Jason Landry's Blog, page 11
March 17, 2014
February 19, 2014
Follow Your Dreams
Michael Donnor, Dreaming Tree, 2009
Follow your dreams until all possibilities have been exhausted. Don’t go at something half-assed. If you really, truly want something, figure out a way to do it. Good things don’t come easy, and they don’t come cheap, or with short cuts. Dreams can become real. Some become surreal. Start now.
If you don’t know where to start, head over to your local bookstore and find some interesting biographies to read. Look at the scenarios on how some ordinary people became presidents, musicians, artists, even Olympians. They all have things in common: drive and determination. The drive to succeed comes from within and so does determination and follow through.
If you have been dreaming of doing something great, how far have you pushed yourself to actually do it?
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January 30, 2014
Inspiration Can Be Bite Size
“If you aren’t inspired by anything, create the inspiration yourself.” ~ Me.
You have the power to do anything you want in this lifetime. You just have to put your mind to it, show up and be present. If you are not inspired by external things, look inside you for inspiration. You just might surprise yourself.
I often find inspiration after listing to music, or reading a book, or taking a long walk. Something witty and surprising that a child might have said might trigger a moment of inspiration too, like the day that I heard this quote:
“I wish that reality was bite size.” ~Milo
It was funny hearing this come from a nine year old. Reality and things that are real can be bite size. And so can things that inspire you. Find them or create them, then build them up. Share your inspirations with others, and soon the others will be coming to you for inspiration.
Where will you go today for inspiration?
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January 27, 2014
Shards of Memory: David Prifti
Visit Huffington Post to check out my story, Shards of Memory: David Prifti. It’s a review of the exhibition at The Griffin Museum of Photography.
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January 24, 2014
It’s never too late
Recently, I received an email from someone who was inspired by a post I made on Facebook. The post looked something like this: “It’s a great feeling to do what you want and do what you love. Everyone should try it sometime if you’re not doing it already.” ~ Me
I was feeling real good about life that day and I was also trying to inspire others. This person responded to the post with a rather lengthy email to me. He wanted to share a quote with me that he was very fond of.
“It’s never too late to become what you could have been.” (attributed to George Eliot).
There has been a lot of mystery surrounding this exact quote, as noted (here) on Quote Investigator. His email included this interpretation by Lee Baucom:
(This is one of my favorite quotes. He reminds me that we are never finished developing into who we want to be. Who we are becoming is a constantly changing and developing piece. We are always growing, changing, and becoming more and more of who we are. Were reading about how Michelangelo talked about his creating a sculpture. He said that he looked at the rock, decided what was in it, then chipped everything else away. In other words, he was looking to see what the rock was supposed to be. That’s what we do. We are constantly seeking to find what we are supposed to be. Then our job is to get rid of everything else. We grow up becoming who others want us to be. Then one day we look around, realize that the path we have been on has not been ours, and we have to make a decision. We have to decide whether we will continue following someone else’s path or whether we will start our own path. Sometimes, people decide that it’s too late in life to change paths. Too bad. When we realize that we were on the wrong path, then we have a chance to take the right path. Sometimes, we just know that were not on the right path, but we don’t know what the right path is. That’s when we have to get rid of the things that are in our way of discovering a new path. That’s when we have to chip away all that doesn’t belong. Once we do that, our path becomes much more clear. In fact, what we discover is that fear has kept us off the right path. Fear has kept us from doing and being who we want to be and what we want to do. Until we face that fact, we keep ourselves from being who we could be. More importantly, we keep ourselves from the being who we want to be. Perhaps, we even keep ourselves from being who we should be.)
You never know. What you say or do might just inspire someone else to react in the most beautiful of ways.
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January 22, 2014
John Green quote via Brain Pickings
A quote by author John Green via Brain Pickings, a great site that my Mother-in-law suggested I pay attention to. Thanks Thelma!
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January 21, 2014
Instant Connections featured in Portsmouth Herald
By Robert Levey
news@seacoastonline.com
January 21, 2014 2:00 AM
PORTSMOUTH — Jason Landry, a 1991 Portsmouth High School graduate, will sign copies of his recently published book, “Instant Connections: Essays and Interviews on Photography,” on Feb. 7 at the New Hampshire Art Association Gallery.
Weaving essays, interviews, quotes and autobiographical stories around a central theme of photography, the book includes a wide range of secondary themes that include how to make connections and build one’s own personal network. It also features interviews with renowned artists such as Vik Muniz, Leonard Nimoy and Harold Feinstein, and quotes from various artists and collectors. Perhaps just as interesting as the book itself, however, is why Landry wrote it.
“When I was in college, there were a lot of critical theory books on photography that I was forced to read,” he said. “I decided to write a book that was anti-critical theory —— a book that shares real stories of a photographer, photography collector and gallery owner.”
Noting that it goes against every book on the subject he has ever read, he said he also wanted to write something that addresses the business end of art.
“Many art colleges don’t teach artists how to market and sell what they create,” he said. “They don’t teach them about building and creating an art network of peers to help them connect to the world, or how to go about creating their personal brand. You could be the greatest artist, but without some of these business skills, you will struggle to go anywhere in the art world.”
As for how Landry has made it in the art world — he is the owner and director of Panopticon Gallery in Boston — he said he was fortunate enough to work in business before earning his art degrees. He said he also received some help along the way.
“Once I left that career behind to walk the path of an artist, I had mentors who guided me down the right paths in order to avoid pitfalls,” said Landry, who noted all of these mentors appear in his book. “Without them, I don’t know if I would have stuck with it.”
In reflecting on what led him to initially develop an interest in photography, he cited his first photography class at Portsmouth High School. From that point on, he said, he was in “hook, line and sinker.”
“I always gravitated toward the arts, but when I was able to develop and print my own images in the darkroom, it was the first time that I felt in control of an art medium,” he said. “I never really felt in control or comfortable with what I drew to what I painted.”
Drawing inspiration from that class, he said his earliest photographs were of Portsmouth and Greenland, as he captured images related to the landscape, apple orchards and friends. He said his most memorable work from his high school days, though, was a black and white photograph he took of “a perfectly planted row of pine trees” in his back yard.
“It was the second image on the first roll of black and white film that I ever developed,” he said. “I have that photograph framed and hanging in my living room amongst my collection.”
In electing to donate 50 percent of all book sales to the NHAA during the reception and book-signing event next month, Landry said it is important he maintain roots in a town that still means a great deal to him.
“My wife and I like to give back, especially to art organizations that we feel are doing great things for their community,” he said. “I know firsthand how hard it is to manage, especially in a economy that hasn’t been so friendly to us over the past couple of years. … It’s great to have an organization like this in Portsmouth and a gallery space that has been around for a while.”
The book-signing event is from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, at NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, 136 State St. For information about NHAA, call 431-4230 or e-mail nhartassociation@gmail.com. To learn more about Landry or Panopticon Gallery, call (617) 267-8929 or e-mail at jason@panopticongallery.com.
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January 17, 2014
From the Interview with Vik Muniz
“The great challenge is how to make smart, intelligent art that can speak to everybody.” ~Vik Muniz
This quotes comes from the interview that I did with Vik Muniz when he visited Boston a few years back. It appears in my book Instant Connections. He is one of my favorite contemporary artists. The image below is an original Polaroid 20×24 of Freud’s profile in Ham by Vik Muniz. It is in our personal collection.
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January 12, 2014
The Boston Globe and Instant Connections
“Jason Landry…an irreverent and irrepressible presence.”
I’m grateful to Jan Gardner and The Boston Globe for featuring my book Instant Connections in their Sunday edition. Someone told me that they almost never review books that are ‘indie’ or ‘self-published’. Well, for those authors out there that were worried about that……..things are looking up!
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January 10, 2014
Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff
This week I am in Peterborough, New Hampshire teaching as part of a graduate school residency program. The faculty are all staying at this old estate in the town made up of three connected buildings. I have a room in the attic of the middle building––dark stained wood paneling run horizontal and vertical throughout. Each day since I have been here, I have been visited by a different insect or bug. Day one I was visited by a hornet. Go figure––it’s the beginning of January and some days have been below zero. Not sure where this guy came from. Day two, Mr. Cockroach was clinging to my bathroom faucet. I guess he was thirsty. That afternoon, there was a black fly on the window buzzing around––I’m certain you’d rather be indoors. Day three I was met but a lady bug on the toilet, another black fly on the window, a daddy long legs on the shower ceiling, and some funky creepy-crawly thing lurking on my window. Honestly folks, this is a nice place that I’m staying at!
Now, most people would be freaked out by these things. As for me, I can’t sweat the small stuff. Especially this week when I have aches and pains from a fall that forced me to make a visit to the ER.
I’m taking them (the insects that is) as a sign that they are here to look out for me. As long as you don’t bite me, or crawl in my pants, you are free to roam around. Stay warm and investigate. Hibernate or snack. Spring will be here in a few months.
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