Steve Gildea

I’ve developed an interest, late in life, in things Japanese. It has been a struggle to learn the language but expression with art has been easier. I’ve been to Japan seven times in the last seven years and have been shooting stills and video for workup after returning home. I was pleased to find I was following in the footsteps of Lee Friedlander, the photographer, who made several trips himself, always during cherry blossom time. While he concentrated on pure landscape, and shot in black and white, I am interested in things that are unique to the culture—castles and temples with vending machines—and the predominant pinks of cherry blossom time.

I am a professor at Merrimack College in Andover Massachusetts where I teach digital media in department of Fine Arts. Comfort with technology came early in life when my interest’s were (and still are) in aviation, flight, space, astronomy etc. After graduating from college, let’s call it mid-life, I took up an interest in art leading eventually to an MFA in painting. When, at the age of 53, I finally landed a tenure-track teaching job at a college, I was impressed, and a little intimidated by the number of my colleagues who were bilingual. After meeting some Japanese who invited my wife and I to come visit them in Japan I learned the basic greetings that a tourist might study. Now, as noted above, I have found myself more or less obsessed with trying to learn the Japanese language. At my age (61) it is a very difficult task but I do make slow progress. I have made many Japanese friends. And now, perhaps, I can feel a little more comfortable with my colleagues as well.