Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Spring 2008 - (Page 52) Willie Birch b. 1942 New Orleans, Louisiana; currently lives in New Orleans, Louisiana Mixing documentary and decorative ideas, Birch’s brightly painted papermache and mixed media sculptures relate to the African-American experience and life in America. Throughout his artistic career, Jerry Siegel has sought to photograph what his eyes see and what his heart connects to. Upon first glance, his images appear simple, easily understood and then like an elusive poem, the unsaid meanings emerge, often conveying an unnameable sadness and sense of absence. The renown master photographer Arnold Newman once said about Siegel’s work, “This is how it should be done. This is not only the work of a professional but the work of an artist.” Born and raised in Selma, Alabama, Siegel studied at the University of South Alabama in Mobile and the Art Institute of Atlanta, where he graduated with honors. While successfully maintaining a commercial photography studio in Atlanta since the 1980s, he found his passion in doing his own personal work. Like a wanderer, Siegel began traveling the South seeking his subject matter. Perfecting the art of portraiture and understanding how to capture a person’s individualism for his many corporate clients helped him to understand the 52 LOUISIANA ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES\Spring 2008
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