蒂姆·伊斯雷尔，视觉艺术老师
After spending his third year in the photo studio with Ellis girls, Visual Arts Teacher Tim Israel headed across the country this summer to be an Artist-in-Residence at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area in eastern Washington state. A road warrior in endless pursuit of exploring and finessing his craft, Tim’s Pacific Northwest adventure marks the second time he’s made art at the invitation of the National Park Service. 他对电影的兴趣, 旧相机, and alternative techniques brings a dose of nostalgia to his digital age student photographers and filmmakers, and challenges them to remix and reimagine their own unique perspectives behind the lens.
| 在Ellis工作的时间: | 三个 |
| 标题: | 视觉艺术教师 |
| 教育: | B.F.A. 卡内基梅隆大学剧院 |
Tell me about your artist residency this summer. How did this photography opportunity come about?
I will be an Artist-in-Residence at Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area in July. 去年夏天, my girlfriend and I had a joint residency at Weir Farm, 康涅狄格州的国家历史遗址. We loved it so much that this year we applied for over a dozen. Being an Artist in-Residence is a new way to test my craft. I decided I wanted to explore the Pacific Northwest and Lake Roosevelt was a great fit.
What gave you the idea to test your photography skills this way?
It started with my first spring break at Ellis, I couldn’t believe I had two weeks off! I decided to hit the road and head to Graceland. From there I went to Alabama, New Orleans, and everywhere in between. I loved being on the road as a traveling photographer. 那个夏天, 我再次收拾行李, 向西行驶, 拍了很多照片, 沿途拜访朋友. During that trip, I went to some National Parks for the first time and was blown away. After that, my girlfriend proposed we apply for these residencies.
What do you hope to bring back to Ellis from your experience?
I’m always striving to get better at my craft and would like to move closer to doing a visual art show featuring my photos. At Lake Roosevelt, I’ll be exploring infrared photography more. I don’t know if we’ll have a course unit for it in Advanced Photography since it’s really prominent in the summer, but being able to share new techniques and skills with the girls is the goal.
是什么激励你成为一名摄影师?
I didn’t know when I graduated that I wanted to pursue photography, but I did decide that I didn’t want to do professional theater. I took all of that creative energy and put it into photography. 我真的是从头开始的. I was shooting with a 35mm camera that I still have and send out with students. I took some terrible pictures, but I kept at it. And then I took a picture that really excited me and I thought I’m good at this. Every now and again when I need confirmation, my photographs will deliver for me. I haven’t really had a moment of total breakthrough in photography, 但更多的是一种安静, 稳定. I love to experiment with unique techniques and learn from my mistakes.
你有导师吗? How has that relationship benefited you professionally? 你能告诉我他或她的情况吗?
Everywhere I’ve been employed, I’ve had “work moms.——萨拉·卡拉斯, a teacher I worked with at Pittsburgh Public 学校, showed me how to be a teacher and taught me that there are legal obligations and moral obligations in teaching. 她是一台发电机，一个充满能量的球. She’s the type of teacher who would walk into a room of thirty fourth graders and control the room immediately. And now at Ellis, there’s Sara Sturdevant and Belle Moldovan. 有莎拉掌舵，就不会有死气沉沉. She gives the sense that every second of her class time has been planned and orchestrated. I’m also influenced by Belle in how I teach my studio class. We are very much alike with our quiet studios and the way we work with students.
Moving from public schools to a private all-girls school must have been a big change. 当你想到澳门新葡新京官方时，你会想到什么?
女孩们，她们非常独立. 他们总是做好自己的工作，让我看起来很好. I couldn’t imagine a place more custom-built for my abilities and personality. Everything at Ellis is smooth, there’s a very natural flow of learning here. In the grand scheme of things, the girls are such winners and I’m so proud of them all. 哦，还有那条格子裙!
For Ellis students reading this: is there any wisdom you’d want to pass on to them? 你想让他们知道什么?
还有更好的. It can be a hard journey figuring out who you are. 要知道每个人都有自己的位置.
你怎样度过你的空闲时间?
Traveling and taking pictures, I rarely don’t have a camera on me. I go to New York just about every other weekend to see my girlfriend. I love to bike ride—I just rode in the Five Boro Bike Tour in New York City, 全程40英里，穿过五个区. 我也下很多国际象棋.
你会用三个词来形容你自己吗?
不会扣篮.
哪个女人能激励你，为什么?
Judit波尔加她是一个了不起的国际象棋冠军. 罗莎·帕克斯是个好女人. 还有我的女朋友―I admire her for many reasons, the places she’s been and things she’s done.
你最喜欢的90年代果酱是什么?
I’d say any of the theme songs from the original TGIF show lineup. My alarm clock on Friday’s is the theme song to 家庭事务. 还有，Semisonic的“Closing Time”. I play that when I’m trying to get students out of my darkroom!
