Excerpt from the NB Radio Interview

I have been asked several times to compose a brief summary of my perspectives on photography, but have been able to encompass the range of emotion necessary. My thoughts bounced from presenting a historical perspective of photography’s early years through it’s recent technological challenge, digital capture...I will not call it “digital photography”, for in the true sense, no such animal exists..the name should be “digitography”; writing with digits, whereas “photography literally means “writing with light”....sorry...I just had to sneak that in !!

It occurred to me that my true struggle was not the validity or differences of one versus the other, or even the validity of photography as a now, or soon to be, historic artform...but in fact was my life as an artist.
 

I will not attempt to define or distinguish each artistic discipline and endeavor, instead, I would like to focus on our commonality. The common thread is our initial, then on-going need to justify our efforts in a world more and more dominated and determined by the depth of the “bottom line”...seemingly ignoring the value of the human spirit and its works.

At 53 years, I am still searching for inspiration,in literature,broadcasts and film..almost any portrayal of the truth in life.

Early one morning @ about 3 am, while watching a film about the writer Charles Bukowski, and semiconsciously pondering my artistic fate and chances of survival here on the east end, a message was seemingly sent to me in the closing monologue of the film..I feel I must share this with any artist now listening.

If you’re going to try...go all the way ...otherwise don’t even start.
This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, jobs...maybe your mind.
It could mean not eating for 3 or 4 days...
It could mean freezing on a park bench...
It could mean jail...
It could mean derision...
It could mean mockery.....isolation......Isolation is the gift .

All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it...and you will do it !Despite rejection, and the worst odds...and it will be better than anything else you can imagine...If you’re going to try go all the way. There is no other feeling like that...you’ll be alone with the gods...and the nights will flame with fire.You will ride life straight to perfect laughter....It’s the only good fight there is. 

I remember a discussion I had with a high level banker friend. He referred somewhat disparagingly to a remark I had made about the financial domination of creativity in the art market, saying, “what else should I expect from an artist...you all think alike..out of touch with reality” I sat briefly silent, then with heart-felt justification, I posed a question; I asked, what if tomorrow morning an office memo was sent throughout the bank stating that salaries would no longer be paid to any employees regardless of position or rank..how many do you think would stay? He looked at me in disbelief and said “None”...including me!
I then said...”well. that’s our difference...artists must be “out of touch with reality”...well at least YOUR reality ! We get up every day, and without any guarantee of payment, appreciation, or security, pick up our brushes, cameras, pens etc..and create !

In one of my sporadic visits to Sunday mass, ever hopeful of a ray of wisdom to present itself, I was shocked when the pastor, during our requests that God provide for the poor, aid world peace, guide our leaders...he stepped significantly into my life-long memory and out of the box when his final request was   asked  “Bless the artists, who show God’s beauty to the rest of us”..I though silently...yes...please bless the artists !  by Gary Bartoloni