After Supper Visions
Artists participating in the 2012 “After Supper Visions” Exhibition share reflections on photography, life and the “After Supper Visions” program:
“I like taking pictures because it’s always been my wish. I like taking pictures of everything really. I have been taking a lot of pictures since I was 15 years old and I’m still enjoying myself…This is my 8th year in the program and I’m still going. I was really young when I started the program.” – Octavia W.
“I often notice architectural elements as I walk in Chicago. I have not had much experience taking photographs, but would like to try to capture a sense of what the buildings feel like.” – Elizabeth W.
“The way I love Chicago is in my pictures. They look as I see them. ” – Rosemary W.
“Where do I start? It’s been about a year or so since the last time I signed to embark on my assignment of something I’ve enjoyed doing, that is taking snapshots. Now I decided to give it another shot. I thank Catholic Charities and the Photo Team for giving me the opportunity to discover a latent talent.” – William W.
“These pictures present a moment in my life…I have tried, with my pictures, to capture a fleeting moment of light and shadow – something of experiential homelessness….somehow amidst the ordinary and banal I was allowed to view the glory and the grace of everyday existence.” – Joe T.
“When I started taking the pictures I did not know how I was going to feel. But I knew I was going to do well…I like spending time doing this…Taking pictures of new things makes me happy.” – Love S.
“Four sets of faces are represented here. The face of liberty, the face of Mary, the face of the city and the face of enjoying life from waters. So we must pursue liberty, virtuousness of Mary, high ambitions, higher than the city skyline, by choosing to row, row the boat gently down the stream, merrily achieving all life’s dreams.” – Kenneth S.
“When I take a photograph, it has to catch the creative side of me…When I show my work, I want people to be inspired and say, “WOW- What was he thinking or how did he or she feel when they took that picture?” – Isolina R.
“Hi my name is Anthony and what I enjoy about each picture is that I felt joy in each of them and hopefully you will feel the same…and hopefully I can bring more excitement to you in the near future. God bless each one of you all and keep the faith.” – Anthony Q.
“My pictures are related to how life began and what I have lived and experienced to achieve life. I have found Catholic Charities to help lead you of help find a better situation…I highly recommend it for anyone who needs help or services. Catholic Charities: a family who will always be there for all family needs. Thank you sincerely, Catholic Charities.” – George N.
“Taking these pictures was an experience that I will never forget. ..I never thought the old saying, “That a picture is worth a thousand words” was true, until this experience. Thank God for another way to see things.” – Rotonda M.
“This is my first time taking pictures. I like it and it was very fun.” – Donald M.
“I like taking pictures in nice weather, especially in blue sky. Being a photographer makes me happy. Everything’s a new discovery – real nice.” – Jimmy M.
“Photography gave me a sense of purpose…I’m proud to be part of the 2012 art show once more and I have to thank God because without God nothing is possible, even though we as people take life for granted.” – Kenneth K.
“(My photos are about iron work.) From the 16th century, iron work developed highly ornate designs, with scrolls, leaves, flowers and interlaced patterns.” – Andreia K.
“I’ve been in this program for ten years. I look at the nature part of the art. It’s beautiful…My favorite part is talking to people who come to the show and telling them about my pictures. I really appreciate what they do for us each year.” – Rosemary H.
“Thank you Catholic Charities for giving me the chance to show my photographs. It’s special to be a part of this beautiful event. There is never the perfect photograph taken, but when a person stops and looks at my photographs and don’ts only walk by, that’s a perfect moment and a perfect photograph, because I touched his or her mind.” – Beate H.
“I took (photos of) the historical events, such as Martin, Monroe, Abraham Lincoln, the American flag…and the Willis Tower, to represent power and fame, something we strive for deep within.” – Cheryl H.
“I like the way a photo captures a moment in time.” – Neal H.
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What counts most is simply, ‘Do you like it?’ ” – Barry G.
“I love photography. If I had another camera, I would be out there again…I didn’t know I had this kind of talent. I love this experience.” – Gerald G.
“My pictures came out great. Four years experience. I love taking pictures.” – Ronald G.
“This is my second year. My favorite part of this project is watching everybody look at each other’s pictures. To make things different and special this year, I made a tube out of a plastic bottle and grey tape. I attached it to the front of my lens. I got new pictures that helped me get focused on one area of my subject. Photography is a great hobby. it keeps me busy and gives me something great to do.” – Robert F.
“Chicago is such a beautiful city that it is impossible to take a bad picture. The design of the buildings and the ever-changing weather makes Chicago one of the most beautiful cities in the world.” – Vernon E.
“I started taking photography around the late ’70s…My night shots have not come out the way I hoped but I will keep trying.” – Carl E.
“I was with a group of others…I walked away with my camera on Foster Ave. Beach and shot what spoke to my soul.” – Denis D.
“When I saw the birds keeping warm together, I saw unity. How come humans can’t live together in unity? Mankind can learn a valuable lesson from this picture. Together we stand, divided we fall.” – Christopher D.
“When I take photos I like to think of the subject as being something special. When I photograph something, I want to give it a ‘lil bit of my own energy. I want it to come to life and literally jump off the paper at you. I want you to feel the same emotions I felt when I took the photo….Art is forever. Please support the Arts.” – Amie D.
“This program means a lot because I am learning to express myself through pictures.” – Andre C.
“(I have) A passion for life and a love of pictures…” Vennie C.
“Photographs can easily provoke feelings and the feelings I go for are calm, peace and beauty…I hope (my) shots open hearts and eyes.” – Brad C.
“(In my photos), it’s the unseen beauty that helps us realize how much the human family is at play in harmony. (It) teaches us the principle of love… We oftentimes forget about the inhabitants of earth; hence we step over society’s ills and slam the door on our opportunities to be an angel, where we’re needed the most…I discovered that, no matter who we are or where we are, we are all on a journey home. Our common ground is a universal sense of spirituality.” – Shawn B.
“There is a day when we will all be as one.” – Ronald B.
“Two words: I tried…I’ve been in the program six years. I’m very happy to be a part of it.” – Willie B.
“I hope you love the pictures I have taken. Thank you so much. God has been so good to me.” – Kenneth B.
“Catholic Charities is a very positive place to be….It is my 4th year in the show. I made a lot of good friends…I still like taking pictures for a hobby. I like to show what I like through pictures. My favorite time to take pictures is the twilight, sunrise and sunset.” – Mike B.
“That short delay, the dust on the lens, the printer’s ink, and even the texture of the photo paper all conspire to distort my “perfect images”…It is with this in mind that I sincerely hope that I can transport the viewer back before the shutter release, before the raising of the camera, to a moment in time that is gone forever.” – Ray B.
“The Holy Name Cathedral Church” located on State and Chicago is a memoir basilica of my life. Photography with the Catholic Charities has enabled me to strengthen my religious beliefs. I’m a single Hispanic parent of two sons which attended “The Holy Name Cathedral” school. Unfortunately, I lost my 1st born and had his funeral Mass at “The Holy Name Cathedral” church. In all the years that I’ve been with the photography program, I’ve won the hearts of many understanding, caring people. It’s a million dollar photo every year at the photography exhibit at the Catholic Charities. It’s helped me soothe my heart.” – Margaret A.
Quotes from the artists participating in the 2011 Exhibition:
“Only in my mind’s eye do I enjoy my perfect photographs. Perfect subject. Perfect lighting. Perfect composition…I sincerely hope that I can transport the viewer back before the shutter release, before the raising of the camera. It is a moment in time that is gone forever.”
“I love taking pictures ‘cause I love the city of Chicago. And the birds a lot.”
“Chicago is not only my home, but it is one of the easiest places to take pictures because it is such a beautiful city.”
“While taking these pictures I felt a sense of empowerment. I was allowed to stop time momentarily and capture the moment. And I was allowed to document Mother Nature’s awesome display of power.”
“There is a lot to love about this project, but the thing that stands out is the ability to express yourself through seeing and senses.”
“The pictures make me feel at peace. The pictures mean to me I learn something new. And the project made me see another way about life. I look at life different (now).”
“ All of these images give shape to the collective sigh of the beauty and breadth of the wonderful world around us; amidst the hue and the cry of everyday life.”
“Photography is one of my favorite forms of the visual arts…When I create a piece of art, I like the viewer to join me on a special mini-trip…For example, an empty space is more than just an empty space. Sometimes it tells a story…”
“If you really want to know what something looks like, look at it through the lens of a camera. There you will find wonders in even the most mundane things. Whether it’s a tree, an ant, a person or a flower, there you will find beauty in everything.”
Quotes from artists participating in previous ASV exhibits:
“Only in my mind’s eye do I enjoy my perfect photographs. Perfect subject. Perfect lighting. Perfect composition. I then raise my camera, release the shutter, and that original moment in time is gone forever, never to be repeated again. That short delay, the dust on the lens, the printer’s inks, and even the texture of the photo paper all conspire to distort my “perfect images”. It is with this in mind that I sincerely hope that I can transport the viewer back before the shutter release, before the raising of the camera, to a moment in time that is gone forever.
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Since being in the after dinner photo project I have learned to see when I look. This experience has enabled me to look at life with a refreshed perspective. To see a world in a picture of a bus, to see the earth as a part of the sky and a flower is a universe. I am thankful to God and I am thankful to Catholic Charities. May God bless you.
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Taking pictures for the Photography Event was a really wonderful experience as it was working with Ruben, Maureen, Jody, Noreen, Ellen and Mike Stanley.
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I was inspired to snap the picture of the “Chicago Theatre” because I often walk by and I love the way the marquee jumps out. I was inspired to snap the picture of the concrete benches on Wacker Dr. because with the greenery that appears with them in my photo reminds me of a feeling of ancient Rome or Greece. I was inspired to snap the picture of the downtown building across the bridge because as I stood in the place I was standing. I felt a sense of standing in “Old Chicago”.
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I’m proud of being in the art show for several years in a row. My photos captured Millennium Park at its best. It is a pleasure to take pictures for this years art show and I hope that these pictures bring the buyers as much please as they brought me taking them. I’m so very proud to give what is in my words, art from my city.
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The stairs are my way of stepping up in my life. The stillness of the rocks and water makes me feel strong in my life. The bikes are speed to travel from one place to another. The iron legs are strong and unmovable and tall with giant steps that I took in my life. The pictures are me as I grow strong one day at a time.
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I feel that photographs describe what you see and the mood that you’re in, but none the less, you can project and present your feelings and hopefully connect and the mood is captured.
So give and look and see and if you can depict what I’m seeing…Are we on the same wave length? And do you like what I am showing you?
We’ve been all over to find these photos, you and I. What I see, you see. Thank you for coming out.
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A place to live. A perfect location. About three years ago, I needed a place to live. I enjoyed pushing around the city and visiting different places. Going down Chicago Avenue, I saw a sign on the YMCA advertising rooms. I moved there. I talked to the front desk, and moved in there a week later. The YMCA was a place to live, at a perfect location. I met friends at that YMCA and they asked me to come with them to Catholic Charities for the Tuesday night dinners. The dinner was like being at a five star restaurant. It was very good. While I was at dinner, a volunteer asked me if I wanted to participate in a photo show. I agreed to this. I went to my favorite places in Chicago and took photos of these places. I LOVED it. I found a new hobby. I went to the beach and took pictures of the lake. I feel very happy when I do this photo project.
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Welcome to the world of OOPS! Art. Photography is one of my favorite forms of the visual arts. Photographs tend to freeze a moment in time or it can whisk us away to far away lands. Or it can capture truly raw emotions. When I create a piece of art I like the viewer to join me on a special mini trip. Empty spaces: for example an empty space is more than just an empty space. Sometimes it tells a story. Buildings: Buildings speak to us via their shapes and color, they have their own energy. Color: sets the mood, brings out our deepest emotions. Blue is a very strong color. How do you feel? Water: Water sooths the soul. It relaxes us and vitalizes us both at the same time. It is magical like fire. When you look at these 4 photos I hope you’ll feel the same way I do.
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I inspired in profile seen in street. Profile in statue or profile in public building. I chose profile easy to recognize or identify in public. Some owner of building had his or her face in front of the building to mark the ownership. The statue symbol of the tribe, immigration or marriage. They are symbols of Chicago.
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Have a good always and a great forever.
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(My photos are of…)
The Security Guard at the Lawson house YMCA that tried to “set me up” .Sunrise and the government ship, the sun is rising over THE GOVERNMENT SHIP
Kids playing in the Millenium Park Fountain (A Fun Sunny Day).GET IN before the water shuts off.
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Well reader, this is my third time being involved in the picture art show. When I wrote before, I mentioned a woman who was picture shopping at a previous photo show the year before and gave me small but important advice concerning what to aim at in snap shots. I benefitted from the advice. I sold two more pictures the following year than the year before. Since then, Jody, one of the staff participants, showed me some pointers in what appeals to photo observers. So pray for me…oops, getting mellow dramatic again.
Thank you Catholic Charities for helping me in a time of need.
