THIS SPECIAL PRESENTATION WAS

PRODUCED IN HIGH DEFINITION BY

WEDU -- TAMPA, ST. PETERSBURG,

SARASOTA.

> MAJOR FUNDING FOR

"WEDU ARTS PLUS" IS PROVIDED

THROUGH THE GREATER CINCINNATI

FOUNDATION BY AN ARTS-LOVING

DONOR WHO ENCOURAGES OTHERS TO

SUPPORT YOUR PBS STATION, WEDU.

FUNDING IS ALSO PROVIDED BY THE

S. L. GIMBEL FOUNDATION.

> IN THIS EDITION OF

"WEDU ARTS PLUS," PAINTER

SAMUEL BAK REFLECTS ON SEVEN

DECADES AS AN ARTIST AND

HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR.

I SURVIVED BECAUSE ACTUALLY

TEN MIRACLES HAPPENED TO ME.

IF HAD ONLY NINE MIRACLES

HAPPENED TO ME, I WOULDN'T HAVE

BEEN SITTING HERE TODAY.

A SYMPHONY'S NEW DIRECTION.

FOR ME IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO

PLAY JUST NOTES.

WE HAVE MUCH BIGGER

RESPONSIBILITIES, THE NEED TO

CREATE DRAMA, TO CREATE

SOMETHING SPECIAL IN THE

CONCERT.

GO INSIDE AN EXHIBIT

FEATURING DIFFERENT GENRES OF

TOY ART.

PEOPLE LOVE OUR COLLECTION

BECAUSE IT'S SO APPROACHABLE.

YOU HAVE TINY THINGS, WHICH ARE

THE MINIATURES, THEN YOU HAVE

TOYS, WHICH ARE THINGS THAT YOU

PLAYED WITH AS A KID.

AND AN ARTIST WHOSE ETCHED

SURFACES ARE MAKING A MARK.

I LIKE TO PAINT CERTAIN AREAS

THAT ARE ALREADY STANDING OUT

FROM THE PHOTOGRAPH AND CREATE

DEPTH WITH THAT.

IT'S ALL COMING UP NEXT ON

"WEDU ARTS PLUS."

[ MUSIC ]

HELLO.

I'M DALIA COLON AND THIS IS

"WEDU ARTS PLUS."

SAMUEL BAK HAS LED AN INCREDIBLE

LIFE, FROM NARROWLY SURVIVING

THE HOLOCAUST TO BECOMING A

WORLD-RENOWNED ARTIST.

NOW AT AGE 82, THE PROLIFIC

PAINTER DISCUSSES HIS NEW

RETROSPECTIVE AT THE FLORIDA

HOLOCAUST MUSEUM AND SHARES WHY,

AFTER EVERYTHING HE'S WITNESSED,

HE'S STILL AN OPTIMIST.

> HEAR HIS MESSAGE IN YOUR

WORK THAT INSPIRES HOPE.

AND THAT IS WHY YOU ARE THE

RECIPIENT OF THIS YEAR'S 2016

HUMANITARIAN AWARD.

SO IF YOU COULD COME UP, PLEASE.

[ APPLAUSE ]

TO BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING

THAT MEANS SO MUCH TO OTHER

PEOPLE, TELLS ME THAT I'M A

VERY, VERY LUCKY DEVIL.

WHAT CAN I SAY?

MY NAME IS SAMUEL BAK.

I AM A PAINTER WHO HAS BEEN

DOING PAINTING SINCE AGE THREE,

WHICH MEANS 83 YEARS.

WE ARE HERE AT THE HOLOCAUST

MUSEUM IN ST. PETERSBURG, WHICH

IS FLORIDA'S STATE HOLOCAUST

MUSEUM.

AND THIS IS MY FIFTH EXHIBITION

IN THIS MUSEUM.

SO, COMING OVER HERE, IT'S

ALMOST LIKE COMING BACK TO

FAMILY.

THE COMPONENT OF THE

HOLOCAUST IS ONE OF THE

COMPONENTS IN MY PAINTINGS.

BUT MY PAINTINGS ARE NOT ABOUT

THE HOLOCAUST SPECIFICALLY.

OF COURSE, HERE AT THE MUSEUM,

MY ART IS SHOWN AS ART OF A

YOUNG BOY WHO SURVIVED THE

HOLOCAUST, WHO HAD VERY, VERY,

VERY LITTLE CHANCE TO SURVIVE

BECAUSE I SURVIVED FROM A JEWISH

COMMUNITY WHERE ONLY ONE OF

EVERY 40 REMAINED ALIVE.

I WAS BORN IN VILNIUS, WHICH

TODAY IS THE CAPITAL OF

LITHUANIA.

WHEN I WAS BORN THERE, SINCE THE

BORDERS OF EUROPE HAVE MOVED

QUITE A LOT, IT WAS POLAND.

MY LIFE WAS VERY COMFORTABLE FOR

A CHILD, ALMOST PARADISE.

THEN THE GERMANS ARRIVED.

MY FATHER WAS SENT TO A LABOR

CAMP.

I AND MY MOTHER WERE THROWN INTO

THE GHETTO.

AND WE SOMEHOW MANAGED TO

ESCAPE, WE MANAGED TO FIND A

PLACE IN A CONVENT.

I SURVIVED BECAUSE ACTUALLY

TEN MIRACLES HAPPENED TO ME.

IF HAD ONLY NINE MIRACLES

HAPPENED TO ME, I WOULDN'T HAVE

BEEN SITTING HERE TODAY.

[ MUSIC ]

MY FATHER WAS KILLED JUST A

FEW DAYS BEFORE WE WERE

LIBERATED.

MY MOTHER MARRIED ANOTHER

SURVIVOR, WHO LOST HIS WIFE AND

HIS DAUGHTERS.

AND WE WERE SURROUNDED BY THESE

FAMILIES THAT WERE NOT FAMILIES,

LIVING CONSTANTLY WITH THE

GHOSTS OF THE ONES WHO HAVE LEFT

US.

AND THIS BECAME THE KIND OF

SUBJECT MATTER OF MY ART.

[ MUSIC ]

THE FIRST PART OF THIS

EXHIBITION SHOWS PAINTINGS THAT

I DID IN THE REFUGEE CAMP IN

GERMANY IN '45.

SO I WAS 12 OR 13.

AND THEN THERE ARE SOME

PAINTINGS THAT WERE EXHIBITED

WHEN I WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL

PAINTER WHO LIVED IN ROME.

THEY'RE IN A MUCH MORE ABSTRACT

LANGUAGE.

I BEING YOUNG TRIED TO COME

TO TERMS WITH THE VERY DARK

MEMORIES AND MY PAINTING BECAME

MORE AND MORE ABSTRACT AND

DARKER AND DARKER, AND IT WAS

ONLY AT A CERTAIN POINT WHERE I

FELT THAT I WAS GOING INTO A

KIND OF A TUNNEL THAT WAS VERY

DIFFICULT ALSO FOR ME TO BEAR.

I THOUGHT, WELL, WHY NOT EXTRACT

MYSELF AND GO INTO THE WORLD OF

COLOR, OF A STYLE WHICH IS

ALMOST LIKE THE ILLUSTRATION OF

CHILDREN BOOKS AND LET ME

ATTRACT THE VIEWERS TO MY

PAINTINGS.

AND ONCE I GOT, ONCE I GOT THEM

INTO MY PAINTING, THEN SHOW THEM

THE WORLD IS BROKEN.

THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF

FACING TRAGEDY WITHOUT HUMOR.

THE WAY THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY

OF DESCRIBING LIGHT WITHOUT

USING SHADOW.

SO, THERE IS A CERTAIN WHIMSICAL

ELEMENT IN MY PAINTINGS.

THINGS HAPPEN TO ME THAT I

DID NOT CHOOSE.

I MEAN, I WAS BORN IN A CERTAIN

TIME, IN A CERTAIN PLACE, THE

WAR HAPPENED.

I LOST MY GRANDPARENTS.

I LOST MY FATHER.

I SAW PEOPLE BEING KILLED.

I SAW BODIES ALL AROUND.

I MEAN, SO, I HAD MY SHARE OF

DIFFICULTIES.

AND THEN I TRIED TO HAVE A

WONDERFUL LIFE, LIKE EVERYONE

TRIES TO HAVE A WONDERFUL LIFE,

WITH UPS AND DOWNS.

BUT I HAVE THREE GREAT

DAUGHTERS.

I HAVE FOUR WONDERFUL GRANDSONS.

ONE IS FRENCH, TWO ARE AFRICAN.

I MEAN, I HAVE THE BEST, THE

BEST A MAN COULD HAVE BECAUSE I

CAN SEE THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD,

YOU KNOW, WHERE ALL THE HUMAN

COLORS INTERMINGLE AND SO ON,

AND I AM PART OF IT.

FANTASTIC.

[ MUSIC ]

WILL IT REPAIR THE WORLD?

I DON'T KNOW.

I HOPE.

I ALWAYS PUT IN MOST OF THE

PAINTINGS SOME LIGHT ON THE

HORIZON, JUST TO SAY ALL HOPE IS

NOT LOST.

[ MUSIC ]

SAMUEL BAK, "A RETROSPECTIVE

OF SEVEN DECADES" IS ON DISPLAY

AT THE FLORIDA HOLOCAUST MUSEUM

THROUGH JULY 10TH.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:

> THE REIGN OF ANDRIS NELSONS

AT THE BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

IS NOW UNDERWAY AS THE YOUNG

CONDUCTOR PRESIDED OVER A

CONCERT BUILT VERY MUCH AROUND

HIS IDENTITY.

JARED BOWEN SPOKE WITH NELSONS

ABOUT THE CONCERT AND HIS PLANS

FOR THE WORLD-CLASS ORCHESTRA.

[ MUSIC ]

THIS WAS HOW ANDRIS NELSONS

INTRODUCED HIMSELF IN HIS

INAUGURAL CONCERT AS THE BOSTON

SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA'S NEW MUSIC

DIRECTOR.

IT WAS WAGNER'S OVERTURE TO

TANNHAÄUSER, THE PIECE HE FIRST

HEARD AS A FIVE-YEAR-OLD IN HIS

NATIVE LATVIA THAT WOULD INSPIRE

HIS MUSICAL LIFE.

[ MUSIC ]

IT WAS A GALA CONCERT WITH

PERFORMANCES BY NELSONS' FRIEND,

TENOR JONAS KAUFMANN, AN

UNDENIABLE ROCK STAR IN THE

OPERA WORLD.

[ MUSIC ]

ALSO APPEARING WAS RENOWNED

SOPRANO KRISTINE OPOLAIS, WHO

ALSO HAPPENS TO BE MRS. NELSONS.

[ MUSIC ]

AND THIS IS HOW THE CONDUCTOR

ENDED THE EVENING, WITH

RESPIGHI'S ROUSING AND SHOWY

PINES OF ROME, FLOODING THE HALL

WITH ITS BOMBASTIC ENERGY AND A

SIGNAL THAT A MUCH DIFFERENT ERA

HAS BEGUN.

[ MUSIC ]

THE FINAL NOTES PLAYED, THE

HOOPLA SUBSIDED, NOW NELSONS

MUST GET TO WORK, HE TOLD ME

EARLIER THIS FALL, FROM HIS ROOM

NEAR THE SYMPHONY HALL STAGE.

NOW IT'S, YOU KNOW --

[ SIGHS ]

I CAN BREATHE, BUT I ENJOY AND

WE START, WE START WORKING.

SPEND TIME WATCHING NELSONS

FROM HIS GIANT SMILE IN CONCERT

TO HIS IMPASSIONED RESPONSES IN

REHEARSAL AND YOU QUICKLY

UNDERSTAND THIS IS A MAN ROOTED

IN EMOTION.

EVEN AS A MUSICIAN OR

CONDUCTING, YOU SIMPLY JUST

CAN'T, YOU WANT TO CRY AND YOU

SIMPLY HAVE THE TEARS, BUT WHEN

YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, THIS

BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, AND THEN YOU

HEAR THIS BEAUTIFUL MUSIC.

IT'S HOW HE CREATES, HOW HE

RESPONDS AND HOW HE WORKS AS HE

SETTLES IN WITH THE ORCHESTRA,

WHICH HAS BEEN ABSENT A DIRECTOR

FOR THE LAST THREE AND A HALF

YEARS.

IT'S A LONG PERIOD WHEN WE

GET CLOSER AND CLOSER

EMOTIONALLY AND HUMANLY, AND AS

SOON AS YOU GET CLOSE, YOU CAN

PERFORM ANYTHING AND YOU CAN

IMPROVISE OR YOU -- BECAUSE YOU

TRUST EACH OTHER.

SO YOU ARE CONSTANT PULSE,

ONE, TWO, THREE.

FOR ME, IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO

PLAY JUST A NOTE.

WE HAVE MUCH BIGGER

RESPONSIBILITY, THE ABILITY TO

CREATE, TO CREATE THE STORY, TO

CREATE THE DRAMA, TO CREATE

SOMETHING SPECIAL IN THE

CONCERT.

WORLD RENOWNED AND ONLY 35,

NELSONS MAY HAVE AN EVEN LARGER

RESPONSIBILITY.

OBSERVERS SAY HE COULD BE THE

GREAT HOPE OF LURING YOUNGER

AUDIENCES TO CLASSICAL MUSIC.

DO YOU FEEL THAT THAT'S, THAT

IS PART OF YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

IN PART BECAUSE OF YOUR AGE?

WELL, I NORMALLY DON'T THINK

VERY MUCH ABOUT AGE, BUT OF

COURSE I AM AWARE THAT I'M A

YOUNG CONDUCTOR.

AND OF COURSE I WANT TO GET MORE

AND MORE EXPERIENCE AND -- BUT I

DON'T WANT TO LOSE THE, IF I MAY

SAY, THE CHILDNESS, IN A GOOD

WAY, YOU KNOW, THIS CURIOSITY.

NELSONS, AS HIS OPENING NIGHT

DEMONSTRATED, ADORES THE

CLASSICS, LEAVING CRITICS

WONDERING WHAT SPACE HE'LL CARVE

OUT FOR CONTEMPORARY WORKS.

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR HEART IS

MORE WITH TRADITION.

WELL, NO, I MEAN MY HEART IS

WITH -- MY HEART IS WITH, WITH

COMBINING THESE THINGS AND NOT

DIVIDING, OH, THAT IS

OLD-FASHIONED MUSIC, THAT IS A

CONTEMPORARY MUSIC.

FOR ME I WOULD SAY, IT'S

IMPORTANT THAT ANY COMPOSER, IN

ANY CENTURY WANTS TO EXPRESS

THE -- THERE IS A REASON WHY HE

HAS COMPOSED A PIECE AND THE

REASON COMES FROM THE HEART.

MUCH IT SEEMS AS NELSONS

HIMSELF.

[ MUSIC ]

> TO LEARN MORE, VISIT:

> THE TOYTISSERIE EXHIBIT IN

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF TOYS AND

MINIATURES LOCATED IN KANSAS

CITY, MISSOURI, FEATURES

NUMEROUS NEW, OLD AND VINTAGE

TOYS.

THE MUSEUM FEATURES ONE OF THE

NATION'S LARGEST ANTIQUE TOY

COLLECTIONS ON PUBLIC DISPLAY.

TAKE A LOOK.

[ MUSIC ]

WE COLLECTED ALL THE TOYS

FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHICH WE

THOUGHT WOULD BE A GREAT WAY TO

HAVE THE COMMUNITY PROVIDE AN

INTERACTIVE ELEMENT IN THE

MUSEUM'S KIND OF RENOVATION

PROCESS.

WE BASICALLY ASKED FOR TOYS THAT

WOULD FIT INTO THE PALM OF YOUR

HAND.

AT THE END, WE ENDED UP WITH TEN

55-GALLON BARRELS FULL OF TOYS.

SO, WE COLLECTED ALL THESE TOYS,

CLEANED THEM, SORTED THEM, AND

THEN SARAH WENT THROUGH AND

STARTED TO CREATE SCENES.

THIS TOYTISSERIE IS IN THE

ENTRANCE OF THE MUSEUM.

WE'LL GREET ALL THE VISITORS

WHEN THEY FIRST ARRIVE.

AND HOPEFULLY WILL ATTRACT THEIR

ATTENTION TO SCAMPER UPSTAIRS

AND SEE THE REST OF THE

EXHIBITS, THE TOYS.

[ MUSIC ]

IF YOU LOOK ON THE

TOYTISSERIE, YOU'LL SEE TOYS

FROM ALL OVER.

THEY'RE DONATED FROM PEOPLE

AROUND KANSAS CITY, AND WE HAVE

KIND OF TRIED TO GET A NICE

ACCUMULATION OF TOYS TO

REPRESENT DIFFERENT GENRES OF

TOYS AND DIFFERENT ERAS.

[ MUSIC ]

THE CONCEPT IS BASED ON A

GIANT BARBER'S POLE, YOU SEE

OUTSIDE OLD-FASHIONED BARBER

SHOPS THAT TURN AROUND, AROUND

AND AROUND.

AND THAT IS THE CONCEPT BEHIND

THIS HUGE, JUST OVER A HUNDRED

FOOT METAL HELIX.

I THINK WHAT'S INTERESTING TO

ME ABOUT THE TOYTISSERIE IS IT'S

A LITTLE BIT OF A MICROCOSM OF

THE EXPERIENCE HERE IN THE

MUSEUM.

PEOPLE LOVE OUR COLLECTION

BECAUSE IT'S SO APPROACHABLE.

YOU HAVE TINY THINGS, WHICH ARE

THE MINIATURES, AND THEN YOU

HAVE TOYS, WHICH ARE THINGS YOU

PLAYED WITH AS A KID.

SO, ANYBODY CAN COME IN AND FIND

SOMETHING THAT THEY CONNECT

WITH.

I LIKE THE WAY THAT CHILDREN,

THEY CREATE THEIR OWN WORLDS.

I REMEMBER AS A CHILD IN MY

BEDROOM, I HAD ROWS OF SHELVES

AND I USED TO LIKE ARRANGING

LITTLE GROUPINGS OF OBJECTS.

AND I LOVED ARRANGING THEM AND

YEAH, CREATING SCENES, SO I WAS

IN PREPARATION FOR THIS JOB

MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.

THE PROCESS IS, YOU CHOOSE

THE TOY AND THEN DRILL IN AND

ATTACH A MAGNET.

SO, VERY LABORIOUS.

ONE HAS TO PAY ATTENTION 100%

WHEN WORKING WITH EACH OBJECT.

THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT

MATERIALS WE'RE DEALING WITH

HERE, THERE'S WOOD, THERE'S

PLASTIC, THERE'S CERAMICS,

THERE'S PAPER AND CARD.

ALSO, THERE'S DIFFERENT AGES OF

THE TOYS THAT WE'RE ATTACHING.

SOME ARE OLD VINTAGE AND SOME

ARE NEW.

I THINK THIS IS THE MOST

TIME-CONSUMING THING I'VE EVER

WORKED ON.

[ MUSIC ]

TOY MANUFACTURERS WEREN'T

REALLY DESIGNING TOYS FOR US TO

PUT THEM UP ON THIS TWISTING

SCULPTURE.

THE INCONSISTENCIES IN MATERIALS

AND KNOWING WHAT TOOL TO USE IS

PROBABLY THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE.

BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING

THAT WE HAVE OVERCOME AND OVER

TIME THROUGH THE PROJECT, WE

HAVE KIND OF DEVELOPED A RHYTHM

WHERE WE COULD SAY, OH, THIS

THING IS A SQUISHY TOY ANIMAL,

WE SHOULD PROBABLY SHOULDN'T USE

THE DRILL ON THIS.

[ MUSIC ]

AT FIRST I WAS DAUNTED BY THE

SCALE OF IT.

I MEAN, THIS IS LIKE A GIANT

MURAL.

I HAVE NEVER WORKED ON SOMETHING

OF THIS SCALE.

YES, I DO REMEMBER THE FIRST

MORNING I WALKED IN AND WAS JUST

SURROUNDED BY ALL THESE

CARDBOARD BOXES AND ME.

I JUST TOOK A DEEP BREATH,

WENT, OKAY, LET'S JUST START

WITH THIS BOX.

[ MUSIC ]

I THINK PROBABLY IN JUST

ABOUT EVERY SCENE, THERE'S SOME

LITTLE TINY DETAILS THAT I LOVE

AND I THINK MAYBE THERE'S QUITE

A FEW LITTLE TINY DETAILS THAT

PEOPLE WON'T NOTICE, OR MAYBE

WILL NOTICE IN TIME.

I MEAN, LIKE IN THE CASTLE

SCENE, JUST BEHIND THE

STEGOSAURUS, THERE'S A LITTLE

MOUSE HOLE BECAUSE EVERY CASTLE

HAS A LITTLE MOUSE DOOR.

YOU KNOW, NOT COMPLETE WITHOUT A

MOUSE DOOR AND A LITTLE MOUSE

POKING HIS NOSE OUT, WHICH

WITHIN THE THOUSANDS OF TOYS,

THAT'S KIND OF A CRAZY DETAIL.

AND THAT'S I GUESS ME.

A LOT OF THE TOYS WE'RE

TRYING TO HAVE DIRECTIONAL

MOVEMENT, SO ONE TOY WILL BE

MOVING A CERTAIN DIRECTION TO

KIND OF HELP WITH THE FLOW OF

THE SCULPTURE.

THERE'S AN INTERACTION OF TOYS

WANTING TO CHECK OUT OTHER

SCENES, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF A

LOT OF FUN.

[ MUSIC ]

IT COULD ALWAYS HAVE MORE,

BUT ALSO IT COULD MAYBE HAVE

LESS ON THERE AS WELL.

SO, IT'S A FINE BALANCE OF

KNOWING WHEN TO STOP.

THAT'S THE HARD THING IS, YEAH,

KNOWING WHEN TO JUST STEP BACK.

I AM GOING TO HAVE TO JUST MAKE

MYSELF GO STOP, OKAY, THAT'S IT.

YOU JUST PULL UP THE DRAWBRIDGE

AND STEP AWAY FROM THE

TOYTISSERIE, SIR.

YOU CAN LET GO.

[ MUSIC ]

THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY COOL

OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF PULL BACK

THESE MEMORIES, THESE TOYS.

WE'RE DRILLING HOLES IN THESE

MEMORIES, BUT WE'RE ALSO BEING

ABLE TO PLAY AGAIN AS AN ADULT,

WHICH IS A REALLY COOL THING.

[ MUSIC ]

THE TOYTISSERIE JUST KIND OF

ENCAPSULATES WHAT WE HOPE IS THE

EXPERIENCE.

YOU SEE STUFF ON IT, YOU START

TO REMEMBER.

IT DRAWS YOU UPSTAIRS AND, YOU

KNOW, YOU GET TO START TO HAVE A

REAL -- I GUESS YOU GET TO

REENGAGE YOUR CHILD-LIKE SENSE

OF WONDER, WHICH IS SOMETHING

THAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT HERE.

IT'S BEEN REALLY FUN.

AND TO LET ME REVISIT MY

CHILDHOOD, SO, I HOPE -- I HOPE

PEOPLE ENJOY IT AS MUCH AS I

HAVE.

[ MUSIC ]

> TO SEE MORE, VISIT:

> ETCHED PHOTOGRAPHY, THAT'S

HOW DENVER, COLORADO'S LISA

GARNESS MALLORY CATEGORIZES HER

WORK.

WHILE A TRADITIONAL ETCHING

WOULD REQUIRE A METAL PLATE,

GARNESS MALLORY USES A NEEDLE TO

DIG INTO THE SURFACE OF HER

PHOTOGRAPHS.

WE CAUGHT UP WITH HER AT ONE OF

HER FAVORITE PLACES TO BEGIN

THAT PROCESS, DENVER BOTANIC

GARDENS.

OH, MY GOSH, LOOK.

WOW!

THAT'S EXCITING.

BECAUSE I LIKE THESE.

WHEN I STARTED THIS PROCESS,

I WOULD CALL IT AN ANSWER TO

PRAYERS.

ONE NIGHT IT JUST CAME TO ME, I

WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF I

WOULD USE NEEDLES TO START

ETCHING OFF THE EMOTION OF MY

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY?

I DISCOVERED THAT I COULD

ENHANCE LINES AND TEXTURES AS

WELL AS CREATE DEPTH AND LIGHT.

WHEN YOU FIRST LOOK AT IT, THE

NAKED EYE CAN'T SEE ALL THE

DETAILS UNTIL I USE A MACRO

LENS.

AND THEN THE DETAIL IS WHAT I

CONCENTRATE ON ETCHING.

I CALL MY ART FORM ETCHED

PHOTOGRAPHY, BUT IT'S BASICALLY

ALTERING AND ENHANCING MY

PHOTOGRAPH.

IT ALTERS THE IMAGE BY THE WHITE

MARKS THAT I'M MAKING.

EVERY WHITE MARK ON MY

PHOTOGRAPH IS MY CREATIVE MARK.

[ MUSIC ]

MY WORK HAS BEEN CALLED

FEMININE YET EDGY.

MY MAIN LOVE IS NATURE.

I'LL NEVER DIVERT FROM THAT,

ESPECIALLY FLORALS AND

BUTTERFLIES AND DEER.

I SEEM TO HAVE A WAY WITH

ANIMALS.

I ACTUALLY WOULD GET EXTREMELY

CLOSE TO MY SUBJECTS, YOU KNOW,

DEER, ELK, AND IT'S INTERESTING

HOW THEY SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT

I WASN'T GOING TO HURT THEM.

I FEEL A CONNECTION SPIRITUALLY.

I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO EXPLAIN

THAT.

AND I JUST THINK IT'S A

GOD-GIVEN GIFT.

[ MUSIC ]

THE REASON THE ORCHIDS ARE MY

FAVORITE FLOWER IS BECAUSE

SOMETIMES THEY TAKE ON THE LOOK

OF -- THIS ONE LOOKS LIKE A

LITTLE CHILD SITTING ON THE EDGE

OF THE LEAF WITH THEIR LEGS

HANGING OVER.

AND ORCHIDS TO ME ARE LIKE THE

EPITOME OF FEMINITY, THE WAY

THAT THEY'RE SHAPED, THEIR

LACINESS, THE LINES AND THE

TEXTURES, AND I LOVE MACRO

BECAUSE I CAN PUT THE CAMERA IN

THE MIDDLE OF THE FLOWER AND GET

EVERY LITTLE DETAIL.

SOME PEOPLE THINK YOU HAVE TO

HAVE A VERY EXPENSIVE CAMERA IN

ORDER TO BE ABLE TO CALL

YOURSELF A PROFESSIONAL.

AND I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT.

THIS CAMERA HAS DONE WELL FOR ME

AS FAR AS MY MACRO SHOTS.

SINCE MY ETCHING INVOLVES TAKING

AWAY COLOR IN ORDER TO ENHANCE

THE FLOWER, THEN I TRY TO GET A

DARKER SHOT.

THE DARKER THE BETTER.

I SURVIVED TWO

LIFE-THREATENING ILLNESSES IN

2010.

AND ACCORDING TO MY PHYSICIAN,

IT'S A MIRACLE THAT I'M ALIVE.

HALF THE REASON I FOUGHT TO LIVE

WAS TO CONTINUE MY ARTIST'S

JOURNEY.

I DISCOVERED BECAUSE I HAD A

SLIGHT BRAIN INJURY, THAT I HAD

FORGOTTEN HOW TO DO MY ETCHING

TECHNIQUE.

SO I USED THE WORK THAT I HAD

DONE PRIOR TO MY ILLNESS TO

RELEARN.

DURING THE YEAR THAT I WAS

RECOVERING, MY WORK WAS JURIED

INTO MY FIRST TWO INTERNATIONAL

SHOWS.

SO, AS I WAS RELEARNING MY

PROCESS, I WAS ALSO EVOLVING THE

PROCESS.

I LIKE TO TAKE CERTAIN AREAS

THAT ARE ALREADY STANDING OUT

FROM THE PHOTOGRAPH AND CREATE

DEPTH WITH THAT.

SO I HAVE TO BE VERY COGNIZANT

OF THAT BECAUSE IF I ETCHED

EVERYTHING THE SAME, IT WOULD

COME OUT FLAT.

I KNOW IT SOUNDS MAYBE A LITTLE

STRANGE TO SAY THAT I LOOK AT MY

WORK LIKE A CHILD IN A WAY.

BUT AS I'M WORKING ON EACH

PIECE, I GET VERY EMOTIONALLY

ATTACHED TO EACH ONE BECAUSE I

KNOW THAT I'M DEVELOPING IT AND

EACH MARK THAT I MAKE MIGHT BE

SOME NEW MARK.

BUT, YOU KNOW, MY GOAL IS TO

HAVE EACH PIECE GO TO A FOREVER

HOME.

OH, THIS IS PERFECT.

ANOTHER EFFECT THAT I LOVE, IF I

CAN GET IT ON FLOWERS, ANY

BREED, IS WATER, BECAUSE I'LL

ETCH AROUND EACH WATER DROP.

ALTHOUGH I CLASSIFY MYSELF AS A

FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY ARTIST, I'M

CONSIDERED A PIONEER IN BOTH THE

FINE ART AND FINE ART

PHOTOGRAPHY MEDIUMS.

AND WHEN I SAW MY LARGE PIECES

HANGING ON THE WALL OF CARIBOU

ART GALLERY, IT WAS BREATHTAKING

FOR ME.

THAT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAD

EVER HAD MY WORK ENLARGED THAT

SIZE.

IT WAS DEFINITELY A MILESTONE IN

MY CAREER.

WHEN YOU HAVE THAT WITHIN

YOURSELF, IT'S A DRIVE.

IT'S A PASSION.

AND YOU DON'T WANT TO GIVE THAT

UP.

EVERY ARTIST, THAT'S PART OF

THEM AS A PERSON.

ART CAN BRING YOU THROUGH THE

ILLNESS BECAUSE IT GIVES YOU

MOMENTS YOU DON'T EVEN THINK

ABOUT YOUR SUFFERING.

I MEAN IT GIVES YOU A WANT TO

LIVE SO THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE

WHAT YOU DO FOR FUTURE

GENERATIONS TO ENJOY.

THAT'S HOW I AM, LIKE, OH, YES.

[ LAUGHTER ]

OKAY, I GOT REALLY EXCITED ABOUT

THAT.

> TO FIND OUT MORE, VISIT:

> AND THAT WRAPS IT UP

FOR THIS EDITION OF

"WEDU ARTS PLUS."

FOR MORE ARTS AND CULTURE, VISIT

WEDU.ORG/ARTSPLUS, WHERE YOU'LL

FIND FEATURE VIDEOS, LOCAL

EVENTS AND ARTS AND CULTURE

PARTNERS.

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

I'M DALIA COLON.

THANKS FOR WATCHING.

[ MUSIC ]

MAJOR FUNDING FOR

"WEDU ARTS PLUS"

IS PROVIDED THROUGH THE

GREATER CINCINNATI FOUNDATION BY

AN ARTS-LOVING DONOR WHO

ENCOURAGES OTHERS TO SUPPORT

YOUR PBS STATION, WEDU.

FUNDING IS ALSO PROVIDED BY THE

S. L. GIMBEL FOUNDATION.