Tommy Olof Elder: Photography
“In the early 1980s I moved with my wife to Ashfield, MA where we became friends with Jane Lund. Through her we very soon met many of her friends, painters who together with Jane were known as the Northampton New Realists. I soon decided to take a series of portraits of these talented and fascinating artists.” – Tommy Olof Elder
Randall Deihl
“In his studio, at the time opposite the Northampton Town Hall, Randy Deihl had a very large painting he had done of Fran Gillespie, Jane Lund, Gregory Gillespie, Scott Pryor and himself. Taking the photo of Randy in front of his canvas, I couldn’t back up enough to get them all in so you can only see Scott’s leg behind Randy!”
Gregory Gillespie
“Gregory lived in Belchertown when I took his photograph, reworking a self-portrait that must have been an early one, young face with dark hair.”
Frances Cohen Gillespie
“I shot Fran working on a large painting later exhibited in a show at the Springfield Museum of Fine Arts.”
Jane Lund
“I remember very well my session with Jane in her Ashfield studio, tucked between her garage and living area, quite dark and very crowded. I arrived with my Hasselblad camera, a tripod and a number of lights. The shooting session passed without incident but I could see she was worried (and not without reason) that I would bump into something fragile knocking it to pieces on the ground.”
Robin Freedenfeld
“Robin Freedenfeld stands in a doorway of her Main Street, Northampton workshop.”
Scott Prior
“As for the portrait of Scott, he sits before his painting of his wife and child, so realistic that they all three seem to be together under the tree.”
Barry Moser
“When I wanted to expand my portrait series to other artists in the area I contacted Barry Moser. As he needed promotional prints, we made an exchange in which I was definitely the winner. Wherever we have lived, his prints have graced our walls. Barry’s portrait was the last one I did in the Valley because we left the area in 1986. Although we have been back to visit regularly, it was only last year that my wife and I became residents here once more.”