Billy Cone Retrospective July 1 - August 6

May 26, 2009 - PRLog -- Billy Cone Retrospective Art Exhibit  
July 1 – August 6, 2009  
The Real Estate Studio- 214 King St. Charleston, South Carolina 29401 / 800.476.8444  
Open Reception- Wednesday July 1, 2009 6:00pm - Until
Presented By: EpicVu LLC  
Contact Person: Jo Ann Stadtmueller, Principal  
Phone: 703.861.8878  
Email Address: JoAnn@epicvu.com  

EpicVu LLC and Dunes Properties’ The Real Estate Studio are proud to present The Billy Cone Retrospective, an art exhibition of black and white images reflecting the photographer’s 27 year career. “A purist in the use of the camera, Cone’s photography shows human emotion and conditions” remarks C. Reynolds Brown, Director of the Louise Wells Cameron Museum http://www.cameronartmuseum.com/.

Cone’s first ever exhibit in Charleston will start with a public reception/book signing on Wednesday July 1 from 6:00pm – Until. The showing will run through August 6. For details, go to www.billycone.wordpress.com.

His artistic journey began in 1982 when a university physics photography course hooked Billy on the almost magical possibilities of photography.  From this simple origin, he developed his signature style traveling throughout Europe, shooting thousands of sights, scenes and societies. Cone built his darkroom expertise through work using black and white 35mm film.  In the late 80’s and 90’s he added color enabling him to capture the vibrancy, subtlety, and
individuality he sought in his subjects. A representative selection of his work can be seen on his website, www.BillyCone.com.  

Today, Cone continues to shoot in both color and black & white. Spoken highly of by acclaimed photographer Brownie Harris, “Billy has the appreciation of the aesthetic values for light and form, and artistic concepts of composition”, his pictures have been exhibited both in Paris and the United States.

Billy is also an accomplished writer.  His articles and photographs have appeared in both French and American magazines. His first book, a 1997 homage to his love affair with France titled Sixty Days Under the Influence-- A Photo Journal Through France, won a Pica Award for printing and design. In Photos de Voyage & A Gourmet’s Journal, Cone, who was once national marketing manager of Washington DC’s world famous Sutton Place Gourmet, relied upon his knowledge and appreciation of fine cuisine.  In 2002, he returned to black and white film to photograph the statuary of Paris and capture the ethereal tone that allows the viewer to see his natural symbiosis of balance and harmony in the fine art book, Living Statues – Photographies.  His current effort exploring the ability to feel a woman’s emotions through up close photography is due out in late 2009.

Recently, he has turned his hand to painting. The Living Statues project aroused a fascination with the human face that drew him first into sketching and then into painting grand 4x5 foot canvasses. In the words of Ralph Ismerian, Folk Art Champion, “(Billy’s) faces are at the same time innocent and yet foreboding.” A self-taught artist, Billy Cone is an exciting new presence in the increasingly important genre of outsider art.

The prominent Cone Family has been a patron of the arts for over a century. Utilizing the funds from the Cone Family “Denim Dynasty” great aunts Claribel and Etta started The Cone Collection in 1898 when they traveled to Europe collecting Matisse, Picasso, Cezanne, and Van Gogh.  One of the world’s most important collections of modern art, it is currently housed in the Cone Wing of the Baltimore Museum of Art, http://www.artbma.org/collection/overview/cone.html.

Billy has followed in this devotion to modern art by establishing an exquisite collection of mostly contemporary portraiture and figurative works from France, Asia and throughout the world. The collection is currently available for temporary exhibition, www.theconecollection.com.

For additional information on Cone’s The Retrospective at Dunes Properties’ The Real Estate Studio, 214 King Street www.dunesproperties.com and being presented by EpicVu, LLC, www.epicvu.com, contact JoAnn@epicvu.com.  For web content, contact Celeste@epicvu.com.  

EpicVu is an interactive marketing, promotion and public relations agency based in Charleston, South Carolina. EpicVu specializes in interactive marketing, small business start ups, independent artists and brand awareness. www.epicvu.com.

Websites:
www.billycone.wordpress.com - Event Information
www.epicvu.com - Promotional Agency Information
www.dunesproperties.com - Location Information
http://www.artbma.org/collection/overview/cone.html The Cone Collection
http://www.theconecollection.com/ Billy Cone’s Fine Art Collection

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EpicVu is an interactive marketing, promotion and public relations agency based in Charleston, South Carolina. EpicVu specializes in interactive marketing, small business start ups, independent artists and brand awareness. www.epicvu.com.