Bio and Artist Statement
AndySawyer lives in Saint Joseph, Michigan and photography has been hismost consistent artistic outlet since his father gave him a KodakInstamatic almost 50 years ago. Growing up, he was fortunate enoughto have a darkroom in his house, and he became fascinated with the traditional wet silver process. Like most photographers that worked through the digital transition he eventually embraced digital photography, but ironically, this transition coincided with the beginning of his tenure teaching silver based photography at The Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph. With feet in both worlds he now finds that the pendulum has swung back the vast majority of his creative work is produced on film.
As an avid outdoors-man with over a year of back country living experience, much of his work is drawn from the natural world. While some of this work is classic black and white landscapes, he is also drawn to the naturalizing world of decaying buildings and abandoned structures. Andy is also fascinated by abstract images created by both nature and decay and the constant struggle to contain nature in urban environments. He has also drawn inspiration from the work of Amanda Means and has collected antique botany textbooks containing pressed plant material which he prints in the darkroom like a negative. These “Found Botany” images are combined with genealogical information about the collectors when possible.
Ultimately,Andy feels that he doesn’t so much create an image as he allows an image to grab him by his guts, shake him, and demand that he capture that momentary collision of form, texture, and light.
In addition to photography, Andy is also a tinkerer, inventor, and physical problem solver, and creative design has always played a large part in his work. Working primarily with pencil and pen in large bound drawing books, he has designed furniture, clothing items,living spaces, cameras, computer programs, and dynamic art installations. Andy is also a theater set designer, improv comedian,and stage and film actor, and he is a member of the artistic team for the new Ghostlight Theater in downtown Benton Harbor, Michigan.
For the past 30 years Andy has been blessed with the love and support of his wife Nita Nicholie. Together they own and operate the Duncan House Bed and Breakfast, a small two room inn in Saint Joseph,Michigan. They have also raised or helped raise 25 children over the past 20 years, including biological, adopted, foster, runaway, and homeless kids.
List of Works
Solo Photography Exhibitions
2018 The Other Place, Box Factory For The Arts, Saint Joseph, MI
2014 Illuminations, Biggby Coffee, Saint Joseph, MI
2013 Found Botany, American Kitchen, Saint Joseph, MI
2012 Found Botany, Phoenix Gallery, Benton Harbor, MI
Group Photography Exhibitions
2019 Michiana Area Arts Competition, Box Factory For The Arts, Saint Joseph, MI
2019 Oops, Unintended Consequences, Tall Grass Arts Association, ParkForest, IL
2017 Visions Of Mary, Phoenix Gallery, Benton Harbor, MI
2015 Krasl Staff Exhibition, Krasl Art Center, Saint Joseph, MI
2015 Two Person Show with Brett Maniscalco, ARS Gallery, Benton Harbor, MI
Photography Awards
2019 LightSpaceTime.art, May 2019 Online Landscape Competition,Top 15 Honorable Mention
Dynamic Art Installations
2018 Alumination, Solo, Ghostlight Theater, Benton Harbor, MI
2017 4 Axis Harmonograph, Two Person Collaborative with Tom Hurst, Krasl Art Center, Saint Joseph, MI
Theater Set Designs
2019 Bridges Of Madison County, GhostlightTheatre, Benton Harbor, MI
2019 Sister Act, LMC Mendel Center Mainstage, BentonHarbor, MI
2018 Caroline Or Change, LMC Hanson Theater, BentonHarbor, MI
2018 An Act Of The Imagination, Twin City Players, Saint Joseph, MI
2018 Hairspray, LMC Mendel Center Mainstage, BentonHarbor, MI
2017 Airline Highway, LMC Hanson Theater, BentonHarbor, MI
2017 My Fair Lady, Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Saint Joseph,MI
2017 Chicago, Southwest Michigan College, Dowagiac, MI
2017 Spring Awakening, LMC Hanson Theater, BentonHarbor, MI
2016 Peter And The Starcatcher, LMC Hanson Theater,Benton Harbor, MI
2016 Little Mermaid, Southwest Michigan College, Dowagiac, MI
2015 Oklahoma, Southwest Michigan College, Dowagiac, MI
2013 Seusical, LMC Mendel Center Mainstage, Benton Harbor, MI
2012 Into The Woods, Saint Joseph High School, Saint Joseph, MI
2011 Damn Yankees, Saint Joseph High School, Saint Joseph, MI
2010 Grease,Saint Joseph High School, Saint Joseph, MI
2009 South Pacific, Saint Joseph High School, Saint Joseph, MI
2008 Much Ado About Nothing, Brookview Black Box Theater, Benton Harbor, MI
Teaching and Workshops
2003 to Present Darkroom Photography Instructor, Krasl Art Center, SaintJoseph, MI
2014 to Present Digital Photography Boot Camp, Krasl Art Center, SaintJoseph, MI