From the Painting on Silence series © 2014Frank Myers

Painting on Silence
Photographs of Jazz Musicians

by Frank Myers

Opening Reception Friday, May 16: 6-9PM

on display May 16 through July 12, 2014

Artist's Statement:

A painter paints his pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.
- Leopold Stokowski

This exhibition portrays the vibrant and emerging Jazz community in Central North Carolina. These photographs were produced during dozens of live shows over the last 4 years, originally as a way to document the work of the non-profit, Art of Cool Project. Over time it has evolved into a more personal project attempting to capture the emotion, drive and lifestyle of local artisans pursuing their passion for music.

When Alexa Dilworth, from the Duke Center for Documentary Studies, reviewed this portfolio of images she was struck by the inner dialog on display and remarked that this aspect might be an interesting avenue to explore. This observation sparked the idea to interview the performers to connect their words and thoughts with the images. This has turned into an ongoing project to interview over 100 local musicians, excerpts from some of these interviews appear alongside their images.