Senior's Collage of Teacher at Heckscher Museum
Tyler Moore counts accomplishments in many different areas of his life, including being a true artist. The Huntington High School senior is headed to the University of Delaware in the fall, where he intends to major in music. He's also a compelling photographer. The teenager currently has a photographic kinoptic collage on display in the Long Island's Best exhibit at the Heckscher Museum.
"Attending legendary photographer Bob Gruen's presentation was a thrilling experience and I felt privileged to hear the stories behind his iconic images," Mr. Moore wrote in an artist's statement that hangs alongside his work in the Heckscher Museum. "His love of music and personal connection to John Lennon echoes the intense relationship that exists between subject and photographer. Gruen inspired me to photograph my favorite teacher, Mr. [Peter] Crugnale, as we are both musicians and share a passion for rock 'n roll."
Titled "ROCK ON," Mr. Gruen's slide presentation, which served as Mr. Moore's inspiration, was held last October at the Heckscher Museum. As he walked out the door that day, Mr. Moore came up with the idea to combine the pictures he took of Mr. Crugnale to create a "kinoptic collage" for this year's Long Island's Best competition. The finished product, which can be seen at the Heckscher through April 24, is a mixture of both images from the front, but the image changes from one picture to another as it is viewed from left to right.
Teacher and student know each other well. Mr. Moore is enrolled in a philosophy course led by Mr. Crugnale, who is also a musician. Last semester the two teamed up in a psychology class and when Mr. Moore was a sophomore, he was in the teacher's Honors Global History and Geography course. That same year the teenager captured first place in a National History Day competition for his research and display on Louis Armstrong.
Last year Messrs. Moore (drums) and Crugnale (bass) played an Elvis Presley song together at the annual Elvis benefit concert and helped raise money for Long Island soup kitchens.
Fast forward to this year; Mr. Moore asked Mr. Crugnale to pose for a studio lighting assignment in a photography course taught by Pamela Piffard. The faculty member agreed, knowing full well he is the teenager's favorite teacher. The work is intriguing.
The senior is an intern with Ms. Piffard's this year after taking the teacher's Photo I and Photo II classes. He's currently enrolled in an AP 2D Studio with teacher Kasmira Mohanty, after taking her computer graphics course as a freshman.
Mr. Moore titled the photo of his favorite teacher, "Rockabilly Bassman." Since the exhibition that inspired the work consisted of both live performance shots and posed portraits, "I chose to incorporate both aspects of being a musician," Mr. Moore said in his artist's statement. "In my 3-D kinoptic assemblage, I was able to create visual movement and show the two sides of being a musician: The one who poses for the camera and the one that is so engaged in his music that he hardly notices being photographed."