BIOGRAPHY

Working as a theatrical lighting designer and stage director for over twenty-five years, Larry's photography has been largely avocational; mostly used in his own design portfolio, and for promotional and production pictures. His work with stage lighting gives him a greater understanding and a unique vision for his artistic photography. He has been active as a fine art photographer for over twenty years.

His artistic photography work is mostly in landscapes, scenic, nature, still life, buildings, nautical themes, plus includes abstract figure studies and aerial work. Larry's work is exhibited in galleries throughout Northwest Indiana and Suburban Chicago plus appears in several private collections, and appeared in several regional calendars.

Larry received his BA and MA degrees from Purdue University Calumet in Radio/TV/Theater Production and Management, and currently is the Auditorium Director for the School Town of Munster's (Indiana) 1000 seat theater plus Producer/Director of the Munster Theatre Company. Prior to that was the Theatre Administrator/Production Manager for The Center for Visual & Performing Arts professional theater operation Theatre at The Center, also serving as resident lighting designer.

He worked as Auditorium/Theater Director for Highland's Monbeck Auditorium for 13 years, is active as an on-air pledge host for WYIN-TV public television, on the board of directors for WYIN-TV, Leadership Northwest Indiana, LakeNET, Communicators of Northwest Indiana, a web site designer, a 1997 recipient of the Purdue University Calumet Distinguished Corporate/Community Service Award and the 1999 Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Association for Community Leadership. Larry is a voting member for the recording industry's Grammy Awards.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Creative photography is more than making a simple visual recording, it involves the innovative artistry and vision of a photographer, who manipulates the given visual elements in order to both preserve and represent the subject while creating New Perspectives. I view my artistic photography as more than merely making a visual recording of existing subjects, but to capture both obvious and subtle visions of the subject. A photograph actually freezes a moment in time, forever preserving an image of people, places, things, or events, which then can be revisited again and again, thus creating an existence of its very own. A creative image is both the product of the subject and the artist, whose discriminating perception seeks to evoke those more intangible and profound impressions of intimacy and mood. The viewer completes this triad (subject, artist, and viewer) by hopefully realizing a successful artistic communication.

STYLE

In both my color and monochromatic photography, understanding light is the key to any successful image. While color photography currently has less artistic acceptance, it forms a major portion of my scenic and nature work. Color is an important compositional element, tied more directly to mood than any other visual element. Modern photography can create a full palate and range of natural colors, and manipulating this natural color to enhance or intensify the mood represents an important stylistic portion of my work. When I choose monochrome over color, it is to heighten the focus on shape, form, texture, pattern, and tonality, by removing color as a visual element. By its inherent nature, a black & white image evokes a different and more ethereal emotional response to the subject.

The postcard style images are consciously part of my scenic visual style. Compressing the visual elements in order to achieve a flattened perspective of the subject is a strong characteristic of my scenic images. Isolating a subject from the background in order to reveal and capture details, which may be otherwise overlooked by a casual observer, is an important style element of my photography. Especially used in my close-up macro work, I like to focus attention on the minute details of the subject.

An artist's style should not be static, but consistently open to alternate visions.
- Larry A Brechner

RECENT EXHIBITS / PROJECTS

Oregionality - a coffee table book published by The Times (Northwest Indiana) complied from the works of photographers throughout the area - Winter 2000/2001

One Gypsy's Trek through Regional Theatre - a 30 piece exhibit from the artist's lighting design and directing portfolio, plus examples of his fine art work
Atrium Gallery - October 1997
Border's Bookstore Gallery (Highland, Indiana) - Jan 1998

WYIN-TV PBS 56 Fine Arts Auction
WYIN-TV Channel 56 first televised Fine Art and Furniture Auction on September 14-15, 2001 at 7pm with Gallery Viewing at the Lake County (Indiana) Convention and Visitors Bureau September 9-13, 2001

NORTHERN INDIANA ARTS ASSOCIATION
The Center for Visual & Performing Arts
•57th Annual Salon Show - Bachman Gallery - Sept-Nov 2000
•Black, White, and Shades of Grey - Bachman Gallery - March-April 1999
•55th Annual Salon Show - Bachman Gallery - Sept-Nov 1998
•54th Annual Salon Show - Bachman Gallery - Oct 1997
•53rd Annual Salon Show - Bachman Gallery -Oct 1996
•Artists Exhibit - Bachman Gallery - September 1996
•Rental/Sales Gallery Apr-Nov 1999, Apr-Jun 1998, Feb 1998, Jul-Oct 1997

LLIANA ARTISTS

•5th Juried Exhibit - Chesterton Art Gallery - Jan-Mar 2000
•4th Juried Exhibit - Atrium Gallery -The Center for Visual & Performing Arts - Jan 1999
•Under One Hundred - Courtney Frame/Gallery - Nov-Dec 1998
•Flower Power - Courtney Frame/Gallery - Oct 1998
•Spring Fling- Atrium Gallery -The Center for Visual & Performing Arts - May 1998
•3rd Juried Exhibit - Atrium Gallery -The Center for Visual & Performing Arts - Jan 1998
•2nd Juried Exhibit - Atrium Gallery -The Center for Visual & Performing Arts - Jan 1997
•1st Juried Exhibit - Atrium Gallery -The Center for Visual & Performing Arts - Jan 1996
•Under All is the Land - Atrium Gallery -The Center for Visual & Performing Arts

VOGT Visual Arts Center - Tinley Park, Illinois
•Small Works Show - Nov-Dec 1998
•Invitational Exhibit 97 - Aug 1997
•1st Juried Exhibit - May 1997
•Black & White - Jan 1997

Christopher Art Gallery - Prairie State College, Illinois
•Distilled Life - Oct-Nov 1997

Lake County Parks Department
•1997-98 Calendar - two photos part of cover composite and monthly photo