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Welcome! I am Timothy Walter, an arts entrepreneur and art photographer based in Durham, NC. Prior to this chapter, my background includes running an immigration advocacy program in Florida, high risk business development lending in DC, and leading a large association of private foundations. More about my current work at the end.
Linked In. Instagram. Facebook. My art project shown here is the creation of striking portraits of friends and performers to give visual voice to experiences of past trauma. The subjects make visible emotions of anger, dismay, grief -- and sometimes resilience and resolve. I invited just as many men as women to participate, however men seem less willing to revisit trauma. All participants value the experience, but only one has ever asked to have copies of the work for her walls. Trauma is something most people want to leave behind, best one can. Some of the background stories include breakups, police violence, mental illness, loss of a sibling to suicide, intimate partner abuse, entering motherhood, and anger over a partner's PTSD. When the images are hung in gallery shows or used in teaching we include each person's own words next to the images. How are these made? We prep with an interview ahead of time. On day-of, the sessions last four to eight hours. There is an arc to the day. Often music and poetry selected by the subject are included. My studio is in a large, private, dark space where we can make a mess. We use dramatic lighting, props, pigments, and oils. The participants slowly cover themselves in the oils, entering a state of subconscious flow. The oils we use are warming to the touch, which we know is a way to relax. The poses emerge naturally from a flow state with little input from me. Laughter and tears are common. The photos are part documentary, part fine art. I can share the background stories if you're interested. It is a tremendous honor to collaborate with these individuals. This series was initially printed for a solo prize show awarded by the organizers of the Click! Triangle Photo Festival with support of Through This Lens gallery. Here are some images of the installation. The works have been selected for a showing at PS 118 Gallery with Horse and Buggy Press, and in multiple local galleries in Durham, Chapel Hill, and Brooklyn. I've presented to photography associations and to several classes at Duke University in arts and psychology. Prints can also be purchased as a full body, or rented for shows or conferences. Proceeds after expenses are shared with the subjects. If purchased directly from me, museum-quality prints are available for collectors in the range of $800-$3500 depending on size up to about 36". My other passion is directing The Fruit art center in downtown Durham. Formerly a derelict 22,000sf cold-storage warehouse, a team and I renovated the space in 2018. The Fruit is a place to create and experience various types of art, photography, drama, music and modern dance. We throw epic parties. And we have some of the best sound systems in the region for great jazz, hip hop, and electronic music. Please check us out! |