Peter J. Crowley

Fine Art Photographer

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The Willimantic Years 1999 Part One

09.23.2021 by Peter J. Crowley // Leave a Comment

Willi arriving in 1994 but I was active in the art scene from a few years prior.

Spare change? Chip in on my paypal link.  Posting these stories is very time consuming. Or by mail address is on the contact page.

All the moneys gone no where to go… I will still deliver that magic feeling.

Thank you peace

A letter from home years ago a defining stage of my live/work/art.

Mills turned into Art Apartments and a Textile Museum.

A small city of immigrants arriving when it was time for the last group to get a raise.

Children always seeking everything need a closer look. 

On the porch at my place on Bellevue a dancer relaxes. I don’t relax, “hold that pose.”

Where everyone knew my name. Late afternoon light in November shines on the ambiance of the Willimantic Brewing Company.

My refrigerator or Maybe Paradise Cafés  the image is on a roll surrounded by a folk performance at the Café. This was also a place for me to plan, eat and sit in the sun and see.

I met The Muse there at lunch and the next morning she came to my studio to begin two years of sessions. The wealth of images made and learning to see was a highlight in my work. So many unseen images remain. I also interviewed and hired Roxanne as my asst. in Paradise. Two important strong women changed me.

The previously mentioned folk concert at Paradise Café with Jim Mercik  and Hugh Blumenfeld. 

The porch on Bellevue a series of puddle reflections this from early March rain and snow melt. A loose series never show as a group. The dancer above is also a porch series as well. The are themes, portfolios that intersect from different times.

There were eyes always eyes. Many of the images here have not been printed or scanned. Looking at sessions from twenty two years ago, I see photos that I missed after first look and printing for my subjects. There are also many that in my strict seeing of the past didn’t fit the way I saw. I am not so ridged in todays approach.

From a test for my Woodnymph series. A good model but never a woodnymph. Image made on Wormwood Hill at the Thorkelson’s home. 

You could rent a movie to watch while your clothes dry. I think I waited for the cars to clear the spaces in front of the door. I saw what I wanted to compose and cars were not included.

There were doors in Willi old Victorian works of art. I had always seen doors I like imagined history. In Willimantic doors became a series of love. All these doors became a book in 2017 “Another Door Entered” my second book.  My first was a love letter to Willimantic “All the Usual Subjects” portraits of people from my home. There are a few left.

A tree out side a window was part of a D-11 developer test High contrast with grain. I didn’t like the results with people so it was a short test 72 images. But I like this tree.

Clam Fritters, fries was my go to order. Cute girls were always on my menu. Starring into the sun the girls in deep shadow. I gave them a business card and I said call me and I will give you a print. They never called. Flash forward 22 years, email me and I will send a scan few ever email. This is a horrible neg. and I gained very little in post process. It is however a moment in my world.

I will close the door on this story with a door. 

peace

Categories // B+W Silver Gelatin, Between Here and There, Eyes, Faces, Film, Film 35mm, Fine Art Photographs, Muse, Old Roads, Peter Tork, Street Photography, Uncategorized, Willimantic Tags // Ambiance, Black +White Fine Art Photography, Great Food, Portraits, Silver Gelatin, Simplicity, Street Photography

A Day in Northampton Summer The 80’s

06.02.2020 by Peter J. Crowley // 5 Comments

Most days now I am up early sometimes even out for the morning light. More flowers on my walks new inhaler better breathing, less inspired by the flowers but the air is cleaner. Birds singing, children  playing rarely close enough to catch but a glimpse. In my mind I am a child part of the chorus of glee. Inside it is me, Miles, John, Duke, and Oliver.  Searching my archives seeking my Photo Journalism for the Connecticut State Library. The haystack is full of distractions never printed negatives, old favorites. I live here in memories, stories of happy times before the world I loved died. It is said an artist creates for themselves. I enjoy folks seeing my images but not enough to live this day on Anti Social Media. The anxiety of hate and hopelessness amplifies my stress with a negative effect on my COPD. So here I will be telling stories living in my own time. Just me, Inara Wings of Fire, Dragons Life a virtual life. Liz shops and we garden with an occasional vision quest. 

Summer Northampton

Omelettes,  BLT’s  a cold soda. Start or finish  a day trip.

City Taxi pre-Uber I imagine Smithies rides to Amherst  for parties, the days game, an autumn afternoon. Just around town or sitting on the bench waiting for friends returning from home after a break. Another time another place.  At an outdoor concert 1985 two stages, Tom Rush, Jerry Jeff Walker many in the crowd scurried away for the food concessions stopped in their tracks when Jerry Jeff started to wail not the country music they expected. Settling in again as a strong breeze blew some of their Cocaine of the mirror. No one was upset I’m sure there was more. 

Catching some rays on the Y’s fire escape. Perhaps a human perhaps a dummy we never spoke. Many days spent in Northampton an oasis of creativity, studios, gallerias,  trendy shops, and cafes. Pretty people a blend of old and new architecture. I would go up to Amherst Wednesday to help layout the Valley Advocate after the Hartford edition began. I was the first staff photographer in Hartford.  Working full time as a paste up artist 2nd shift at the Hartford Courant surprisingly I often was sick Wednesday nights recovering at the Advocate in Amherst. 

Back to her dorm just a silhouette rushes back, a days classes ending, a forgotten book? So many tales these walls hold Dorms eloquent designs from the past well kept telling stories of prestige. One of the Seven Sisters dating back to the late 1800’s originally all Women’s Colleges.  Barnard, Smith, Mount Holyoke, Vassar, Bryn Mawr, Wellesley, and Radcliffe were given the name “the Seven Sisters” in 1927, because of their relative affiliations with the men’s colleges.  The schools are also sometimes referred to as “the Daisy Chain” or “the Heavenly Seven.” The name Seven Sisters is also a reference to the Greek myth of The Pleiades, the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione.

Composing in the viewfinder.  How I work I saw this light my angle was right for the detail I wanted of the two people on bicycles. A second shot squared up the frame  frame but in 4-5 seconds the two were gone. That image doesn’t make the grade. No Photo Shop, no crop seeing the entire frame subject and negative space.  My process, technique no screen to see if I got the subject. I got it I knew seeing the details not just the subject.  Dance, theater, movement understanding I had to shoot 1/2 second prior to create the moment I wanted. One image at a time fire cock fire. Process often three bodies in the bag slow Apx 100, TriX 400 or 800, color negs or transparencies. TriX the in hand body for most trips, Rarely shooting the same image in both B+W or Color seeing in B+W but noticing a color image switching cameras. The big bag full when I left, Free to see whatever on a journey. Now a little bag a decision of what to carry  when I head out. Then often seeing an image for a lens didn’t have in the bag. Having two diggies has alleviated  that somewhat. A roll of TriX sits in my home I may try to manually focus with a Nikon F next time? No room in the bag for 3 bodies and four lenses. 

Always time for a cookie, a scone or Portuguese Sweet Bread strolling Fox Point in Providence in love. But those days by the bay on cobblestone streets a memory that has burned off like the morning fog. Another time another place. 

 

Today there will be new memories that will burn off like the fog by a new bay. Today I’ll visit the 80’s a time of process, love and a hope for a highlight. Peace

peace pjc

 

Categories // B+W Fine Art, B+W Silver Gelatin, Fine Art Photographs, Fire Escape, Food, Galleries., Nikon, Old Roads, Reflecting on past, Summer Tags // B+W Fine Art Photography, Blending the past and the present, Silver Gelatin, Street Photography

Places, homes from early in my work 1972-73, 1980’S

03.04.2020 by Peter J. Crowley // 2 Comments

A tidal pool crossing Cosey Beach  Ave  1972. A daily treat to walk the beach with a friend. For a six month or so period I would step out the back door and soon be greeted by a Golden Retriever she was there for a walk. I never found out who she belonged to and she never asked to come in the house. 

Squeeze  loading in for a 80’s summer concert on Madison Green.  Madison Ct. Summers, The Wharf at The Madison Beach Hotel. Arriving there to meet Jim in early May Dewey the bartender announces Peter is here the summer has begun. 

A Radio Flyer to transfer winter warmth to the house.

Cosey Beach wasn’t glitzy the waterfront cottages were nicer. The neighborhood was poor. Strife between the city and the neighborhood after the city sold the playground to a restaurant. I found this all out the 2nd night I lived there. The 4th of July Independence Day  and the streets were full of people expressing there anger in no uncertain terms. 

Stony Creek and Kodachrome a short ride made often for peace, wandering, seeing. I would return here through out my years in Ct. I rarely returned to Cosey Beach Ave. It became a destination as I rushed to get myself ready to move west.  So many places, people to see that Brattleboro and Cosey beach were left out. 

peace pjc 

Categories // B+W Fine Art, B+W Silver Gelatin, Cica 1972, Color Fine Art, East Haven Ct., Film 35mm, Humanity, Kodachrome, Old Roads, Summer, The Sea, Wooden Boat Tags // B+W Fine Art Photography, Color Fine Art, Humanity, Silver Gelatin, Simplicity

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