When a number of paintings stored in a backyard shed were discovered with water damage at the end of winter, an intentional burning of the destroyed works became the impetus for a casual video of the artist at home and in his studio talking about his life and work—ending in the burning of art. Raymond and Graham previously worked together on the short film, Memories of the Future, which premiered at the Buffalo International Film Festival in 2018. ***
J. Tim Raymond has resided in Western New York since 1990 after an early life moving to various places around the United States and Europe with his military family. He later served in the Army while stationed in Vietnam before beginning a career in the arts in Baltimore, Washington DC, New York, and Austin. A former instructor of fine arts, museum worker, and arts activity specialist, Raymond is a painter who continues to exhibit work throughout Western New Work. Also an actor with the Subversive Theater Collective, he is a writer of creative nonfiction with many stories to tell.
Stephen Graham is a filmmaker, writer, photographer, and world traveler. During forty years as a director and cinematographer, he has worked in Washington DC and Los Angeles, California on hundreds of television productions, documentaries, and feature films. His latest book, A Vapor in Time, is about a round-the-world trip that he completed just before the Covid-19 pandemic.
*** Curiously, a recent article in The Guardian discusses art burning, featuring the upcoming destruction of a selection of Damien Hirst works valued at $2000 each.
