A New Jersey Native, Raymond Denson found himself living in Petersburg on a music scholarship to Virginia State University. But the multitalented artist now finds himself behind the camera with a new show at the Petersburg Area Art League this weekend with some unique work on display.
A New Jersey Native, Raymond Denson found himself living in Petersburg on a music scholarship to Virginia State University. But the multitalented artist now finds himself behind the camera with a new show at the Petersburg Area Art League this weekend with some unique work on display.
Denson remembers the first camera he ever used, a little flat film camera “Shaped like an ice cream bar.”
“It was dope,” he said remembering the tiniest details of the devise. His mother, herself a photographer, put a camera in his from the moment he was strong enough to hold one up.
He’s turned that childhood love into a passion after he found other outlets lacking the instant gratification of film.
He’s honed his skills and tried to borrow from other artistic forms to help bolster he work.
“Everyone says you should film in the ‘magic hour’… and when yo take pictures at sunrise or sunset you get these beautiful reds and pinks and it caresses the skin perfectly,” Denson said about part of his show this weekend, ‘Silhouettes and Sunsets’ which features softly lit landscapes and candid photos of people and nature.
The other part of his show is a much larger endeavor, ‘The Skin You’re In RVA.’
Loosely based on the famous Humans of New York photography project, Denson has been photographing everyday people with the hopes of sharing their stories. He hopes to publish the collection into a book.
“The premiss was so beautiful, and it really shined light on people who went about their everyday without ever getting photographed or interviewed, I figured I’d do it here,” he said.
Among the stories on display is Ellen Sonifrank (pictured below), a local artist who’s struggling with her own burdens, as Denson found out.
“She’s an amazing singer and has aspirations to model and act,” he said. “She’s also taking care of his sister who’s going through some medical issues. So with all that talent she has, she has to work nonstop to support herself and her sister. With all of that and her personality and her story, she deserves someone highlighting her.”
Denson’s show opens Friday, 8/12, at the Petersburg Area Art League’s Members’ Gallery, 7 East Old Street in Petersburg. It opens at 6 PM and runs through 9/4.
