Category Archives: art

Abstract Art, Abstract Photography, Architecture and Interiors, art, Art gallery, Editorial, Headshots, Live Music, Musician photography, musician portrait, musician portraits, News, portrait |

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Kelly Starbuck Artist Profile in Wilmington Magazine

Reaching for Her Stars!

September 7, 2021

Talented, local photographer Kelly Starbuck showcases traditional wall prints and textile pieces in her latest exhibition.

By KIM HENRY

Photography by KELLY STARBUCK

Photo by Dan Pierce
Starbuck with sister and nieces in front of artist & musician portraits at her previous fine art photography gallery, Salt Studio

Like so many artists before her, local photographer Kelly Starbuck arrived at the crossroads where she had to decide whether to continue on her secure but crushing career path, or take the leap and follow her true calling. It’s never easy to make that shift when the road is less traveled, and there’s no obvious map to follow, but it’s never easy living with regret either. Well, certainly not for this courageous photographer. Starbuck seized the moment and has since navigated her way to a more deeply fulfilling creative life as a full time working photographer. September sees Wilmington Magazine’s very own freelance photographer of eight years, hosting an exhibit of her personal work at Art in Bloom, and we’re excited to celebrate her accomplishments.

Having moved from Wilmington, NC at 26 to take her own bite of the Big Apple, Starbuck began producing major corporate events and was thriving on the adrenaline of the fast pace and glamorous veneer. “I loved it for a while, and then one morning after another 18 hour work day, I realized I had surrounded myself with people who were actually doing what I wanted to be doing, while I managed budgets and logistics,” remembers Starbuck. Listening to her ‘inner voice’ and drawing on her innate resourcefulness, her aim was to become a full time photographer, crafting professional shoots and exploring her own fine art projects, without going into a ton of debt.

Consequently in 2003, Starbuck began her transition into the photographic industry. Her singular focus led her to being a photo assistant and studio manager to the iconic Fernando Bengoechea and simultaneously working as a teaching assistant at the International Center of Photography in NYC. “I threw myself into the fire in all the areas I was interested in and learnt that way. I was helping teachers and gaining knowledge at the same time,” smiles Starbuck, surrounded by her eclectic body of photographic work. Abstract prints exploring light and dark sit next to assignment based headshots and editorial shoots.

Deeply inspired by memories, documentation and the feeling of a specific moment, Starbuck’s personal work seeks to capture a sense of time and space by playing with light and shadow. Growing up in Wrightsville Beach, then experiencing the intensity of New York City, her latest collection honors her relationship with both nature and city life. “New York is where I became a photographer. This exhibit is all about utilizing the energy of the city, the bright lights and connecting it to where I am now, back at my roots, back at the beach,” explains Starbuck.

Seapath, new Full Circle abstract photography series

In an age of endless filters and infinite editing possibilities, what does Starbuck’s creative process involve? “I started photography with film, so it’s ingrained in me to get the picture right with the camera. I don’t do a whole lot of manipulation in post-production. I don’t want to sit at a desk editing for endless hours, I want to work with what’s there in terms of location and light and create something unique,” says Starbuck.

Abstract photography of Water Street

Revisiting her childhood and finding ways to express the memories with soft focus and blurred edges, Starbuck refers to her first creative outlet, which was music. Unable to have music lessons, Starbuck always loved to sing and was in multiple choirs, ensembles and even had a few solo parts during high school. “This is why I have been building a portrait series of musicians that I connect with and who inspired me for the last ten years,” says Starbuck about a vast body of work dedicated to visually recording the spirit of music and the musicians who make it.

A Place to Bury Strangers, Brooklyn, NY

In addition to her own creative process, Starbuck has a vibrant assignment based aspect to her work, shooting for commercial and private clients and specializing in headshots, particularly for women. “I love helping my clients feel comfortable. I don’t stop until we get the image that they love,” smiles Starbuck who can roll between the immediacy of the moment and the precision of a more controlled photographic experience with ease.

Amanda Kramer of The Psychedelic Furs

Ever prolific, Starbuck’s photography has been displayed in countless magazines, galleries and even on Larry King Live, The Sundance Channel and in The New York Times. Starbuck had her own gallery between 2013-2015, SALT Studio Photography featured both national and local photographers during countless Fourth Friday Gallery nights and partnered with The Brooklyn Arts Center to produce and curate Wilmington’s first large-scale photography show featuring over 35 artists. She is thrilled to be exhibiting a collection of abstract pieces for the first time in her upcoming exhibit at Art in Bloom Gallery, which opens on September 24th. Delving into various themes of nostalgia, memory, beauty and dreams, through land and seascapes, Starbuck’s creativity is fueled from a deep place within herself. Blending different photography techniques and formats, the exhibit will showcase traditional wall prints and a limited edition of textile pieces. Wilmington is just as excited to receive this new work as Starbuck is to present it.

Custom printed home goods with Starbuck’s photography

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“FULL CIRCLE” Abstract Photography Exhibition
Opening Reception – Friday, September 24, 2021 from 6-9pm
Fourth Friday – Friday, October 22, 2021 from 6-9pm
Showing through – November 7, 2021

Art in Bloom Gallery
210 Princess Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
https://aibgallery.com

Appointments available upon request.
I’d love to meet you and talk about the work. Please reach out and we can set a time by calling 910-367-5720.

art, Art gallery, Family and Children Portraits, News |

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Harry Taylor “Requiem” & Tintype Portait Day in Encore Magazine

Capturing a Bygone Era: Harry Taylor showcases Civil War re-enactment photos at SALT

Mar 3 • Art, ARTSY SMARTSY, FEATURE BOTTOM

Over the last few decades, our society has embraced the Digital Revolution, so much to the point that most of the U.S. population consists of avid cell phone and Internet users. One may argue that in our modern world, film is dead. Photographer Harry Taylor, however, will prove otherwise when he shows Wilmington the beauty of traditional film photography during his upcoming exhibit, “Requiem: Views from the Cape Fear.”

recreating an era

It is well-known that the Port City is rich in history, but Taylor’s photography gives viewers a tangible, in-depth look into what life was like along the Cape Fear River during the Civil War. Living historians act as models for Taylor as he recreates the aesthetic of the culture during the 1860s.

“I have always been interested in history, but the Civil War era is definitely the most interesting to me,” Taylor says. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to live with the politics of that era.”

Taylor achieves his photography through a process called wet-plate collodion—the primary process used for creating photographs during the Civil War era. Taylor has been working in the medium for nearly a decade. The method is much more complex than the simple snap of a button as used on digital cameras. For starters, an 8-by-10 box camera with a hood is required, as well as a dark room, complete with several chemicals. A glass plate is coated with collodion, a mixture of raw cotton treated with nitric and sulfuric acids that has been dissolved in ether and alcohol, usually with a touch of bromide. The glass plate is then moved to the dark room to be dipped in a solution of silver nitrate, which binds the bromide to create a light-sensitive, silver-halide coating. Once the plate is placed into the camera and the lens is removed, light enters the camera, striking the collodion. It takes approximately 10 to 20 seconds or more of exposure to take an ideal picture.

“There’s something different about holding still for a 10- to 20-second exposure,” Taylor explains. “More of their thoughts come through, and there is more depth.”

Immediately after the shot, the plate needs to be taken back into the dark room to develop. A solution of sulfate and acetic acid is poured over the plate so that the grains struck by the light will smooth into a metallic silver. The plate is then rinsed, taken out of the dark room and varnished. “Watching an image emerge from a solution is the most primal experience in photography,” Taylor states.

For “Requiem,” Taylor will be using prints from a previous display called “Glass House.” He displayed the wet collodion plates in “Glass House” in a greenhouse. Those who entered  could view the photos through the walls; it was more of an installation project, creating a unique visual experience. The Cameron Art Museum actually owns this collection today.

“It was difficult to make out all of the details in the photos of the Glass House,” Taylor says. “I have pulled a select few prints from that display. This time the pictures will be clearer, and the mood won’t be quite as mysterious.”

Taylor created about 300 wet plates in four months. Because of the method’s many vital steps, only 10 pictures a day can be created. Taylor gets a lot of help from other living historians, who re-enact specific stories from the past, such as of confederate spy Rose O’Neal Greenhow. Serving as a female blockade runner, Greenhow’s rowboat actually turned over in the Cape Fear River, while she was escaping a Union ship. Due to her wearing a dress laden with gold items, Greenhow drowned in the Cape Fear River. Taylor recreated this scene.

“A lot of people who help me by posing for these photographs will come dressed in clothing from the 19th century,” he says. “You never really know what someone will decide to do, but all of the Civil War re-enactors take their work very seriously. Most of them make their materials for this hobby themselves.”

While SALT Studio will feature archival photos of Requiem, new creations will be displayed as well. The featured prints will range in size from 16-by-20 inches to 40-by-60 inches and will be affordably priced for both new and experienced collectors of fine art.

Those who are interested in having a wet-plate collodion photo made for themselves also can attend Taylor’s upcoming event on March 8, American Tintype (another term for the collodion process). SALT Studios will host it and guests can pay to have one-of-a-kind portraits made by Taylor in his signature method. Portraits start at $80. Details below.

“Requiem: Views from the Cape Fear” will hang until April 17, Monday through Friday, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., and on Saturday by appointment only.

DETAILS:

Requiem: Views from the Cape Fear

Work by Harry Taylor
Hangs through April 17

American Tintype

EVENT:  Tintype portraits created by Harry Taylor
Sunday, March 8th
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Portraits start at $80

Click HERE to make your reservation!
Or call 910.367.5720 and Kelly will help you get a spot confirmed.

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SALT Studio Photography
805 N 4th Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
http://saltstudionc.com
910 367 5720

Photographer, Owner, Curator: Kelly Starbuck

Monday – Friday   12:00pm – 5:00pm
Saturday by appointment

SALT Studio is a working photography studio and business. Please call ahead (910.367.5720) to confirm the gallery is open and that we are not on location for a photo shoot. Appointments welcome!

art, Art gallery, News |

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Harry Taylor “Requiem: Views from the Cape Fear” Exhibition in the Star News

The WAE

Fourth Friday: Harry Taylor’s latest installment of river-inspired photographs

Wednesday, at 9:55 by

SALT_Insta_HarryTaylorFor a while now, local photographer Harry Taylor has looked to the rich history stretching the banks of the Cape Fear River as a muse for his photography.  In 2012, Taylor presented “Rio Jordan,” his 621N4TH solo exhibition featuring portraits and landscapes inspired by the culture and terrain of the Cape Fear region.  Last year, Taylor followed up by installing a greenhouse at the Cameron Art Museum made entirely from glass plate negatives depicting local civil war history, much of which revolved around the river.

This Fourth Friday, the Gallery at SALT Studio, 805 N. Fourth St., presents “Requiem: Views from the Cape Fear,” the latest chapter in Taylor’s ongoing series covering the Cape Fear.  Taylor will debut new tintype photography created in the antiquated nineteenth-century process of wet plate collodion, as well as large-scale archival prints.

The solo exhibition opens with a public reception 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 27, in coordination with Fourth Friday Gallery Nights, a monthly self-guided art crawl throughout downtown Wilmington’s art studios and galleries organized by the Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County.

“Requiem” hangs through April 17.

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HARRY TAYLOR “Requiem: Views from the Cape Fear” Photography Exhibition
Exhibition through April 17, 2015.

SALT Studio Photography
805 N 4th Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
http://saltstudionc.com
910 367 5720

Photographer, Owner, Curator: Kelly Starbuck

Monday – Friday   12:00pm – 5:00pm
Saturday by appointment

SALT Studio is a working photography studio and business. Please call ahead (910.367.5720) to confirm the gallery is open and that we are not on location for a photo shoot. Appointments welcome!

art, Art gallery, Editorial, Headshots, News |

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Kelly Starbuck “SALT Studio: Year 1” Photography Exhibition in Encore Magazine

PHOTOGRAPHIC REFLECTIONS: KELLY STARBUCK’S NEW EXHIBIT LOOKS BACK AT SALT STUDIO’S FIRST YEAR

Jan 27 • Art, ARTSY SMARTSY, FEATURE MAIN

What’s in an image? It’s a quandary every photographer must ask herself. For local photographer Kelly Starbuck, nostalgia and family (of any degree) have emerged as recurring themes in her work. Turn back the hands of time to one year ago, and she unveiled not only her fresh, new photography studio and gallery, SALT (805 North 4th Street), she also debuted her exhibit “Family Shrine.” The fine-art photo series captured her longing for home (Starbuck is a Wilmington native and graduate of New Hanover High School) while she lived and worked in NYC.

web.DanWitz_MG_7996

 

Now, 12 months into business, Starbuck’s work has come full circle. She has premiered a new series, dubbed “SALT STUDIO: Year One,” just last Friday—to a turnout of 100-plus people. The collection celebrates her first year in operation and even harkens back to her NYC days.

Starbuck’s love of photography began at an early age. A visually geared mind, combined with her grandfather’s propensity for being a “shutterbug,” led her to make an interesting request on her Christmas list at age 10: a Polaroid camera.

“All of the film was used up by lunch,” Starbuck says with a laugh. “I had various cameras and took snapshots throughout life as a passion, but didn’t really consider photography as a profession until I realized that if I didn’t make a go of it, I would regret it later in life.”

After working as a corporate events producer, Starbuck made the transition to the photo industry in 2003. Her first job was as a studio manager for Fernando Bengoechea. It wasn’t long before she also began working as a teaching assistant at the International Center of Photography.

Having worked in the industry for over 10 years and moving back to Wilmington in 2009, SALT Studio truly has become Starbuck’s home. “I was ready for my photography business to move to another level and to have a studio where I could offer clients the option of studio- or location-based photography services,” Starbuck details. “When I found the space, it easily lent itself to have a small gallery, and I always wanted to curate photography shows. So it was a perfect fit. The first year has been great and I have learned a lot.”

Starbuck beams over her accomplishments: SALT Studio has hosted the likes of husband-and-wife duo Scott Irvine and Kim Meinelt for their “Waxenvine” exhibit (Irvine is even depicted in a New York-minded photo from “SALT STUDIO: Year One.” The “Secrets & Lies” production team bought the prints for set decoration. As well, SALT has hosted international photographer Leeta Harding.

“Probably the biggest name was Christopher Rauschenberg, son of famed painter Robert Rauschenberg,” Starbuck comments. “His ‘Studio’ exhibition was a great draw for artists of all mediums.”

The real standout from SALT has been the sense of community that’s blossomed. More so, Starbuck’s evolution as a photographer, is evident in “SALT STUDIO: Year One.” “Mostly, [it’s] the theme of relationships,” she says. “My artist, musician and actor portraits was the biggie. These were ideas I had for a while and finally pushed myself to work on this body of images. Many of these people are great friends, and the feeling I got after putting that wall of images up was, ‘Wow! I love having these awesome people here with me (many live in NYC) and I don’t want to take this wall down in a month because I will miss them.’”

Starbuck’s work covers an array of editorial, commercial, private client, portrait and fine-art photography (“Bokeh Nights”) that she has amassed since conceptualizing SALT. With each photo she passes, she exudes a distinct sense of familial love. She can recall how she knows each person, their story and even how the depicted individuals know each other.

One of her favorites is a portrait of artist Dan Witz, who has showcased his photo realism internationally and was the cover artist for this month’s Juxtapoz Magazine. It comes as part of a collection that features artists in their workspace.

“I love how he is nestled between his paint brushes and a large-scale painting he created for his ‘NY Hardcore’ exhibition,” Starbuck describes of the Brooklyn-based painter.

The show also boasts a sweaty, hard-rocking image of pop-rock band GROUPLOVE that she took after a concert they performed at the Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill. She’s known the band members since her time in New York. “Bokeh Nights” fine-art photography collection also reminisces of her New York days. Comprising blurred neon lights that epitomize the larger-than-life brightness of the city, the photographs were captured locally through light reflected off the Cape Fear River and the USS Battleship when it was lit over Christmas.

Her editorial work consists of photos taken for Wilmington and Focus on the Coast magazines in 2014. “My favorite has to be the fashion cover shoot I did for Focus on the Coast,” Starbuck says.

The story examined three pairs of jeans that could be worn both uptown and downtown. The cover image, which features Kelly Tada, was shot with natural lighting to add accent to the minimal cement wall behind her. “She just looks awesome!” Starbuck adds.

A series of black-and-white photos Starbuck did for Oliver Earney’s CPA firm, as part of an interior-design project, are also on display. “One of my favorites is a group of trees at Fort Fisher. The trees don’t look like they are here at all—more like Africa,” Starbuck says.

DETAILS:

SALT STUDIO: Year One

Photography by Kelly Starbuck
SALT Studio, 805 North 4th St.
On display through February 23
www.saltstudionc.com

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KELLY STARBUCK “SALT Studio: Year 1” Photography Exhibition
The show hangs through Feb 23, 2015.

SALT Studio Photography
805 N 4th Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
http://saltstudionc.com
910 367 5720

Photographer, Owner, Curator: Kelly Starbuck

Monday – Friday   12:00pm – 5:00pm
Saturday & Sunday by appointment
SALT Studio is a working photography studio and business. Please call ahead (910.367.5720) to confirm the gallery is open and that we are not on location for a photo shoot. Appointments welcome!

art, Art gallery, Editorial, News |

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Kelly Starbuck “SALT Studio: Year 1” Photo Exhibition in the Star News

SALT Studio owner turns eye on own photos

 

KELLY STARBUCK "Boca Nights" Salt Studio Photography

A series of abstract nighttime images is one of several styles featured in Kelly Starbuck’s exhibition “SALT Studio: Year 1.” Photo by Kelly Starbuck

By Justin Lacy
StarNews Correspondent
Published: Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 9:06 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at 9:06 a.m.

In December of 2013, the Gallery at SALT Studio set up shop at 805 N. Fourth St. with the ambition of introducing Wilmington to the photography of local, regional, national and international artists as the area’s only fine arts gallery dedicated solely to camera work.

A year and a month later, the Gallery at SALT Studio presents “SALT Studio: Year 1,” a collection of photographs shot by SALT owner and resident photographer Kelly Starbuck during her studio’s inaugural year.

The exhibition opens with a public reception 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 23 in coordination with Fourth Friday Gallery Night, a monthly, self-guided art crawl throughout downtown Wilmington’s studios and art galleries. Fourth Friday is organized by the Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County.

“It’s interesting to see how just starting this business, and having an actual brick-and-mortar space has pushed me to a different place with photography,” Starbuck said. “I’m still in a way working freelance, but it just put me in a different place to where I did get some referrals and opportunities that came my way that weren’t really happening before.”

In the past year, Starbuck produced editorial work for magazines like Focus on the Coast and Wilmington Magazine; created a series of abstract, nighttime images; and compiled an extensive portfolio of expressive portraiture, shot with her approach of framing in close on her subjects, but not too close.

“When I want to do a formal portrait of somebody,” Starbuck said, “I always go in waist up, and I want to fill it tight, almost fill the frame. But give them a little bit of head space. Sometimes I will come in closer, but it’s just a good distance, I feel like, that kind of shows the person and their personality, and maybe a little bit of attitude.”

“SALT Studio: Year 1” hangs through Feb. 23.

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KELLY STARBUCK “SALT Studio: Year 1” Photography Exhibition
The show hangs through Feb 23, 2015.

SALT Studio Photography
805 N 4th Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
http://saltstudionc.com
910 367 5720

Photographer, Owner, Curator: Kelly Starbuck

Monday – Friday   12:00pm – 5:00pm
Saturday & Sunday by appointment
SALT Studio is a working photography studio and business. Please call ahead (910.367.5720) to confirm the gallery is open and that we are not on location for a photo shoot. Appointments welcome!

 

art, Art gallery, Musician photography, Photography Studio wilmington NC |

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Waxenvine Exhibition in Encore Magazine

BOROUGH TO BOROUGH: NYC’S WAX+VINE MAKE SALT STUDIO THEIR NEW HAUNTING GROUND

Jun 3 • Art, ARTSY SMARTSY, FEATURE MAIN

The Brooklyn Arts District (BAD) is in the midst of a resurgence: Condos are rising, sauces are reducing, beer is flowing, and the arts are arting. These are the cornerstones of big cities’ hip districts, which is why the timing couldn’t be better to welcome artists from the NYC borough of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to Wilmington’s northside borough, BAD. They’re coming to cast shadows across The Gallery at SALT Studio (805 N. 4th St.).

waxvine

“Haunted” consists of a multi-layered photographic collaboration by WAX+VINE, made up of husband and wife creatives Scott Irvine and Kim Meinelt. They created the 24-photo collection  exclusively for their SALT exhibit after receiving an invitation from the studio’s proprietor Kelly Starbuck—who also happens to be a a long-time friend of the couple.

Mirroring Irvine and Meinelt’s collective exhibition persona, “Haunted” blends soft and hard textures—like lead, cotton, concrete, leaves, bone, and feather—to produce a pressed and tangled amalgam of illusory scenes. Though not scary, the imagery captivates and completely avoids color. “I didn’t want ‘Haunted’ to have a negative feeling to it,” Irvine states. “It’s an interesting word, like an echo.” Irvine rejects terms like “darkness” that paint black-and-white photography in a bad light. “It’s about finding those weird moments in the mundane where something is really interesting that’s maybe overlooked,” he says.

Describing the duo is a lot like explaining the juxtaposition of yin and yang: Their presence is magnetic and surreptitiously affects the other. Irvine is reserved; he prefers to pull back from subjects and takes comfort in a wide field shot. Meinelt is the opposite; she’s outgoing and approaches people and photography through a macro lens. Their introverted-extroverted energies find harmony and create a balance in the relationship while amplifying personal style.

In high school Irvine cut his teeth on a 35mm camera, and began shooting old buildings and factories near his home. While attending Rochester Institute of Technology, he studied abroad for a year in Salzburg, Austria, which he credits toward his artistic development. “Before then, I really hadn’t been knowledgeable about art history,” he says. “Living and traveling throughout Europe helped me understand the history of both art and photography, which I believe helped to make me a better photographer in general.”

After graduating with a BFA in photography and sculpture, he moved to New York City, established a darkroom, and practiced the traditional silver-gelatin development process. The formula creates rich photographic texture and imposes a degree of deterioration. He used the techniques to create stunning portraits which fueled his freelance career. Incidentally, he received his biggest payoff when they caught Meinelt’s eye. “Everything is in color, and to me color is very distracting,” Meinelt explains. “The feeling of black and white draws you into sort of a different era. It feels calmer.” 

A fan of Irvine’s work five years prior to meeting him, Meinelt owned one of his pieces. She took it down when he visited her for the first time.

After attending the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem for set design and scenic painting for two years, Meinelt began working as a freelance designer and painter in NYC. In 1993 she crossed paths with designer Eileen Fisher. After two years of designing window displays for Fisher, Meinelt joined full-time as the creative concept director, a title she still holds today.

Three months after they met, Irvine and Meinelt traveled to Southeast Asia, a trip foreshadowing their foray into collaborative photography; they only packed one camera. The creation process for their new show pays homage to their trip and places two opposing techniques together with as little resistance as possible. 

ENCORE-WaxVine_10x10_image_5

Preparing for “Haunted” proved a visually taxing experience for the pair. “For every one that worked, there were a hundred that didn’t,” Irvine explains. Wanting the pieces to evolve organically, they spent two months sorting through existing photos, both digital and film, all from their travels, neighborhood and natural history museums. Hundreds of images were uploaded to the computer and fused by Photoshop until a unique combination surfaced. 

“We really [tried] not to be too precious about it,” explained Meinelt. “It feels really important to me. I feel like it’s about having fun.” Meinelt, who is no stranger to serious design editing, spent a lot of solo time flipping through images for shapes and shadows and noting how artifacts related to each other in positive and negative spaces. 

The result: a geologic layering of light, shadow, texture, and beauty that transforms two individual visions into one. “It’s a consistency of seeing things a certain way,” Irvine says. “It all starts to add up to be this one thing. So then it’s not just one photo; it’s a vision of images that become the show.”

In addition to “Haunted,” a portrait collection by Irvine is on display. Reminiscent of his roots, all of the portraits were developed in his darkroom and feature a discontinued sepia tone that he will one day re-create. The subjects range from friends and neighbors to artists and well-known musicians, like Interpol, Amanda Palmer (Dresden Dolls), Ian Astbury (The Cult), and Nick Zinner and Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs).

DETAILS:
HAUNTED

Work by WAX+VINE (Waxenvine)
Exhibition through July 23rd

The Gallery at SALT Studio
805 N. 4th St.
Wilmington, NC 28401
910-367-5720

**Call to confirm the gallery is open. SALT Studio is a working commercial and portrait photography studio and is closed when on assignment at another location. We are happy to schedule a private viewing for you!**

www.saltstudionc.com

art, Art gallery |

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Austin Young Exhibition in Encore Magazine

YOUNG STAR: AUSTIN YOUNG’S PHOTOGRAPHS WILL BE ON DISPLAY AT S.A.L.T. STUDIO

Apr 23 • Art, ARTSY SMARTSY, FEATURE MAIN

The selfie has been a cultural fascination for centuries. From the early cave painters at Lascaux to today’s camera-toting/Instagram culture, we are consumed with preserving self-depictions.

INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP: Photographer Austin Young generates photographs that showcase the intimacy between the subject and artists, as seen with above's Jeffree Star. Photograph by Austin Young

INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP: Photographer Austin Young generates photographs that showcase the intimacy between the subject and artists, as seen with above’s Jeffree Star. Photograph by Austin Young
Although most people’s homes are filled with pictures of themselves and family members, the power of portraiture is often marginalized. Austin Young’s appreciation for his subjects reveals itself to be unparalleled. He crafts photos that fully embody his muses and shed light upon the accessories and the soul of life.

Growing up in the doldrums of Reno, Nevada, Young turned to records to break up the monotony of his sleepy, small-town life. “My father gave me a camera when I was younger,” he professes. “He was also a photography enthusiast, so I started taking pictures of all of my friends.”

Finding pop-culture as a source of inspiration, the developing artist would sit in his room, ingraining the larger-than-life likenesses of icons like Debbie Harry and Siouxsie Sioux into his brain. He channeled a Warhol-like fascination in the God-esque portrayals of celebrities, which in turn illuminated a lifelong passion—a love of iconography.

“Living near Las Vegas, I used to beg my parents to take me to concerts,” Young tells. “I saw Olivia Newton John and Sonny and Cher,”

Exposure to a world that existed outside the confines of Reno titillated the young man. So, he moved to big cities and traveled the world, from Paris to LA. Young made a name for himself by encapsulating subcultures along the way—generating renderings of drag queens, performance artists, and the like. Living in New York in the early ‘90s, he often would visit various clubs to capture its life.  Yet, portraits evolved from his experiments.  He felt their intimacy would resonate no matter what content one portrays. “It’s a big responsibility to be a portrait artist because you have to capture  someone in a way that represents them,” Young elaborates.

With several compelling bodies of work, Young’s work makes social commentary, too, like with gender stereotypes. His pieces subvert the traditional constructs society has set forth. Instead, he illustrates genderless subjects.“[It] really calls into question our concept of beauty and identity,” he describes.

Although simple, his photos reflect a bonding relationship between a model and photographer, each artists in their own rights. He highlights the reflective nature ably allowing him to reveal the complexities and emotions of his muse. Through his collaborative “Tranimal Workshops,” he gathers artists, participants, and various materials in both gallery and museum spaces. Models, transgenders or otherwise, are invited to transform into art themselves, whether they morph into a creature straight from Chernobyl or pose in a Glamour Shot fashion, but have a raven growing from a black beehive.

In addition to his portraiture, Young is the co-founder of the art group, Fallen Fruit. With fellow artists David Burns and Matias Viegener, he began mapping fruit trees that were growing over public property in LA. The collaboration has expanded to include public projects, site-specific installations and happenings in various international cities. Although his work for this collective centers on fruit, Young’s whimsical muses, eye for color and post-modern pop-art style remain evident.

Young’s photographs have not only caught the attention of the art world, but also local photographers and gallery owners of Salt, Kelly Starbuck and Horace Long. Featuring a small retrospective of Young’s work, “Portraits” is his first solo art show in North Carolina.

Long has been a fan of Young’s work for years. “I have guided him through images to curate this exhibition,” Long proclaims. “I have known [Young] for many years, and I’ve always been drawn to his work—even before I knew him—for its pop and subculture references. He documents the famous and infamous in a style that is distinctively [his own].”

Through his specific style, Young has  produced photographs of Debbie Harry from Blondie, Siouxsie Sioux, Margaret Cho, Leigh Bowery, Tori Spelling, Sandra Bernhard, almost all of the “Rupaul’s Drag Race” queens, and hundreds more.

This exhibition will open with a reception on April 25th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will be on display through May 17th. S.A.L.T.  Studio is located in the historic Modern Baking Building.

 

DETAILS

Portraits

Photographs by Austin Young
S.A.L.T. Studio • 805 N. 4th St.
Reception: April 25th, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Gallery hours:
Mon. – Fri., 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Hangs through May 17th
www.saltstudionc.com

art, Art gallery, Siouxsie Sioux by Austin Youngart |

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Austin Young Opening in the Star News

Screen Shot 2014-04-21 at 8.08.17 AM (2)When Salt Studio co-owner Kelly Starbuck warned Los Angeles photographer Austin Young of some of her clientele’s conservative art taste, he replied, “It’s good to understand the audience. I like to push them of course.”

“Portraits” opens at the Gallery at SALT Studio, 805 N. Fourth St., with a public reception 6 to 9 p.m. April 25, in coordination with Fourth Friday Gallery Nights, a self-guided tour through downtown Wilmington’s studios and art spaces.  Young creates honest representations of his subjects in vivid and somewhat controversial portraits that transcend distinctions between fashion and gender with stunning, computer-enhanced color.

“A portrait is really about being in the moment with the subject,” Young writes in his artist statement.  “I want the sitter to feel absolutely present and vulnerable. I want to capture their spirit in this state. I hope this comes across in my work. I’m a visual person. I really look at someone when I take their portrait and then I meditate on their spirit while I’m working on the image. I think my portraits seem very simple and effortless but yet reveal the complexity of the subject. I consider my work to be emotional. It is an emotional connection to the subject.”

“Portraits” runs through May 17.