Oxford resident William Dwyer’s photography is a cerebral, up-close study of various subjects, and from now until Feb. 28, his work can be seen at the Flint Institute of Arts.
Those who love photography and what can be captured by a camera will surely enjoy these treats:
A 600-year-old rock drawing at New Mexico’s Petroglyph National Monument park facing away from a distant subdivision, as if hiding from modern civilization.
A ground-shot aimed towards the sky, capturing New York City’s once-proud World Trade Center. In the image, the tops of both buildings disappear in the cloudy sky while one of the buildings looks like it’s bending.
A shot from an archway overlooking the winding patterns of the Great Wall of China.
‘I call this show a collection of my personal favorites,? said Dwyer.
One customer, in particular, likes Dwyer’s work so much they’ve bought five pieces. When not working in Lansing, this customer no doubt likes to appreciate the art of photography.
Among the five photos of Dwyer’s work purchased by Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has been the shot from the Great Wall.
‘Governor Granholm’s a really nice woman,? Dwyer said of his famous customer. He jokes that he had to vote for her after she bought his art. ‘At media events she’s always super gracious. She gives me a hug and tells me how she’s doing. She’s had my wife and other artists over dinner.?
Dwyer originally was at FIA to a few years ago to watch a show and was ‘knocked out? by what he saw. Eventually, after taking a ceramics class and becoming a member of the institute, he approached officials about showing his work. They then asked him to do a one-person show at the satellite gallery.
Originally, Dwyer hung 16 of his photos. He’s sold some photos and has supplemented his display with other pictures.
‘I sold a couple of big ones and put two small ones in their place,? he said. ‘Each week I get calls saying they sold some pieces.?
The FIA is the latest stop in Dwyer’s career as a photographer. The Rochester native, who also teaches photography, has served as photographer for the City of Pontiac’s executive offices and as a house photographer for the Pontiac Silverdome since 1987. More recently, with the Lions having left the Dome in 2002 for Ford Field, Dwyer has taken pictures of maintenance and repair.
‘I am still serving in that function but certainly nowhere like I used to when they had events all the time along with that fantastic football team,? Dwyer said.
What’s his style as a photographer? He likes to look for things in a picture’s foreground, midground and background.
‘I have a lot going on in my pictures,? Dwyer explained. ‘I’ve had clients tell me they really enjoy that…It looks like I’m looking through things.?
He likes to shoot big events and productions using wider angles. Before he starts shooting, he looks at everything to decide how to tell the story.
‘I have to shift gears when doing portraits since that style doesn’t work as well for portraits,? he added.
The Flint Institute of Arts is located at 1120 East Kearsley Street in Flint. For more information call 810-237-7321 or visit www.flintarts.org.