Little Freddie King
Artist Statement | Joseph Crachiola
My fascination with photography began in the late sixties while, as a high school student, I worked for a weekly newspaper in my hometown of Utica, Michigan. What began as youthful curiosity eventually evolved into a career that has spanned nearly forty years.
I am primarily a self-taught photographer, having taken only one college class, back in 1970. For the most part my education has been on the job and on the street, attending seminars and workshops, making a lot of mistakes and learning from them, and paying a lot of attention to the work of other photographers.
During the course of my career I have worked as a photojournalist and a corporate photographer. I have created assignment work for newspapers, magazines, wire services, advertising agencies, public relations firms, and non-profit organizations. I have exhibited my work in many galleries in the Detroit area and beyond, including the Cranbrook Art Museum (Bloomfield Hills, MI), Detroit Artists Market, Swords Into Plowshares Peace Center (Detroit), River’s Edge Gallery in Wyandotte, MI, and others. My work is held in many private and corporate collections, and is included in the permanent collections of the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Photography speaks a unique non-verbal language. For me it serves as a bridge that can create understanding between individuals; a bridge between my inner self and outer man; and finally as a bridge that can help us understand how we, as members of the human family, relate to and find our place within the larger physical world.
The common thread that runs through all of my work is the passion that I bring to it. I am continually looking for new ways to express my personal vision, to expand my horizons, to explore the world around me and to bring energy and excitement to my assignment work.
I am a native of Detroit, Michigan and have spent most of my life in that region. Over the years I have made a number of visits to New Orleans and just over a year ago I relocated to New Orleans permanently. It didn’t take long for me to feel completely at home here. The warmth and friendliness of the people, the deep and rich culture of music and food, the beautiful and unique architecture; all of these things captivated me. More than anything however, it is the spirit of the people here that is like no place else on earth. Their resilience, their ability to celebrate the moment and a willingness to share and to make one feel at home are what make New Orleans such a special place. I look forward to many years of working and living here.
As a working artist for roughly forty years I am constantly aware of the struggles of my fellow artists, and in particular, the artists in post-Katrina New Orleans. As an expression of gratitude to the people, and especially the musicians of New Orelans who have accepted me and allowed me to photograph them, a portion of the profits from all print sales will be donated to the New Orleans Musicians Clinic.