Photographer Gary Monroe: A Lifetime in Black & White
Introduction to Gary Monroe. 1:00 min. Interview: Raymond Elman + Elisa Turner. Post-Production: Sidney Peralta + Katherine Miranda. Music: Bail Bonds. Recorded via ZOOM 5/16/2022, Miami.
EDITOR’S NOTE: After founding ArtSpeak in 2015, I became aware of photographer GARY MONROE because his 1970s’ black and white photographs of the elder population of Miami Beach were always being compared to his friend Andy Sweet’s Kodachrome photos of the same subject. Andy Sweet’s work was documented by arts journalist and editor Brett Sokol in his book “Shtetl in the Sun: Andy Sweet’s South Beach 1977-1980,” and in Dennis Scholl’s film, “The Last Resort.” Andy Sweet died at the age of 29, so his Miami Beach photos are his enduring legacy. Gary Monroe still mostly uses film to make black & white photos, but he has added a digital camera to his equipment bag. As you will hear in our video recorded conversation, Monroe has made photographs in many countries, disappearing into the environments without an agenda.
Gary Monroe is a photographer born in Miami Beach. He received a master’s degree in fine arts from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1977. Upon returning home, he photographed the old-world Jewish community that characterized South Beach. Since 1984 he has photographed throughout Haiti, and later looked at tourism across Florida, especially the “rite of passage” of vacationers at Disney World. He also “wanders aimlessly” to photograph in other countries – Brazil, Israel, Cuba, India, Trinidad, Poland and Egypt to name a few. Recently he has been looking at the landscape, especially the transformation of place due to corporate-driven planning.
https://www.garymonroe.net
The videos below were recorded via Zoom, are organized by Success Factor, and run between 30 seconds and 9 minutes. Click on any video. You must be connected to the Internet to view the videos.
EXPOSURE TO BROAD INFLUENCES: 0:42 sec.
What was your first awareness of art of any discipline?
EXPOSURE TO BROAD INFLUENCES: 2:33 min.
When were you introduced to professional photography equipment and how did your passion evolve?
DEVELOP A VOICE: 0:42 sec.
When did you build your first dark room?
INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 1:05 min.
Elisa Turner: You went to graduate school in Colorado. How did photographing the landscape of the west impact your photography of tropical Miami Beach?
DEVELOP A VOICE: 0:44 sec.
Did you and photographer Andy Sweet meet because you were both photographing in Miami, or did you know each other before that?
COMPULSION: 1:03 min.
You were shooting black & white photos while Andy was using Kodachrome. Did you discuss your different approaches? Did you photograph the same locations at the same time?
RESPECTS OTHER POINTS OF VIEW: 1:28 min.
Do you view photographer Andy Sweet as more of a folk artist than a trained photographer dedicated to advancing his craft?
UNDERSTANDS ARTISTS’ NEEDS: 3:22 min.
When did you decide to make a career out of photography, and how did you intend to support yourself?
CRITICAL THINKING: 0:54 sec.
As an artist, maintaining relevancy can be difficult. Do you think you will continue working in your field until the day you die?
CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 5:04 min
Elisa Turner: Tell us about some of your experiences photographing Haitians in South Florida and in Haiti.
EMPATHY: 0:39 sec
Elisa Turner: Did you go to any of the Haitian voodoo temples and photograph ritual ceremonies?
INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 0:49 sec.
It sounds like you have a love affair with Haiti.
SELF-CONFIDENCE: 0:51 sec.
Elisa Turner: How is Haiti different in 2022?
COMMUNITY VALUES: 0:35 sec.
On your website you describe the differences between the Haitians’ arrival in South Florida and the Cubans’ arrival during the Mariel boatlift.
SELF-CONFIDENCE: 1:51 min.
I have been deeply engaged with the Black-American community through the Historic Hampton House. I have been moved by their openness to me and their willingness to tell stories about the Jim Crow era.
INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 2:21 min.
On your website you present your photographs as well as the work of other artists — notably the Florida Highwaymen. Why?
CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 1:16 min
Tell me about the book “Blind.”
COMPULSION: 0:49 sec.
Why don’t you think “Blind” is a publishable book?
RESILIENCE: 0:51 min.
Did moving from film photography to digital photography change the way you shoot? And do you talk to the people you photograph in advance to put them at ease?
CRITICAL THINKING: 2:06 min.
Elisa Turner: Do you encounter people who are uncomfortable being photographed?
CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 1:05 min
Do you ever ask for input from your photo subject after taking their photo?
CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 0:41 sec.
So you never practice “gotcha” journalism.
EMPATHY: 1:20 min.
Have you experimented with your digital camera to make black and white photos?
INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 0:14 sec.
Elisa Turner: What do you think makes a great photograph?
COMPULSION: 0:32 sec.
Elisa Turner: How do you know when to start and stop taking photos?
PERSEVERANCE FURTHERS: 1:31 min
Elisa Turner: Why do you like making photographs in places that aren’t on the world map?
CRITICAL THINKING: 1:51 min.
When you are making photographs, do you have to think about things like lighting and composition, or are those considerations baked into your being at this point?
CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 1:08 min.
It seems like you rarely use a tripod in your photography.
INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 1:23 min
What photographers have influenced your work?
SERENDIPITY: 2:01 min.
It sounds like your approach to your work is to select a location that might prove fruitful, but don’t do any research in advance.
BREAKS THE RULES: 0:41 sec.
When you say nobody has seen any of your four thousand photographs of Disney World — why don’t you put some on your website?
CREATES A UNIQUE PERSONAL BRAND: 0:45 sec.
It seems like it does not matter where you make photos, because you are always finding images that work for you as a photographer.
SERENDIPITY: 0:20 sec.
Has anyone made video or movies of you at work?
SEIZES OPPORTUNITIES: 1:11 min.
Have you “packaged” your work for museums and collectors?
VALUES FIRST-RATE EDUCATION: 0:46 sec.
What do you think the role of a university should be in the development of photographers?
INSIGHT & INSPIRATION: 0:33 sec.
What is your favorite movie?
COMMUNITY VALUES: 1:15 min
Do you observe people engaging with your work at your exhibitions?
