Arion Press matches the finest contemporary art with the finest literature, past and present, in books that are beautifully designed and produced. Founded by Andrew Hoyem in 1974, the Arion Press publishes deluxe, limited-edition books, many of them printed by letterpress, illustrated by prominent artists, and some accompanied by separate editions of original prints. Since 2001, Arion Press has been a cultural tenant at the Presidio, the National Park in San Francisco, where it shares a handsome industrial building with its second division, M & H Type—the oldest and largest type foundry in the United States, serving the font and typesetting needs of letterpress printers around the world—as well as its nonprofit adjunct, the Grabhorn Institute.

IN DIFFERENT LIGHT

I have been obsessed with photography since I was 12.  My challenge back then was, as it still is now, to present a perspective of our world that is just different enough for the viewer to take notice.  In our everyday lives we often gain insight into a problem that had been confounding us simply by taking a different approach, or if we are lucky enough, see the answer through another person's eyes.  In reality that answer had been there all along, waiting for us to discover.  Similarly, a scene that is considered mundane may become interesting under different conditions.  Those conditions could be anything - time of day, angle of view, the mindset of the viewer, the mood of the photographer.

So it is with these images that I welcome you to see our world in a different light.

After completing his graduate studies in Architecture and Art History, Romy worked as an interactive designer for the next ten years creating short films, Apps, websites, album art, posters, interactive DVDs and more. Longing to return to the design world, he spent a year learning about glass fusing, electronics and modern manufacturing techniques to create Looma. He plans to design other products and installations that combine interactive technologies, glass and LEDs. Originally from Ottawa, Canada Romy now resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Artist’s Statement:

As an artist/ craftsman who has been doing it for a while and who has taught, I often ask myself, what do I make? Things of truth and beauty. My recent work often reflects a synthesis of the excellent craft and design training I’ve had, informed by the skepticism I often feel, perhaps because of my earlier scientific training, perhaps because of my post catholic rejection of dogma. So I try to make work that is sensible and if possible, lovely.

Regarding the Entropic Sconce:

In this piece, I am  interested in movement and balance. Further, the idea of a candle burning to nothing in time interests me as a person living on a finite, soon to be exhausted planet. Thoughts of the human fuel burn, the end of life (mine and the earth’s biodiversity) come to mind.

The candle burns, the weight relationships of the piece change and the sconce slowly moves from the six o’clock position to the twelve o’clock, eclipsing the gold leafed disc. The piece has a slow, interesting movement and casts a great shadow. If done gently, you can spin the piece by hand, making the thing swing through a full circle and cause the shadow to move quickly. It reminds me of being in at a Calder Mobile show, where you  blow at the mobiles and make them move. You can quietly watch it or play with it, even though it is on fire. It looks great in a darkened room.

I am showing in SOMA with photographer, Gwen Fuller and abstract painter, Rick Fisher:

My photography shows what I see in my daily life. I try my best to look for offbeat, Americana, or anything that strikes me as odd or different. 

Organically inspired fine jewelry hand fabricated in 18 K gold and oxidized cobalt chrome with black, white and cognac diamonds

Larry Letofsky has emerged as one of the most talented and celebrated potters in the Bay Area. Describing his work as “pottery you can use,” the artist produces mostly bowls, mugs, plates and vases in a natural gas kiln and develops 20 or thirty glazes a year.

Letofsky was born in Fargo, North Dakota in 1940 and graduated from San Francisco State University in English literature and writing. He did his post-graduate work in Special Education and began his teaching career working with developmentally handicapped students. After a six-year stint (1962-1968) in the armed forces he returned to education, switching back to teaching English many years later and then retiring in 2001.

In 1970, Letofsky started his study of pottery and developed skills until 1990 at which time he began to work more intensely. His work in the field complements his deep interest in music – Larry is a devoted collector of jazz and classical recordings and memorabilia - and his rich background in literature.

The major influences in the Letofsky approach are the Japanese ceramicist Hamada (1894-1978) and the Nova Scotian born Brother Thomas (1929-2007). Larry Letofsky continues to create his fine, beautifully utilitarian pottery out of his studio in San Francisco.