remind me how grateful I am to have stood where I have but also tells me how much more there is to see.

I ask this question of most of our photographers - how do you feel about the discipline now that we all have a camera in our pocket and take a gazillion pictures each day vs. purposely setting out to capture some specific image or topic?

It is really interesting how easy it is for people to just whip out their phones and take a picture of literally anything at any time. There are times I find myself reaching for my phone just to take a quick snapshot of the sky that looks cool and I usually kick myself for not having my real camera to get a better shot. It is crazy how well iPhones and smartphones can take a photo, sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between a real camera and a phone which to be honest makes me a little sad because I just love digital and film cameras so much. But I definitely still set time aside to go out with my camera, to go to different places with the purpose of getting some good shots of either something particular or just walking around a certain area for a few hours and seeing what I can find.

Before the pandemic, one of my favorite things was going into NYC and just walking all around Central Park, down to Bryant Park, and through the Flatiron district with my camera at my eyes the whole time, taking it all in and clicking away. I loved that, going in at different seasons and seeing the city change through my lens was so cool.

The composition on these images are really special. How do you set out to frame your photos? Do you perform a good amount of editing post capture?

I try not to edit my photos too much, I try to capture them in a way that shows what I am trying to tell. I always want to show a real version of what I see when I put the camera back down. However, there are some that I have edited a bit darker or to have more of a “moody” effect which I have been loving. I love to get a different shot, something more unique that I feel is my own. When I am out shooting, I try to look at things more artistically and see how I can capture the scene in a way that people may not always see when they first look out, but also something that draws people in. It is a little hard to explain but I am always trying to get that unique shot, through the trees or by getting down on my knees from a different angle. I love to still show the beauty that I see but maybe in a way that is original, if that makes sense.

These images represent a good amount of travel. Was there one place that stood out where you felt super-connected to the environment?

I think one of my favorite places that I traveled to was Scotland, where a few of these photos are from. It was such a breathtaking and amazing place to be and I feel so grateful that I was able to see it in person. I spent a few days in the city of Edinburgh but the majority of the trip was exploring the Highlands and smaller country towns of Scotland. It was really so cool to see the landscapes of this beautiful place and the wildlife. I was able to see horses on the farms we passed by and the infamous highland cows. The highland cows are gorgeous and during the trip we actually pulled over on the side of the road where we saw some eating some grass and just watched them. One of my favorite things about traveling is to be fully immersed in the culture and environment of where I am, and it was so easy to do in Scotland, with it’s stunning landscape, friendly people, and unique wildlife. I definitely plan to go back there.

What camera/ cameras do you use in your discipline?

I use a Canon Rebel T6s. I got it for Christmas a few years ago and it truly has changed my life.

What's your favorite coffee or tea beverage?

Oh my favorite question! To be honest, it does change with the weather and when I am looking for something warm, I always go with a mocha latte with oat milk but if it is a nice summer day I am for sure grabbing a cold brew with oat milk :)

See more of Lindsey’s work here

Local Artist Residency - Helen Greenberg

Thank you so much for sharing your work with us here at Local! It seems like your work has immediately struck a chord with our community as we're noticing customers are getting really up-close to the work and asking lots of questions.

Some of the questions revolve around the texture of the work. How did you discover and select this particular type of paper and paint?

I have been a traditional watercolor painter for many years.  This particular work was inspired by the Asian papers that my daughter Linda brought home from one of her trips. This began my journey into abstract work. All of my family travel and bring me interesting papers and I purchase them in art stores.  

You mentioned that you created this work during the darker days of COVID this past year. Did you set out on a path to communicate a particular theme OR did you just see where the day took you?

I have no end in mind when I begin a painting.  I am interested in color, shapes and texture. 

This isn't your first rodeo :) as you've been painting for some time. How and where did you get started and what was the turning point for your particular lens in this discipline?

I usually start with a loose watercolor under painting and from there I tear and apply the papers in layers until I am happy with the result.  For me, this is very meditative.  I love watching what evolves. 

We have so many aspiring water colorists that visit the shop. What advice would you share that will help them find their own particular style?

I can suggest they keep experimenting…keep open minded and try to be free.  You never know what can happen and that’s the fun of it. Hope this answers your questions and thanks again.  I am pleased that people are interested in the work.

See more about Helen here: Helen Greenberg Video Short

Local Artist Residency - Ling Chen

Let's get right to it! Please tell us about the dark, seedy, underbelly of the world of watercolors!

Can’t tell ya because I kinda live under a rock (yes, in the world of watercolors as well). I am rather ignorant of the bubbly local art scenes and am really bad at remembering names. Thanks to the Internet, I got to admire the wonderful works of the watercolorists from around the world  and to drool over their work virtually. For me, the best watercolor is fluid, spontaneous, and captures the mood and atmosphere without spelling out every detail. Water and pigments interacting with the help of gravity can do wonders.

So you're saying that WYSIWYG? I have to believe that there's more in that image than a beautiful representation of a person, place or thing?

Luckily what you get is more than what you see sometimes, although I cannot claim credit for that. When people look at the sketches of Local Coffee, they’re reminded of the cappuccino and the amazing owner who-shall-not-be-named. And people reacted warmly to my sketch of American Royal Hardware because they just love that place. I captured the moments and places as I see it, and viewers enrich it with their own fond memories. 

OK, I tease you because you have this wonderful sense of humor and your work is obviously beautiful and moving AND everyone loves it. How did you get started?

Whew! I’d be devastated if you had neglected to notice or praise my wonderful sense of humor. 

I learned how to draw in middle school. In an after-school drawing club I became really good at cross hatching while drawing still life with graphic pencils. Fast forward 30 years, I started to draw again since my life was overwhelmed with work and kids. I did Saturday classes for a few months and attended a few weeklong watercolor workshops. It was a surprise that I improved quickly. I took on sketching because that’s something I can squeeze during the little free time I had - waiting at the airport during work trips, or hanging out at the playground with kids. The type of city sketches you see here actually started in May 2018.  A  friend of mine and I attended our first Jersey City Artist and Makers Fair where I had a total of 3 sketches of Jersey City downtown. A couple of prints were sold and people asked for more. And that started my journey documenting my neighborhood. The more I sketched, the more to sketch to capture the changing face of the places.  

Perhaps a silly question but how did you get SO good? I mean, c'mon - this work is masterful.

I wish I could agree with you, but I appreciate you believing so. Drawing from direct observations on location helps, I believe. It forces you to capture what you see and how you feel instead of every little detail that a photograph captures. Showing how people interact with a place brings a piece to life. 

I had the pleasure of meeting your 84 year old mom who is adorable and has quite a bit of spunk. How influential was mom in your life and while developing your craft?

My daughter recently commented on how strong grandma was rolling the dough when she demonstrated how to make scallion pancakes, unimpressed with the wimpy attempts by the youngsters. She used to run an editorial department in a rolling stock (trains, that is) research institute publishing periodicals and books. And she dedicated her entire self taking care of the family. She hand-made dumplings, noodles, sewed clothes, knitted sweaters, and made hats and shoes - not as a hobby but often as a necessity. After she retired, she took on Chinese painting and shocked all of us with her art talents. But then she readily gave that up and came to take care of her grandkids - my babies could win the cleanest bottoms contest and the fervor in feeding her grandchildren is unmatched. I have half of her talents and a quarter of her drive. I taunt my kids that my mother is better than their mother.

I noted how fast you are when creating each of these works. Was that a need based skill OR was there another reason you are so expeditious?

Yes and yes. It certainly started as need-based. I was sketching while watching my kids at the playground, and as any parents have well practiced, I was prepared to jump into action at any time. I also really like to capture the moments, such as music performance on stage, and those moments are fleeting. Some of the work I personally like most are those created within 5 minutes.

Aside from your Local storefront watercolor being your favorite (obv), what comes in as a close second for your favorite work (Montclair or otherwise)?

You forgot I have two sketches of Local, that make my two favorite works. Of Local.

I like Dem Two Hands. I like the color and felt I captured the spirit of that beautiful place. 

I also like a few sketches of murals - Jersey City has plenty of them. It’s like picture-in-picture.  

This question is for my sister, an aspiring watercolor enthusiast - what tips can you offer someone seeking to up their approach to this discipline?

First, learn from the best, I mean, the very best, even from the beginning. My first watercolor workshop was with David Taylor, a watercolor master from Australia. I was such a newbie that I was identifying basic colors such as Ultramarine Blue and Raw Ciena in the evening after day 1 of the workshop. By the end of the week, I produced some of the best work among the workshop attendees, partially because I didn’t need to unlearn anything. Joseph Zbukvic, another Australian artist, is an absolute master in watercolor. He has an amazing process that makes painting landscapes seem effortless. I also learnt from Eudes Correia, a Brazillian artist in Portugal. I love how he paints people. 

Second, do what feels natural to you. I learned how to paint watercolor from those masters mentioned above, but I sketch in my own style. I use a calligraphy pen filled with permanent ink to sketch first, and use watercolor on top of it. Scribbling the lines feels natural to me.

Learn more about Ling Chen here

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