Artist's Bio
Retired physician, professional musician, published writer, graphic artist in graphite, as well, fine-tipped pen and ink, as well, serious photographer focused at present on portrait photography. Justification for this focus on portrait photography is, I feel, encapsulated in the dictum; ‘Every portrait is a self’Portrait!’ Both my photography, as well, drawings have appeared in several juried exhibitions, both solo and in a group setting, to include Walnut Creek’s Community Art Center (2017-18) and MARINMOCA….‘Make your mark!’ (2018), where I’ve been invited to return three times. My work is widely collected throughout the Bay Area.
My drawings have garnered comments such as; ‘Like Bosch on acid!’ ‘Like adult Where’s Waldo’s’. I draw in something of a fugue sleep, inhabiting a world of hypnagogia, wherein roam the ravening creatures of the Id, fully occupied in the translation of uncounted hours without recall, the result of which lightness v. darkness, images enhanced by contemplation from all four perspectives.
I, experiencing self’Captivation in the presence of my own work, consistently discover myself stopping in my tracks, exiting our TV/computer room, not to mention this world we, otherwise, live in, spending half an hour….more…. resisting sleep in contemplation of that wicked v. blessed domain of hypnogogia, that I may work my way through to a good night’s sleep.
Talk to me Artist@StevanCavalier.com
Artist’s Statement
I am a strong advocate of “Shoot what you know!” analogous to Hemingway’s interdiction to new writers, i.e. “Write what you know!” My photographic work represents the widest possible range of possibilities, ranging from self’Portraiture, as of ‘Every portrait is a self’Portrait,’ to one, very, in particular X-mas day 2017, which began that morning on the verge of dawn with a chill stroll through Shell Ridge, but a click or two down the road from where my wife, Stephany Cavalier Houghton and I live at present, home to svelte, verdant grasslands in the summertime to, at times, as well, the forbidding desiccation lasting from late April to the emergence of spring green, whose emergence ranges from late October to as late as January, in draught years.
Greenery was hardly a concern that time of day. It was fog that took to the fore, with its mysterious, at times, macabre effects on everything from circumambient lighting to structural elements, enhanced by powdery, blue-gray predawn light, especially as regards the oak-studded hills characterizing the Walnut Creek Open Space, not to mention the notable vistas apparent but a few hundred yards from, virtually, any and all entrances to Mt. Diablo State Park.
My very own, personalized M. O. over the last few years has, over time, reduced itself in ‘heft,’ as it were, transitioning from my Nikon D750 to FujiFilm XT-20, arriving at my iPhone 12 mini, who’s camera suits me just fine, thank you!
As for after-camera processing, time after time I discover myself resorting to the very same two edits, namely cranking up to 100% contrast, thereabouts, followed by, stock-in-trade, B + W conversion, very occasionally allowing myself an adjustment in exposure, as well, very very light cropping.
Talk to me Artist@StevanCavalier.com