By Claire Drewniak
Art and history will come together this month in a photography exhibition and virtual workshop featuring the Morristown National Historical Park’s first virtual artist-in-residence.
Xiomáro, an attorney-turned-artist who specializes in historical and nature photography, will share his work at the Jockey Hollow Visitor Center from June 6 to July 31, 2021.
Through his online workshop he also will teach the public how to use an artist’s eye to take photos, even on mobile phones.
“There’s more interest now than there ever has been in photography, because now everyone has a camera with them. So I think people are a bit more sophisticated about visuals and the process,” said Xiomáro (pronounced SEE-oh-MAH-ro).
Art lovers and amateur photographers can view his art in-person at the visitor center, Tempe Wick Road, Harding, and take his online workshop here.
The free exhibition will be accessible for viewing outdoors in a socially-distanced setting.
Xiomáro, 61, grew up in Brooklyn surrounded by art, observing and helping his father, a cabinet maker. As a teen, Xiomáro started a garage band. He pursued art while attending college and the New York University School of Law–where he was editor of the Journal of International Law and Politics–then combined his interests to work as an entertainment lawyer and manager.
Clients included pop artists, rappers and disco icons Village People. He encountered some backstage drama along the way.
“I can say, many of the artists I dealt with fit the cliches we have come to know – i.e., they have very big egos, are very bad in managing their money, and have a tendency to follow the advice of those who are least qualified to give any. I would like to think that at least some of that has to do with youth and perhaps they have acquired wisdom now as they aged,” he said.
‘READY FOR BATTLE’
Xiomáro’s name, a pseudonym reflecting his family’s roots in Spain and the Canary Islands, means “ready for battle.” He chose it after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2004.
“The heightened sense of mortality provoked a gradual purging of the non-essentials that were cluttering my life. After my recovery, I found peace in the solitude of wandering the parks with my camera. I decided to start anew and develop a studio to pursue art seriously,” he explained on his website.
Cancer-free since 2005, Xiomáro balances corporate law work (why he prefers a pseudonym) with his artistic pursuits.
He established a studio, and was selected to serve as artist-in-residence at Weir Farm National Historical Park in Connecticut in 2017. From there he was contacted by Morristown; the national park and the nonprofit Morris Arts are sponsoring the exhibition.
While specifics of his residency have shifted because of the pandemic, Xiomáro contends the integrity of his art and lessons remains.
“There are some benefits in the sense that an unlimited number of people can access the videos over a theoretically infinite period of time – whereas a live event is limited to an audience that fits the venue and that can attend at the scheduled time,” he said.
Historic buildings such as Washington’s Headquarters are not handicap accessible, as modifications cannot be made to historically significant structures. Xiomáro and Morris Arts wanted to fix that.
By enlarging Xiomáro’s photography of the interiors to 17 inches wide and displaying on the building’s windows, “folks who can’t access the building will get a sense of what it’s like inside, to know how it is to have an immersive experience of being in the structure,” Xiomáro said.
Even as a young lawyer, Xiomáro was drawn to photography, music, and painting, among other mediums. His workshops offer patrons the opportunity to hone their artistic abilities.
“People are really fascinated about my pictures and ask me how I do it. While obviously I’m not using a cell phone, the principles that I use to get those results have nothing to do with the camera. It has to do with how you see, and that’s something that can be taught to people.”
The pandemic has heightened interest in the better-known national parks like Acadia and Yellowstone, Xiomáro said.
But he wants to remind people that here in Morris County, the nation’s first national historical park can be enjoyed, along with significant structures and settings.
Jockey Hollow offers something that larger national parks don’t, according to the artist.
“You’re not seeing a Grand Canyon or seeing a river. But from my perspective, it’s the same experience, but more cerebral. Because what you’re doing is actually standing on the grounds where the country began and where history took place.
“Here in Jockey Hollow… you’re walking right in the places where Washington walked, and I just find that really moving.”
"artist" - Google News
June 04, 2021 at 07:55PM
https://ift.tt/2SYRjeo
The Morristown National Historical Park welcomes a virtual artist-in-residence - Morristown Green
"artist" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2FwLdIu
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "The Morristown National Historical Park welcomes a virtual artist-in-residence - Morristown Green"
Post a Comment