Griffin Museum of Photography

Tours of Duty

William Betcher | Tours of Duty Artist Talk

Posted on

As part of our series of artist talks from Tours of Duty, we are pleased to present an evening with William Betcher discussing his series

Join us Tuesday November 24th at 7pm Eastern online in the Griffin Zoom Room for a conversation about Bill’s creativity and very path to creating the series included in our exhibition Tours of Duty.

The event is FREE for Griffin Members, and $12 for Non Members. Not a member? Join us for great programming and events like this and support the Griffin.

War Games is composed of macro photographs of as found, damaged, vintage toy soldiers from the 1930’s through 1960’s. Why were these broken toys not thrown away? Because they were important to the children who played with them, and because they have stories to tell.

Consider the boys and the men they became as implicitly present in these portraits of British, American, and German soldiers. And I invite you to reflect on war trauma and on how play mirrors and prepares for adult experience. Both long ago, and now.

The portraits take the form of one-of-a-kind, 4”x5” wet collodion tintypes that I place in 19th century brass matte cases, and 36”x24” dye sublimated aluminum prints. I also create action images and dioramas, often “dragging the shutter.”

My purpose is not to glorify but to evoke through metaphor. As the Civil War soldier and jurist, Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., said on Memorial Day, 1897, “The army of the dead sweep before us, wearing their wounds like stars.”

About Willam Betcher

William Betcher’s photographs have been exhibited in juried shows at Danforth Art, including the New England Photography Biennial, and at the Catamount Arts Center. His work has been featured in shows at the University of New England, the Mass Audubon Habitat Center, the Heart of Biddeford Gallery, Massachusetts General Hospital, and in the Norris Cotton Cancer Center at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Hospital, as well as in Solstice Magazine. His book, Anthem, For a Warm Little Pond, was included in Photobook 2016 at the Griffin Museum. He is the author of four other non-fiction books. He received a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Boston University, an M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and an MFA in fiction writing from the Vermont Center of Fine Arts. Currently, he is the photography editor for Solstice, a Magazine of Diverse Voices, and he is a psychiatrist in private practice in Needham, MA.

D. Clarke Evans | Tours of Duty Artist Talk

Posted on

As part of our series of artist talks from Tours of Duty, we are pleased to present an evening with D. Clarke Evans discussing his series Before They Are Gone: Portraits and Stories of World War II Veterans.

Join us Wednesday November 18th at 7pm Eastern online in the Griffin Zoom Room for a conversation about Clarke’s creativity and very personal path to creating the series included in our exhibition Tours of Duty.

The event is FREE for Griffin Members, and $12 for Non Members. Not a member? Join us for great programming and events like this and support the Griffin.

Before They Are Gone: Portraits and Stories of World War II Veterans

Dick Cole’s story changed the course of my life. We met at one of the first Monday of the month breakfasts I attend with other Marines, in which we honor World War II veterans. I started attending these breakfasts several years ago when I began photographing and interviewing U.S. Marines. However, I had too little time to fully pursue the project as I was team photographer for the San Antonio Spurs. That Monday, when Lt.Col. Cole, ( in his 90’s like all WWII vets), told me his story, I knew that I needed to take these photos and give testimony to these stories now! After 25 years as the Spurs photographer, I retired to begin the project “Before They’re Gone: Portraits and Stories from World War II Veterans.” Dick Cole was Medal of Honor winner Jimmy Doolittle’s co-pilot during the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in April 1942. It was the U.S.’s response to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Cole is a genuine American hero, one of Tom Brokaw’s “Greatest Generation.” In this project I honor veterans, revealing snapshots of their lives. Each is photographed and interviewed in their home, to offer a fuller picture of their life before, during and after their service. The finished image is 13×18, framed to 18×24, accompanied by an 10×13 biography, featuring interview highlights and a small photo from their active duty days. This project will preserve important stories and memories of World War II veterans. Many WWII veterans became quite accomplished in later careers. Their office walls reflect those accomplishments, displaying awards, plaques and medals. Entering veterans’ homes, determining a suitable shoot location, lighting the subject and environs, and creating an exhibition image is an ambitious undertaking that I love. Each participant is thanked with a 7×11 photo framed to 14×17. The project will result in museum and gallery exhibitions and a book. These rapidly disappearing Americans represent this “greatest generation” of more than 16 million Americans who served. Fewer than 400,000 remain, and approximately 400 die each day. Soon there will be no veterans alive to recount their experiences. This urgency propels me to take their portraits and record their stories now. Photographing ”The Greatest Generation” has been the experience of a lifetime. These veterans are humble, grateful, with most being sharp as a tack. I believe my father said it best when I queried, “Dad, describe World War II to me in 25 words or less.” He glared at me and harshly said, “It was four years of just trying to stay alive.” My one overriding goal is to photograph these veterans with the dignity that they deserve. 

About D. Clarke Evans

D. Clarke Evans, a graduate of Brooks Institute of Photography, served in the Marine Corps Reserve from 1964-1970 and was honorably discharged as a Sergeant. He has a Master of Arts degree in Museum Science from Texas Tech University. He is the recent Past President of the Texas Photographic Society (TPS), www.texasphoto.org, a non-profit fine arts photographic organization. Under his leadership, TPS sponsored 54 exhibitions that were shown in 21 Texas cities, New York, Florida & California. Through sister organizations in Europe, TPS exhibited Texas artists in France, Italy, Germany, and Greece. While Clarke was President, membership increased from 100 Austin based members to over 1,250 from 48 States and 11 countries. The Board of Directors honored him with the title of President Emeritus. 

Allison Stewart | Tours of Duty Artist Talk

Posted on

As part of our ongoing series of artist talks from Tours of Duty, we are pleased to present an evening with Allison Stewart discussing her series Bug Out Bags: The Commodification of American Fear.

Join us Tuesday December 1st at 7pm Eastern  online in the Griffin Zoom Room for a conversation about Allison’s creativity and path to creating the series included in our exhibition Tours of Duty.

The event is FREE for Griffin Members, and $12 for Non Members. Not a member? Join us for great programming and events like this and support the Griffin.

Bug Out Bags: The Commodification of American Fear

Hurricanes.  Earthquakes.  Superstorms.  War.  Martial Law.  The Rapture.  The Zombie Apocalypse. Bug Out Bags are manifestations of the fears and obsessions of the 21st Century American. The Bug Out Bag is the most basic piece of gear for disaster preparedness. It is usually a backpack or an easy to carry duffel bag containing the essentials needed to sustain life for 72 hours, or to possibly begin a new civilization.  As I traveled the different regions of the United States I met liberals and conservatives, atheists, evangelicals, Catholics, and Mormons.  They are prepared and they are prepared to help others. Each bag becomes a portrait of its owner, showing us their most basic needs and also their fears in the face of environmental and global change.  The contents reflect the survivalist instincts and character of each owner.  Everyone I meet tells me that preparedness is a necessity in Post 9/11 America.  They are eager to discuss their fears, share tips and some even share their resources.  Most are community minded but some are fiercely independent.  Independence is a fundamental principle when describing the American character.  We praise the self-reliant man and credit him for the shining city upon the hill, but America has changed and our fears are running rampant.  The new self-reliant American no longer experiences transcendence in nature as Thoreau once did, but instead, escapes to nature in an effort to hoard and protect property.  Prepping has become a capitalist enterprise, banking on our fears and desires for stability.

About Allison Stewart

Allison Stewart grew up in Houston, Texas and currently lives in Los Angeles, CA. She received her MFA in Photography from California State University Long Beach and her BFA in Painting with a minor in Art History from the University of Houston. Allison travels the United States exploring the construction of American identity through its relics, rituals, and mythologies. Her work has been published and exhibited internationally, including Cortona On The Move, the Aperture Foundation, The Wright Museum, The New Mexico History Museum, The Griffin Museum of Photography, The New Republic, Die Zeit, Wired, Mother Jones, and Vogue Italia. Her work has been honored by the Magenta Foundation, IPA, the Texas Photographic Society, and the Houston Center for Photography. Her work is included in the Rubell Family Collection, The New Mexico History Museum Palace of the Governors Photo Archive, the University of Wisconsin Alumni Association, and private collections. Allison is a founding member of the Association of Hysteric Curators.

Todd Bradley | Tours of Duty Artist Talk

Posted on

As part of our series of artist talks from Tours of Duty, we are pleased to present an evening with Todd Bradley discussing his series War Stories I Never Heard.

Join us Saturday November 7th at 7pm Eastern  online in the Griffin Zoom Room for a conversation about Todd’s creativity and very personal path to creating the series included in our exhibition Tours of Duty.

The event is FREE for Griffin Members, and $12 for Non Members. Not a member? Join us for great programming and events like this and support the Griffin.

War Stories I Never Heard explores the impact of discovering a loved one’s World War II military stories after his death, and the longing for a deeper personal connection with him after he is gone.

My grandfather Raymond Bradley was just 21 years old when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943 to fight Hitler’s Nazi regime that was taking over the world. Hitler had been trying to create a superior race by killing the “unfit,” including Jews, the physically/mentally handicapped, and homosexuals. I am gay and I recently discovered a small percentage of my ancestry is Ashkenazi Jewish. Had I been living in 1944, my life would have been in danger; my grandfather was fighting for me 75 years ago without his knowing it.

After he passed in 2008, I was given a small box of photographs and mementos of my Grandpa Ray. I knew he had fought in Normandy, but it never registered as anything important. But all of a sudden, holding his stripes and medals in my hands, I needed to know about his time in battle. Due to the limited number of photos from D-Day and bits of information written on the backs of photos he saved, I created dioramas to fill in the gaps and recreate scenes from photographs my grandpa had kept. I tell about his time serving in the Army during WWII through still-life arrangements of memorabilia, photo collages, and our genetic DNA codes (specifically, my Y-chromosome code which is the same as my dad and grandfather’s codes), which symbolizes our family lineage and my personal connection to my grandfather.

About Todd Bradley

Todd Bradley (b1970, Detroit, USA) has lived in San Diego for over 30 years; 20 of those with Walter, Todd’s husband, and their 2 Rat Terriers; Gus and Hank. Self-taught with occasional classes and workshops; he draws inspiration from photographers Lori Nix and David Levinthal. As an artist, Todd uses different mediums and styles to express his views. Todd’s work focuses on decay, whether it is organic, structures, or our society.

Todd believes the current state of photography is mirroring the early 1900’s when Kodak introduced the Brownie camera to the masses. Today, we have the cell phone. In both times, Cameras became common and artists took notice. As the Modernists once did, Todd wants to push the medium in new ways. Using a tradition photography foundation, he digitally altering his photographs or use micro dioramas to discuss social issues facing us.

Todd was named 2017 “New Talent of the Year” by the London Creative Awards and has exhibited in numerous group shows in museum and galleries worldwide. His work has been published internationally. Todd is also a founding member of Snowcreek Collaborative, a collective of fine art photographers in San Diego.

Suzanne Opton | Tours of Duty Artist Talk

Posted on

As part of our series highlighting the artists of Tours of Duty, we are excited to invite you to an evening with photographer Suzanne Opton. Her series, Many Wars is featured among the other talented artists on the walls of the Griffin.

Join us on December 5th at 4:00pm Eastern time for an evening conversation about Suzanne’s creative path, and her focus on the internal conflicts of war.

The event is FREE for Griffin Members, and $12 for Non Members. Not a member? Join us for great programming and events like this and support the Griffin.

In order to protect your online privacy, and the security of the event, after purchasing your ticket a Zoom link will be sent to your separately from your ticket confirmation. 

About Many Wars.

The warrior held a place of honor in society since the time of Sophocles. In making these portraits I wanted to suggest that although weapons may change and the proximity to killing may change, relatively changes little in the realm of how warriors are affected by combat and the struggle to overcome their training. I gave each veteran a piece of fabric. He could be a boy with a cape, a warrior, a king, a homeless person or even a martyr. Here are veterans from five wars. The portraits were primarily made on the day we met in a group therapy room at a VA clinic in Vermont. It was an open-ended collaboration. I am grateful for their trust in me and in the process.

About Suzanne Opton

Suzanne’s work lives on the edge between documentary and conceptual. She often asks a simple performance from her subjects as a means of illustrating their circumstances.

Suzanne Opton is the recipient of a 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship. Her soldier portraits, icons of the aftermath of the current wars, have been presented as billboards in eight American cities, and have sparked a passionate debate about issues of art and soldiering. The conversation continues on the blog at opens in a new windowSoldiersFace.net

Suzanne’s work lives on the edge between documentary and conceptual. She often asks a simple performance from her subjects as a means of illustrating their circumstances.

Her photographs are included in the permanent collections of the Brooklyn Museum, Cleveland Museum, Dancing Bear collection, the International Center of Photography, Fotomuseum Winterthur, Library of Congress, Musee de l’Eysee, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Nelson-Atkins Museum, and Portland Art Museum. She has received grants from the NEA, NYFA, and Vermont Council on the Arts. Suzanne lives in New York and teaches at the International Center of Photography.

MENU