Works of Big Island artists displayed at capitol

The photographic artistry of Big Island photographers Ed Goldstein, Joe Ruesing and Trudee Siemann were recently on display at the state Capitol in Honolulu.

“The images of these three Big Island photographers are wonderfully contemplative, exciting and haunting at the same time,” said Puna state Rep. Joy San Buenaventura, who sponsored and worked to have the photographs displayed in the entry foyer to the House and Senate chambers in the Capitol.

Puna’s Goldstein had a successful career as a commercial photographer in advertising in Los Angeles before turning his attention to more artistic venues of fine photography. His works have been exhibited throughout the western U.S. and art museums worldwide.

“When I was a kid, I remember working on my bicycle with a cast iron wrench and noticing how proud I felt to be fixing something with my own hands and strength,” Goldstein says.

“Nowadays, we seem to be losing the ability to mend our own machinery and fixtures. My desire to photograph these objects goes beyond my interest in celebrating their remarkable formal qualities, and becomes a rite of social documentation.”

Hilo photographer Ruesing was born in Michigan and has lived in Hilo for the past 25 years.

His work is in the collection of the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.

“My art is a journey through the mysteries and enchantment of the world we live in,” Ruesing said of his approach to photography. “It is art that documents the imagination.”

Siemann was born and raised in Southern California and took up photography in 1995. Using her large format film camera, she makes photos derived from her imagination and is producing a series of age-related portraits.

“I’m trying to express in pictures what I can’t express in words, revealing how I visualize and share images from my inquisitive imagination,” said Siemann, who also resides in Hilo. “I’m not sure where this artistic journey will take me. I’m enjoying the ride.”