30 Years Of East End Photography

The East End Photography Group will celebrate spring with its 30th annual, nine-day exhibit. The show will showcase traditional, digital, and alternative photographic processes. EEPG is one of the longest showing community groups at Ashawagh Hall, and Gerard Giliberti has been its director for the past two decades. Curator of the show, Marilyn Stevenson, became involved after meeting Giliberti 20 years ago. Nicolas Tarr aids the group in setting up exhibitions.

Gerard Giliberti

How did you get involved With EEPG?
I got involved with the group early on when they met at Tim Lee’s studio in Springs. East End photographers would show prints, slides, and talk about photography. It was at that time that the group decided to do a show at Ashawagh Hall.

What has made the group have longevity?
It feels great to be able to have the group last this long. It’s taken lots of determination to keep it going and it has so much to do with the members and their interest in all things photographic.

What is it about the East End that inspires you?
I’ve lived here for over three decades and it’s the people — the artists, musicians, the true born-here locals, and all us late arrivals — that make this part of the island such a great place to live and pursue art.

How does photography differ from other art forms?
All art forms take time to learn and understand, even in this new digital world. Photography has an immediacy that most other art forms don’t have, and that gives photography a special quality.
What alternative photographic processes will be reflected in the show?

There should be some silver gelatin prints, possibly some mixed media work involving digital imagery and painting. We won’t know totally until we hang it.

Marilyn Stevenson

What is it about the East End that inspires you?
I was first attracted to photographing the farms and their disappearance from the East End. After taking classes at Southampton College, I became fascinated with drawing with light, a technique I learned at a class given by Harvey Stein. The East End gave me the ability to photograph summer carnivals with their many lights.

What is your favorite camera?
My favorite camera is an old Hasselblad film camera. I truly enjoy shooting film and using the darkroom to produce my work.

Nicolas Tarr

How did you get involved with EEPG?
My family moved out to the East End in 1975. Both my parents were active photographers. My mother shot all the pictures for her book That’s Entertainment. My father was a 16 MM filmmaker and shutterbug all his life. I became a serious photo hobbyist during the three-year documenting of the Montauk Playhouse project. In my teens, I worked for video artist Nam June Paik and started the first video documentary service on the East End back in the ’80s. Visually preserving people, places, and things has been a mission for me.

Ashawagh Hall is located at 78 Springs Fireplace Road. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, June 2, from 5 to 9 PM. The event is free and open to the public daily 1 to 5 PM. Visit www.ashawagh-hall.org.

@NikkiOnTheDaily
Nicole@indyeastend.com