Photo courtesy of Dr. Larry Brecker
Dr. Larry Brecker, a fine art photographer, was chosen by the PV Arts Board to be the featured artist at Paradise Valley Town Hall for 2023-2024. A Paradise Valley resident, Brecker will exhibit 40 pieces of fine art photography featuring Arizona flora and work influenced by ikebana, the art of Japanese floral arranging.
The year-long exhibition opens to the public for self-guided tours on Wednesday, Oct. 25 during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Special “Meet the Artist” receptions, free to the public, are scheduled from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. December 7 and February 7 and April 18, 2024. Brecker will answer questions about his work and sign his newly released art book, “Desert Inspired.”
PV Arts Board Chair Laura Paquelet-Carpinelli encourages residents and visitors alike to experience Brecker’s art.
“The passion and clarity of Larry’s work was evident to each of our board members who toured his studio,” Paquelet says. “The joy and enthusiasm Larry shared while explaining how he completes a piece from concept to finalization was informative and triggered emotional connections. His art moved us, and it was no surprise that the board unanimously voted to invite him to be a PV Arts Board Featured Artist.”
Brecker, a New York native, is a life-long photographer. His interest grew while traveling extensively in Europe during his medical school training in Geneva, Switzerland. With his medical degree in hand, Brecker chose Tucson for his internship and fell in love with Arizona.
“Four years of dermatology specialty training in Oklahoma introduced me to pathology. The importance of subtle differences in detail, color, and texture was crucial for diagnosis of skin diseases. One of the first things I learned was to look at the big picture, then to dial into the microenvironment. Capturing light and shadows to show color, texture, depth, and detail on the slide became an obsession,” Brecker says.
He chose Phoenix to open his practice, where he further honed his skills while photographing skin lesions for educational lectures.
He shared his own nature and landscape photography in his office and created a gallery with moveable walls in the waiting room. While he also showcased other artists’ work, none of the work was for sale.
Brecker’s body of work on display at Town Hall shows his evolution and transition through various photographic techniques over the last 20 years.
“I chose work for this exhibition primarily from my wife Carol’s and my Arizona garden. I love exposing intimate close-ups of desert flora and immortalizing Carol’s ephemeral Ikebana arrangements in my work,” he says.
For more information, visit paradisevalleyaz.gov. To see more of Brecker’s work, visit breckerarts.com.
