Dick and Margaret Crenson live in a quiet nook amid woods and fields, hidden from the crowded streets of Poughkeepsie only 10 minutes away. Their warm and comfortable house is full of artworks, created by them, friends and family.
You would never guess that Dick did not start making video works until he was in his retirement. His little office is full of equipment, tapes and disks, neither meticulously tidy nor out-of-control messy. It feels just right and comfortable. And that’s how his videos are.
Many of his works are snippets of scenes from various localities in the Mid Hudson area. Their shots are simple and their editing minimal. Yet for reasons I cannot put my finger on, they are compelling and loving. Viewed alongside his other type of works which focus on form and texture, an understated tribute to an ordinary life emerges.
In this festival, Dick will show Infrastructure, hypnotic portraits of manholes, which was on view at Samuel Dorsky Museum in its 2009 Hudson Valley Artists show, along with Polar Bear, Rosendale Cemeteries, and a few other shorts.
Margaret Crenson’s solo show, Roadscapes, opens on October 23 at the Barrett Art Center in Poughkeepsie.
Dick Crenson at his work station
Dick and Margaret Crenson in their garden
Woodstock Video Art Festival 