Portrait of a Moment - Part Two

© Larry Torno, 2009

Getting comfortable in front of a camera is never an easy thing to do. Yet, every once in a while, someone let's their guard down for a moment and we get to understand who they really are.

Portrait of a Moment - Part One

© Larry Torno, 2009

Rather than call this next series simply, Portraits, I decided to refer to them instead, as Portraits of a Moment.

To capture the essence of a person in one sitting with a single image is quite a tall order. But, to spend some time with someone and come away with a sense of who they were for a while, seemed more realisitic.

What will follow in the next few weeks are some photographs of my favorite, captured Portraits of a Moment.

Sign of the Cross - Part Four

Cloudwire
© Larry Torno, 2009

Cloudwire is an ominous image that I shot from my front lawn. I often find great images when I'm not looking for them. Something has to spark my interest and the growing exhaust clouds from two passing jets was the inspiration to get this image started. It wasn't until I created a negative conversion that I discovered the power in this photograph.

Sign of the Cross - Part Three

Cross in the Night Sky
© Larry Torno, 2009

This image of a lone telephone pole caught my eye when I passed by it on a sunny afternoon. While I liked the location and composition, I wondered how the scene would appear in the near darkness. A long exposure, on a cloudy night, gave me the movement and surreal effect that I was hoping for. Look closely in the upper right-hand corner and you'll see power lines extending upward and out of the frame; reaching.

Sign of the Cross - Part Two

Pall on the Cross
© Larry Torno, 2009

This week's image is from a series of photos that a curator once described as "incidental observations". I wrote an artist's statement for the exhibition that read;

I am not a photographer.

I'm a designer.
I'm an observer.
I'm a composer.

I see the world around me as a series
of shapes, forms and colors.

I absorb my surroundings;
select what is essential
and eliminate what is not.

I create compositions
that tell me a story.

I'm an interpreter.

True to the statement, here is my observation of an electrical post and miscellaneous wires; recomposed as a death shroud, draped over a cross.

Sign of the Cross - Part One

Figure on a Cross
© Larry Torno, 2009

As soon as I started photographing crosses, I was confronted with cynicism. Some people were afraid to consider my images as art because they thought I had a hidden agenda. Several galleries rejected them for consideration because they said they were too controversial. Other people assumed I was born again because I chose this subject.

The plain truth is, I like the simple shape of the cross and the way it communicates a multitude of messages. It's as simple as that. You can read whatever you want into my photos, but I'm merely trying to make art. As a photographer friend of mine said, "It's not what you shoot, it's how you see it."

This is how I see it.

Titles at an Exhibition

The Flame
Image courtesy of Larry Torno and Bruno David Gallery

Creating titles for the Barbie exhibition was an exercise in creative thinking. Bruno David, the gallery owner and curator of the show, asked me to think about what was going through my mind as I shot each doll and consider that for the titles.

With that in mind, here are the titles and what I was thinking as I looked through the viewfinder.

An American in Rome – This Barbie looked like a combination of Audrey Hepburn, in the black and white film Roman Holiday, and an American visitor acclimating to European fashion.

Anne's Favorite – My neighbor, Anne, likes the early Barbies, but considers the full eyelash models to be her favorite.

When is a Barbie not a Barbie – The first doll to be photographed and the impetus for the concept behind the exhibition.

Big Bangs Theory – A play on words and a tribute to the outrageous bangs on this Barbie.

Black, White and Blonde – Refers to the black dress, white lipstick and blonde hair.

Bric-A-Brac and Pearls on a Summer's Evening – That's how I saw this doll; wearing an inexpensive summer outfit but trying to dress it up with a string of pearls.

Burnt Umber – It's a paint color I used in college and the most descriptive term I could find to describe the tone of the doll and lighting.

The Cat's Meow – A combination of the cat eye glasses and a popular expression.

Celebrity Look-A-Like – This doll looks like someone who might be famous whose name you can't think of.

Close Encounter – I kept zooming in on this doll to see how close I could come and still get the shot I wanted.

The First Time You See Her – You know when you see someone all the time and take them for granted . . . but then one day, you see them like you've never seen them before.

The Flame – A shortening of the term "flaming redhead" and a suggestion of her demeanor when it comes to relationships.

Frankie, Annette and Moondoggie – I know I'm mixing my beach film characters, but to me, she was all of them rolled up into one.

Jerry's Point of View – My friend, Jerry, is much taller than me, and I guessed that this must be his perspective with most people.

Paparazzi – Who else could she be hiding from?

Profile – Obvious.

Remember the '80s – I think I saw this woman in the mid-1980s in California.

Up, Close and Personal – Another case of trying to get up close without invading personal space.

When I Met Peg – Peg is my wife and doesn't look anything like this, however, here's the story. I met her on a blind date when she was playing in the back-up orchestra for Tony Bennett. I brought binoculars to the concert to "check her out" but she was hidden behind the music stand and all I could see was her eyes. Just like this Barbie, that was all I needed to see.

The Nudes – They're named for the numbered exposure that I chose as the final image. They were not shot at the same time nor are they the same doll.

http://www.brunodavidgallery.com/artistDetail.cfm?id_artist=106&n=Larry+Torno

On Camera Interview

Frankie, Annette and Moondoggie
Photo courtesy of Larry Torno and Bruno David Gallery

When Naomi Silver, President and Founder of Culture Surfer LLC, walked into the Barbie show, When is a Doll not a Doll?, she doubled over in laughter and asked "Is this everyone's reaction?" And from then on, I knew the interview was going to be a good one. I don't think I've ever seen anyone so enthusiastic about my work. It was great fun meeting Naomi and getting the chance to be interviewed about the show. You can see the video at http://culturesurfer.com/art.html

FINAL WEEK - The Barbie Show

Photo courtesy of Larry Torno and Bruno David Gallery

It's the final week of the exhibition, When is a Doll not a Doll? at the Bruno David Gallery. The exhibition continues Wednesday, April 1 through Saturday, April 4, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

For everyone who attended Opening Night, here's a chance to see the show again; this time, unobstructed. If you haven't seen the exhibition yet, I urge you to take some time out of your day and check out the 24 portraits of vintage Barbie dolls. They're nothing like anything you've seen before. As the press release says "Through these vivid images of the timeless figure, Torno liberates Barbie from her box and places her again into the realm of the imagination."

It's definitely a must-see for anyone who thinks they know what a Barbie doll looks like.

The Exhibition

The exhibition, When is a Doll not a Doll, opened at the Bruno David Gallery March 6, 2009 and runs through April 4, 2009.

The show is a series of 24 portraits, by photographer Larry Torno, of vintage Barbie dolls from the Frank Chross Collection.

For more information, contact the Bruno David Gallery at http://www.brunodavidgallery.com/exhibition_spaces.cfm?exhibition_id=32&gallery_space_id=2


To order a catalogue: http://stores.lulu.com/brunodavidgallerypublications

IN THE NEWS

ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH
http://stltoday.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?image=22646898&event=707333&CategoryID=19156

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/5B3A376C5F1EE6048625757300806A59?OpenDocument

ST. LOUIS BEACON
http://www.stlbeacon.org/visual_arts/review_shows_at_bruno_david_and_sheldon_celebrate_american_interiors_barbie_and_catharsis

ST. LOUIS JEWISH LIGHT
http://www.stljewishlight.com/news/349310203368885.php