|
Published: February 11, 2008 10:07 am
ART EXHIBIT: Photography career developed in an instant
By Bill Wolcott/wolcottb@gnnewspaper.com
CLICK FOR SLIDESHOW AND VIRTUAL TOUR
When a picture of a lacrosse player came to life in the dark room in 1970, Dennis Stierer, a sophomore engineering student at Purdue University became a photographer.
Stierer’s photos have touched the lives of thousands over the last 38 years and 100 of his favorites are on display at the Keenan Center Gallery until March 9.
On Sunday, friends of the Union-Sun photographer attended the opening of the show that is sponsored by Time Warner Cable. The gallery hours are from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
“I went out to take a photo one weekend and just got hooked on it,” said Stierer, the engineering major. “I could see the picture develop on the paper. It was like a revelation went off in me which is so exciting. I just had to keep doing it.”
Stierer, who had been a reporter for the college newspaper, had his lacrosse player published in The Exponent. After graduating with a degree in clinical psychology, he went to work for a photographer in Fort Wayne, Ind. That’s where met his bride to be, Mary Ellen Paulson of Lockport. Mary Ellen was a marketing representative for Eastman Kodak.
The Stierers moved to Boston where Dennis operated his own gallery for about 12 years. He took commercial pictures for advertising agencies and also did work for National Geographic. Some of that magazine work, including Pilot Wales at the New England Aquarium and Having Fun on the Beach in Guadeloupe, is on display at the South Guest Room.
Mary Ellen and Dennis Stierer, now with two daughters, found the housing in Boston too expensive and bought a house in Lockport in 1990. Dennis began working at the Union-Sun in 1991.
Does he consider himself as a photo journalist or a fine art photographer?
“I’m a photographer,” he said. “There’s no pretext to it. Sometimes I take pictures for the newspaper and sometimes I take pictures for me, both of which I hope a lot of people enjoy.”
That’s what’s happening at the Kenan Gallery.
“We really enjoyed the manipulated Polaroid’s. They’re something different we’ve never seen,” said Bob Blackman, a Cambria farmer who attended the opening with his wife Margaret. “He picks up a perception of scenery that maybe a normal person walks by and doesn’t appreciate. All of sudden, when he captures it, you say ‘wow.’ I looked at that also and didn’t see that, but he did.”
Rob Dickinson of Lockport said, “It’s fantastic. It shows all the detail.”
“I think it’s just spectacular,” Janet Paonessa of Grand Island said. “I just like the resolution in everything. It’s very clear and exacting.”
What’s not so clear are the Manipulated Polaroid’s. That’s a lost art because Polaroid does not make the SX70 film anymore.
“It takes about two or three hours to dry,” Dennis explained. “During the drying process you take tools and move emulation around to get that painterly effect.”
The 16 X 16 color print of St. Mary’s Steeple was the first to be sold. It has an impressionistic “painterly effect” and cost $198. The prices range from $135 to $249.
Stierer is self-taught.
“Different people have shown me different things along the way,” he said. “I took courses on my own, but nothing formally.”
Stierer likes to work in a dark room and Burt Marshall, the Director of Social Services appreciates that. “I like his work. The clarity,” Marshall said. “My grandfather was a photographer and did his own developing. It brings back some memories.”
Marshall particularly liked the black and white, closing feeling of the photos at the gorge walls at Letchworth State Park. Those are traditional silver gelatin prints.
“The one with the mist in the morning, you don’t need the color for that,” Marshall said.
With digital technology, photography has changed but Stierer uses old cameras for his fine art work.
“I like working with that type of camera and real film, working in the dark room, hand-coating my papers to make prints.,” he said. “I like the hands-on approach to doing photography. It’s not that you have more control, it’s a different type of process. It slows you down to do something. You need time to do this and the time gives you more time to think about what you are really doing.”
With newspapers, there is a deadline — often, no time.
“You always have a little artistic flavor in every photograph, whether you’re a fine art photographer or a photojournalist,” he said. “We all put a little bit of art into it when we take a picture.”
The Kenan project took two years. Stierer estimates he has a collection of 80,000 to120,000 negatives.
Contact reporter Bill Wolcott at 439-9222, ext. 6246.
|
|
|
Photos
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Packers
Entry Level Packers
Apply Wed. 11/4/09 or Wed. 11/18/09, 9-11am, DOL, 81 Walnut St, Lkpt
Durham Staffing 283-...>MORE
Nursing
NURSING. RN's. Up to $7500 Sign on Bonus. Thinking of a change? Consider Mount St. Mary's Hospital. Various positions av...>MORE
Substitute School Nurse
SUBSTITUTE SCHOOL Nurse, Lockport City School District, Up to $20/hr. 478-4820 ...>MORE
Assistant Director
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Alumni Relations (ft) sought by the Alumni Relations Department of Niagara University, a private...>MORE
INSURANCE - CSR with Personal Lines exp., for Lockport area. $25,000 salary. 433-7504...>MORE
FLOOR ASSISTANT
Floor asst. needed for approx. 30-35 hrs/wk in a podiatry office, no exp. nec., will train, call between 12-2:30 pm for ...>MORE
Job Fair
HUMAN SERVICES
JOB FAIR
For COMMUNITY MISSIONS
Program Locations/Job Opportunities
working w/c...>MORE
WAIT STAFF
WaitSTAFF P/T 11am -2pm or 3:15-6:45pm. Will train. Apply Amberleigh Retirement, 2330 Maple near Transit. ...>MORE
Nursing
NURSING. ElderWood Senior Care, "Care Without Compromise". We invite you to stop by and learn how you can become part of...>MORE
CARPENTER: Framing, 3-5 years exp. $11-15/hr DOE. Transportation necessary. 716-689-6829...>MORE
See all ads |
Ford 1995 Crown Victoria
Ford 1995 Crown Victoria 4 dr, loaded, new tires must see & drive $3500. red. 860-2854...>MORE
Chevy 2007 Impala LT
CHEVY 2007 Impala LT
25,800 mi, ext. warranty
Exc. Cond, $16,500
297-2199...>MORE
Dodge 2001 Neon
Dodge 2001 Neon 4 dr, auto, a/c, new tires, c/d no rust, inspected, $3900. white 860-2854...>MORE
Buick 2005 Lesabre
BUICK 2005 Lesabre Custom, excellent condition, fully loaded, $6700 or best offer, 754-4540...>MORE
Mercury 1999 Grand Marquis
Mercury ‘99 Grand Marquis 4 dr, leather, all options, 49k org mi., showroom cond. $6000. 860-2854, ...>MORE
VW 2001 Beetle
VW 2001 Beetle, loaded, GLX turbo, exc. cond, all service records, fun to drive, blue bk $5600, take best offer, 990-06...>MORE
Chevy 2003 Impala
CHEVY 2003 Impala
25,600 miles, loaded
Exc. Cond. $10,000/bo
297-2199...>MORE
Mazda 1995 Millenia
Mazda 1995 Millenia loaded, leather, only 26k mi. exc. cond. $2995. Best Offer
531-3548, 297-1526...>MORE
See all ads |
|
See all ads |
|
 |
|
Print this story
E-mail this story
