Richard Dutcher: Your Art is Your Vehicle

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04 Nov 2016

Richard Dutcher: Your Art is Your Vehicle

By Paul Duane

Jessica Wise

founder – The Litas

Devin Townsend

recording artist

Pat Bagley

Pulitzer finalist political cartoonist

Sean Whalen

men’s coach

Robert Clark

National Geographic photographer

Kurt Bestor

Composer, pianist, trumpet player Kurt Bestor

composer

Richard Dutcher

black and white portrait of filmmaker Richard Dutcher

filmmaker

Marianne Willamson

author & spiritual teacher

Steven Wilson

Grammy nominated musician & producer

Peter Breinholt

Singer / songwriter Peter Breinholt photographed by Paul Duane

singer / songwriter

Genpo Roshi

black and white portrait of Zen Master Genpo Roshi

Zen Master Genpo Roshi

Filmmaker Richard Dutcher joins us for a candid conversation about the artist’s life. He shared his journey of overcoming a huge fear in the making of his seminal film, “God’s Army”.

“Bad filmmaking is when you think you have the answers. Or storytelling or any art, if you think you have the answers and you’re just out there to tell people the answers, then you’re full of shit. It’s propaganda and it’s going to be bad art. But if you’re using your art to help you explore, to help you find the answers…If you think of yourself less as an artist perhaps and more as an explorer into these realms that you don’t fully understand yet, things that fascinate you but that you don’t really have a grasp on yet, I think that’s really rich and fertile soil to do your work in.”

 

“Bad filmmaking is when you think you have the answers. Or storytelling or any art, if you think you have the answers and you’re just out there to tell people the answers, then you’re full of shit. It’s propaganda and it’s going to be bad art. But if you’re using your art to help you explore, to help you find the answers…If you think of yourself less as an artist perhaps and more as an explorer into these realms that you don’t fully understand yet, things that fascinate you but that you don’t really have a grasp on yet, I think that’s really rich and fertile soil to do your work in.” – filmmaker Richard Dutcher Hear the rest of my interview with Richard at: http://www.paulduane.net/2016/11/richard-dutcher-your-art-is-your-vehicle/

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Thoughts. Fears. Ideas. Weird. In your mail box:

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13 Jul 2014

Reconsideration

By Paul Duane

It’s been an interesting year to be a Mormon.  The excommunication of Kate Kelly from OrdainWomen.org and the impending excommunications of other church members who are publicly questioning the status quo (John Dehlin, Alan Rock Waterman, and others) have shaken many people’s faith.  Many have questions about what it means to be a gay Latter-day Saint, with few comforting answers.  The Church’s oblique statements on why Blacks were denied the Priesthood for so long and the recent official confession that Joseph Smith did not literally translate Egyptian papyri leading up to The Pearl Of Great Price are unprecedented statements with serious implications.

And yet…Sunstone cover 162_cover-231x300

….something compels millions to hold to the idea of Mormonism. It means something special to so many people. I grew up LDS. My grandparents are all returned missionaries, as are both of my parents. I served a full time mission in Philadelphia. I was married in the Temple, was active and held priesthood callings through most of my 20’s. When I turned 29, I had experiences that caused me to take a step back and reconsider what faith meant in my life.

…as have millions of other Mormons.

It’s in the spirit of honest seeking, no pre-determined conclusions, of honoring one’s culture while being willing to question, that I have created this piece. A few years ago it was run as the cover of Sunstone Magazine.  I’m now offering it as a fine art print in a few different sizes.  I hope the image resonates with you and helps you on your path.

This unique quadriptych photograph of the Salt Lake LDS Temple is comprised of 4 different exposures produced on a Holga camera using Kodak Tmax 400 black & white film. This piece is offered in the following sizes:

  • 12×12 print only, $24.00
  • 20×20 print only, $59.00
  • 16×16 framed (slim black wood frame) $295
  • 24×24 framed (slim black wood frame) $395

Your photograph will be printed and shipped directly to your home.  Order yours today:


Sizes




You may also enjoy “The Uttermost Farthing”:

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02 Apr 2014

Warren Workman of Arrowstorm Entertainment

By Paul Duane

arrowstorm

Warren Workman  marketing director for Arrowstorm Entertainment, joined me to talk about film making and the cinematic achievements of Utah based film makers.  In addition to his role at Arrowstorm, Warren produces the annual Filmed In Utah Awards, an awards ceremony and networking opportunity for filmmakers who have been involved in Utah based productions.

warrenworkman

 I had the good fortune to attend the Filmed In Utah Awards this last weekend, below are a few photos of myself and my lovely girlfriend at the show.

http://www.arrowstormentertainment.com/

http://www.filmbuzz.tv/

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19 Feb 2013

Will photography become obsolete?

By Paul Duane

As video and 3-d viewing become more ubiquitous in our LCD screen fueled world, I often wonder, will my art form, photography, ever become obsolete?  To answer this, I’d like to consider what photography does for a human being, and then decide if technology is offering to replace it with a superior experience.

Humans have an interesting relationship with time.  The passage of time and it’s attendant fears are what make us human. No other species tracks time. Everything about your life can be traced back to the passage of time, from the color of your coat to the rhythm of the music you listen to. If time were to cease to exist, we would be God, being omnipresent to all moments simultaneously – but we are not.

To count the passage of time is to be human.

A photograph freezes time and allows us to examine a split second of it for minutes, hours, even years.

This is an experience that video cannot offer.  Video is based on the passage of time. In some ways, it is an irritating reminder of our frail, 2 dimensional humanity.  A photograph is different from a painting or a sculpture. Such mediums are projections from the imagination of the artist, but they are portrayals of things that never existed in truth. They may be close facsimiles, but never a statement of a reality in the same way a photograph is.   A camera captures light that emanates from a being and freezes it in tiny bits of silver halide or bits of data.

I wonder if looking at a photograph may be the closest thing a mortal may ever experience to what it is like to be God, observing a thing without the limitations of time.  So long as humans have unsolved god curiosities and complexes, I believe we will always adore the still image.