Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Speakeasy


Have you ever heard of a speakeasy? Back in the 1920s the US federal government outlawed, by enacting the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, the production, transport, and sale of intoxicating liquors (though not the consumption or private possession thereof). Did that stop Americans from drinking alcohol? Nope!


That just means there were private parties where liquor "appeared" (for it couldn't be transported) and was consumed, often with jazz musicians and dancers providing entertainment.


Well...my friend Tiffany is totally into that era now - as a singer, an artist and a spirit - and is throwing such a party in Stuttgart in November. As a warm-up to this mega-event, she got friends together for a photo shoot in an awesome old apartment. We had a great time getting into the spirit!

Tiffany and Andrew get into the spirit(s)
My son Fynn was my second shooter for the first part of the evening and used a manual-focus f1.4/85mm lens with a star filter on it. His pictures captured the perfect soft look and feel we were looking for (see above). 
Mine, on the other hand, were so sharp that they didn't look like they fit the 20s look, but with a bit of post-processing I was able to get relatively close (below).




We also were afforded the luxury of having many models (dancers, actors and other good looking people) to play along, so we set up some scenes to look like a speakeasy might. 



The real party will also be a golden opportunity for photos. I'll keep you posted!




Autumn 2018

Exhibitions x 3

This autumn I'll be showing some of my work in three different exhibitions in and around Stuttgart. 
The first one opened on October 17 at Café Künstlerbund to a full house - even two of my children attended! The collection of art there shows a high regard for aesthetics and technique. The nine American artists displayed some of their best work - including photography, oil painting, encaustic and multi-media drawing. 


The café is open from 10 am until midnight. Give me a call and I'll meet you there for a drink! The show runs through November 10, 2018.

The following evening, October 18, 2018, the German and American Artists Group opened its first fall show at the historic town hall in Bad Cannstatt at 6 pm. Twenty-eight artists are showing their fine art on three floors. The new commander of the US Army in Stuttgart - who has family roots at Lake Constance - gave the opening speech.



As guests enjoyed the buffet, fellow artist Michael Nothdurft exhibited his prowess on the classical guitar.


These art works were on display through October 29.



On October 24, 2018, the same group hung a different set of works at the Deutsch-Amerikanisches Zentrum for a three-week long show!
Brian Cann showed seven photos from his new series "Nudes in landscapes," and I showed a bit of my "Hot pepper" series, so it was quite a sexy show!


In addition, Aylish Kerrigan sang two dramatic songs and the buffet was a work of art itself. Friends came and were introduced to the other artists. That's how a nice network is created.