June 15, 2021 • 59 mins
Jeanette Jimenez is a retired high school inner city teacher of 36 years who has turned to photography in retirement as a way to connect with her father, the late Alexander Artway (Artemiev). Throughout her teaching career, Jeanette always looked to the arts to find inspiration on how to teach her students and inspire them. Whether it was taking them to the Painted Bride Art Center to look at visual art or to plays at the Society Hill Playhouse, she always found a way to inspire her students to look beyond any limitations. So when Jeanette found her father's photographs and negatives; his life's work in a suitcase all about to get thrown away after his passing, she knew she had to take them and save his work and her only family connection. 50 years pass, and Jeanette starts an inspiring journey sharing her father's photography archive; from taking photography courses at Temple, attending photography fairs in NYC, and working with curators and gallerists; all to leave a legacy for her father through his artwork.
https://www.alexanderartway.com/
https://www.apag.us/
http://russiannobility.org/
Katie Tackman is an artist, photographer, and fine art printer living and working in Philadelphia. Katie graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Photography. After graduating, she worked at Silicon Fine Art Printing in Old City for over 5 years where she joined a strong community of artists in Philadelphia. As a founding member of Gravy Studio + Gallery, she is the studio manager and co-curator of the photography exhibits and also has her own printing company KT Butterfield Photo + Print where she continues working with artists and photographers to create beautiful prints. Katie has been working with the Artway Archive for 3 years as the archive manager; archiving photos, organizing Artway exhibits locally and abroad, and collaborating with Jeanette to keep her father's photography alive.
https://www.gravy-studio.com/
https://www.ktbutterfield.com/
https://www.2020photofestival.org/
~~~~~~~
Ivia Yavelow, Iryna Mozoa, and Alice Cutler have also significantly contributed to the Artway Archive by assisting with writing, translation, design, and all around support for the archive. We would also like to mention Stephen Perloff of the Photo Review, Stephen Bulger Gallery, Alan Klotz Gallery, Peter Barbarie of the PMA, and APAG for their help and guidance throughout our journey.
~~~~~~~
Alexander Artway (Artemiev)
Alexander Artemiev was born March 25, 1903 in Gomel, Belarus, Russia. He was the youngest of nine children. As a teenager he fought in the White Army and was wounded in his left leg. He fled and went into exile in Europe (Belgrade, Prague, Paris) for years until he was able to enter America. He entered on Ellis Island in June of 1922 under the name Alexander Artway.
He remained in New York City for the next 18 years. He joined the Merchant Marines and later became a captain of ships and sailed around the world taking pictures.
He saw much more of the world than the average person of these times and led a rather unconventional life.
Artway was fascinated by the skyscrapers going up. He photographed New York's iconic structures from every angle and rooftop, and perhaps even from airplanes. He attended NYU and earned a degree in architecture in 1934.
Away from all family but his brother John, who lived in Brooklyn, Artway had to seek out new connections. He found Lena, a woman whose family was still in Ukraine. The two explored the city together and carried on an affair that lasted many years.
Artway photographed nearly compulsively for about 15 years and only slowed down after the birth of his first child. In Philadelphia he became a true family man, and the photographs after 1942 are reflective of Artway’s newfound identity.
The Alexander Artway Archive contains approximately 3,000 vintage prints and 4,000 negatives. Housed in Philadelphia, the Archive strives to research and promote the photography of Alexander Artway.
Alexander Artway's work is in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
~~~~~~~
We'll explore in 50-minutes what it means to create and to think about art during this time. Join us for this weekly virtually existential gathering until we can share stories on the stage again.
If you're on the IRC's mailing list, look for an email each Wednesday detailing the upcoming week’s guest on Into the Absurd, with links to websites and information. To keep up with who’s on deck, join the IRC mailing list:
https://www.alexanderartway.com/
https://www.apag.us/
http://russiannobility.org/
Katie Tackman is an artist, photographer, and fine art printer living and working in Philadelphia. Katie graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Photography. After graduating, she worked at Silicon Fine Art Printing in Old City for over 5 years where she joined a strong community of artists in Philadelphia. As a founding member of Gravy Studio + Gallery, she is the studio manager and co-curator of the photography exhibits and also has her own printing company KT Butterfield Photo + Print where she continues working with artists and photographers to create beautiful prints. Katie has been working with the Artway Archive for 3 years as the archive manager; archiving photos, organizing Artway exhibits locally and abroad, and collaborating with Jeanette to keep her father's photography alive.
https://www.gravy-studio.com/
https://www.ktbutterfield.com/
https://www.2020photofestival.org/
~~~~~~~
Ivia Yavelow, Iryna Mozoa, and Alice Cutler have also significantly contributed to the Artway Archive by assisting with writing, translation, design, and all around support for the archive. We would also like to mention Stephen Perloff of the Photo Review, Stephen Bulger Gallery, Alan Klotz Gallery, Peter Barbarie of the PMA, and APAG for their help and guidance throughout our journey.
~~~~~~~
Alexander Artway (Artemiev)
Alexander Artemiev was born March 25, 1903 in Gomel, Belarus, Russia. He was the youngest of nine children. As a teenager he fought in the White Army and was wounded in his left leg. He fled and went into exile in Europe (Belgrade, Prague, Paris) for years until he was able to enter America. He entered on Ellis Island in June of 1922 under the name Alexander Artway.
He remained in New York City for the next 18 years. He joined the Merchant Marines and later became a captain of ships and sailed around the world taking pictures.
He saw much more of the world than the average person of these times and led a rather unconventional life.
Artway was fascinated by the skyscrapers going up. He photographed New York's iconic structures from every angle and rooftop, and perhaps even from airplanes. He attended NYU and earned a degree in architecture in 1934.
Away from all family but his brother John, who lived in Brooklyn, Artway had to seek out new connections. He found Lena, a woman whose family was still in Ukraine. The two explored the city together and carried on an affair that lasted many years.
Artway photographed nearly compulsively for about 15 years and only slowed down after the birth of his first child. In Philadelphia he became a true family man, and the photographs after 1942 are reflective of Artway’s newfound identity.
The Alexander Artway Archive contains approximately 3,000 vintage prints and 4,000 negatives. Housed in Philadelphia, the Archive strives to research and promote the photography of Alexander Artway.
Alexander Artway's work is in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
~~~~~~~
We'll explore in 50-minutes what it means to create and to think about art during this time. Join us for this weekly virtually existential gathering until we can share stories on the stage again.
If you're on the IRC's mailing list, look for an email each Wednesday detailing the upcoming week’s guest on Into the Absurd, with links to websites and information. To keep up with who’s on deck, join the IRC mailing list:
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