David Rapoport is an emerging, self-promoting photographer video artist, who has been creating photo-documentary, digital art, and portraits on his own, since 1978.
Mr. Rapoport believes in making art for the ‘love of art.’ To him, the process is far better than the successes, and the recognition is secondary. The satisfaction to make and show art the art takes precedence over commercial success.
David graduated from the School of Visual Arts (2009), in the Masters of Fine Arts Program for Photography, Video and Related Media. He is also a graduated from NYU with a BFA in Film and Television Production (1982). David has been using computers for photography, video, and art for over 18 years.
David’s most valuable experience was his education was his education at SVA. It opened up to him the world of possibilities in the field photography and art beyond all expectations. It gave him an understanding of the mechanism of the art market, relating to photography. It gave him the tools to communicate creatively, and effectively. It was a giant step forward into the future.
David’s mentor, Mr. Charles Traub was his biggest inspiration. He was all about what was ‘beyond’ and the ‘obvious.’ Mr. Traub offered a vision that was ‘inbetween the spaces.’ He stressed a world that contained a clear intention, and relentless purpose. He stressed the belief in phenomenon of circumstance, and the possibility that anything can happen, good or bad. There is possibility in everything, even if it isn’t quite obviously evident. Mr. Silvio Wolf also inspired David’s creative energy and vision.
David believes that the person behind the camera affects the landscape that he or she sees. If the photographer or artist were not present, the image would be markedly different. We influence everything around us, and the resulting ‘difference’ will be that moment captured: the ‘life’ that the camera sees.
David’s father gave him a Pentax SLR camera as a give on his 10th birthday. The camera required a handheld meter, which required him to learn and have an understanding of light readings and exposure. He had a darkroom in the basement of his house, where he learned to process black and white film, and make photographic prints. When he was 13, he received his first professional camera. He learned how to take pictures in Performing Arts Camp: Usdan. Later on, he learned color photography at NYU and processed C-prints in a drum. He also experimented with Cibachromes. David took to video as an experimental application. David was inspired when Nam June Paik lectured a video class at NYU, taught by Barbara London. When David was a teenager, he acquired an amateur Advanced Class Radiotelephone license from the FCC and built his own radio transmitter form scratch in summer camp. He also plays guitar, composes music, and sings.
David has exhibited, mostly in New York City, mostly on his own.
Solo Exhibits: La FNAC (Montparnasse, Paris, France - Photo-documentary), Kavehaz, Art Bar (3 Annual Solo Exhibitions - Digital Art), S’Nice (2 Annual Solo Exhibitions - Photography and Digital Art), Vincent Louis, Soho Photo.
Group Exhibits: School of Visual Arts, ICP School Gallery, Here is New York (Soho - Photo-documentary Exhibit of 9/11), Multimedia Arts, 80 Washington Square East, Neikrug Gallery, Knickerbocker, Get Real Art, Studio 8 (Kingston, NY), Fine Art Museum of Long Island (Hempstead, LI.), Soho Photo, and Paint Box Gallery.
I GOT LOST IN TIMES SQUARE
I like to be out in the streets of New York City, where the people are. I like to take pictures in the streets, bring them home, and then create my own ‘vision’ of what I see.
This series of images take place in Times Square. This place is so awesome. I guess the best word to describe it is ‘Extravaganza.’
These images are about my experience with the camera. I am on the go, (with my Illy Coffee) inside the movement of life in New York City, and all of the action that takes place here, to ‘capture’ it forever.
Inspiration for this series comes from earlier works that I created. One of them is a film entitled, “What I Am.” It is a digital Standard-8 capture. There is a sequence of double exposures in it.
I am also influenced by the work of Charles Traub, Silvio Wolf, Peter Homitzky, and other teachers.
Canon’s DSLR technology allows a photographer to shoot still works as moving pictures at high resolution for stills.
I shot these work, originally as a video. They were created in Apple’s Final Cut Pro.
I shoot at 24 frames per second. Hypothetically, if there are 24 frames in each second of video, and 60 seconds per minute, a 10-minute video will have approximately 14400 still frames to choose from. Then the effects are added.
I discovered this process by accident, and I was able to use it in the right ways to make it work. Sometimes, mistakes can be the best presentation.
