about the arkanjul
If I had to encapsulate my approach to making images it would be this ....
The Bridge 1973 by arkanjul
To be able to capture a moment in time and with my craft enhance that moment to reveal something wonderful within the subject matter as well as in the eyes of the viewer.
West 25th Street Cleveland 2006 arkanjul
To be able to create a vision of such exquisite beauty that it inspires the viewer to see all the unrecognized beauty in the world around them.
Angel in the Snow lake View Cemetery 2005 arkanjul
Non-standard Bio:
Self Portrait With Model and Baby daughter Italian Style 1972 arkanjul
I was raised on the "mean streets" of Cleveland's Little Italy. I was educated in the parochial school system as well as the movie theaters of Cleveland. This included matinees at the old "garlic house" Little Italy's own Mayfield theater to the movie palaces of Cleveland's Playhouse Square. My heroes were Spartacus, Hercules, El Cid and all the heroes of the Bible. Yet I emulated Cagney and Bogart and knew the education on the street was also important.
My first time on stage, in blackface as PEACHBLOSSOM, in a minstrel show !
I sang in the choir, acted in plays and served as an acolyte at mass and religious events. Almost became a Catholic priest until I saw Marylin Monroe in "Some L
ike It Hot".
I went to college late in life and was deemed a "reniasance man" by the humanities department. My daughter and I along with some enlightened teachers and students arranged film festivals, poetry readings, musical events and helped publish a literary review .
My influences are as diverse as Federico Fellini, Sergio Leone, Todd Rundgren, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Vincent Van Gogh, Dali, Quan Yin, the Buddha and most of all a simple carpenter from Nazareth.
Self Portrait in whiteface as my "Space Spanky" Character Makeup 1976 arkanjul
I am now an old knight, returned from the quest, searched for the grail, fought the devil, kissed an angel and looked for beauty in the modern world. My art / photography ( is there a difference? ) is a reflection of that search.
Sno Cristalz arkanjul 2000
My fractals are produced in a number of programs, I usually sit for hours listening to Tangerine Dream and play with the math, over and over until the images "sing" to me. Further manipulation is provided in Photoshop and Corel.
As for my photo imagesfrom the 70s. Guys from the old neighborhood were gleaning my files for years, without my knowledge. My studio was a common meeting place for 70's style "get togethers" and we would often go out to the rooftops of Cleveland's tallest office buildings to drink some home made wine , it was during these get togethers that "the boys" would keep me occupied while sneaking into my office and stealing negatives! Years later one them says .... " we figured if anyone from the neighborhood would ever make it, it would be you! And we hoped you'd cut your ear off like Van Gogh or commit suicide and these negatives would be worth money! You let everybody in the neighborhood down by settling down and having a family."
My angels are NOT just the statues but also the women and all the various people I can photograph. Fellini said, "He who looks with innocent eyes, all is divine!"
Many Manifestations of Quan Yin 1999 arkanjul
Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio
Country: United States
Occupation: artist, photographer, computer guru, multi-media artist, actor, writer, student
Schools: Western Piedmont Community College, Cooper School of Art, U.S. Naval School of Photography, Chanel High, St. Dominic's, Holy Rosary, St. Ann's
Companies: arkanjul filmz, Henredon Furniture, EMK, Metro Starship, Olympia
Interests and Hobbies: film, women, music, photography, videography, women, rpg games on the computer or consoles, women ....
Movies and Shows: anything by Fellini, Sergio Leone or Giuseppe Tornatore.
Music: Todd Rundgren, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Kraftwerk, YMO, Bootsy Collins, Marvin Gaye, Vangelis, Tangerine Dream, Ennio Morricone, Utopia, Yes, The parliment / funkadelic / george clinton thang and my old friends Bocky and the Visions!
Books: The Bible, Be Here Now, Something to Do With Death, anything by Joseph Campbell
Promotion Poster for The Angels of Cleveland 2003 arkanjul