504. HISTORY RE-IMAGED: AN ARTIST’S EXPLORATIONS THROUGH PHOTOMONTAGE

Alan M. Richards 

Join us for this magnificent PowerPoint presentation of artist Alan M. Richard’s creations which are sure to evoke a sense of wonder as well as nostalgia for times gone by.  Here’s what the artist says about his work and how he comes up with the magical images he creates:

“My artwork is in photomontage and is very often based on photographic images from the past. In the search for appropriate and interesting images, I came across the work of the Office of War Information (OWI) in the archives of The Library of Congress. This office was set up during WWII to document life on the home front. In those archives, I came across many images that would be lost to history. In a similar vein, I came across photographs from the Farm Security Agency (FSA) that also documented domestic life in and around the WWII years.”

“History Re-Imaged, is a project I’ve been working on for about three years. My background as a ‘Baby-Boomer’ growing up in 1950s and 1960s instilled in me a reverence for the generation that preceded mine (i.e., ‘The Greatest Generation’) and hopefully, it shows in the work. This presentation is quasihistorical, and is based upon photographic images that were primarily taken just before, during, and after the WWII years. My goal in presenting these images was to rework them for a contemporary audience of viewers using the tools and techniques of today. The intent is not to alter the original images so much that it takes away from what was, but to give them a sort of re-birth and recognition for what was during that era.

(Please Note: You DO need to register for this class, which may close out if it reaches its cap, but there is NO CHARGE – this is a historical art project that everyone should be able to enjoy!)

10:30 – 12 noon                                                                                                 1 Session

Thursday, October 16                                                                                         Fee:  N/C

ABOUT THE LECTURER

Alan Richards graduated with a PhD in Speech and Hearing Science from the Graduate School and University Center of CUNY, after which he worked as an audiologist/owner at Madison Audiology Associates. He has also served as an associate professor at CUNY. Professor Richards currently devotes much of his time to creating art and exhibiting it at significant museums and other selected venues, among them the Salmagundi Club in New York City.