Ellen Danuto is mostly a commercial photographer but as president of the New Hersey chapter of ASMP, she met many artists living in New Jersey. In this serie collected over the years she gives us a portrait of many of them. The style of Ellen Danuto is not exceptional, but here it is not a question of esthetic or originality but of altruism. The photographer directed her lenses on some of the artists residents of Paterson New Jersey and gives us a moment of their life staged or natural.
Presented as her diary of the 90’s her pictures comes from a basic questioning « why do artist create? » Ellen Danuto answer the question » because I must »; she is interested in the daily life of all the personalities known or unknown that are in the serie. During the brief moment allowed for her work she is successful in catching their attention for a while staging them, or immortalizing their stolen intimacy.
Among them the poet Allen Ginsberg, the photographers Harry Benson or Gordon Parks his picture elbow on a piano is in a classical harmonious way the most successful with lighting effects ,contrast and open gaze.
An another satisfaction this snapshot of Jay Maisel equipped with a long lens looking down a street lined with brick buildings form a top floor office. The other pictures of this portfolio need more imagination.
Jonas Cuénin
Ellen Denuto, The Artist as Art
Until december 18th 2011
Gallery at Hallmark
85 Avenue A
Turners Falls, MA 01376
(413) 863-0085
