LYNN ― More than anything else, Ellery Sanchez loves photography and his son ― not necessarily in that order.
The artist and his 11-year-old son, Ellery Sanchez Jr., will both be featured in Galleries at LynnArts’ current exhibition, “Past and Present: Black Art and Artists,” making the elder Sanchez one proud papa.
“This guy over here took a picture of a monarch butterfly and everything kind of blew up after that, thanks to him,” Sanchez said of his son.
The butterfly photo garnered a lot of attention once Sanchez uploaded it to social media, and the father-son duo were able to sell a few prints. It was then that Sanchez’s mother suggested the two start a small photography business ― Ellery Jr. suggested the name ‘Ellery and Son,’ and “it’s been great ever since.”
Sanchez could not be prouder of his photographic progeny, and he is well aware of the benefits to their burgeoning company (Ellery Jr.’s physical perspective is different from his adult-sized dad’s, creating the opportunity for a variety of shots), and to his son’s developing mind.
“He has a child’s mind so he might see something totally different (from me): Innocent, simple,” Sanchez said. “It gives him the opportunity to appreciate photography as well and I’m hoping that when he gets older he knows you can have this as a hobby or a job or both. I’m just trying to instill some artistry in him.”
Despite the gulf in their respective ages, both Sanchez and his son are relatively new to photography, having picked up the craft during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when free time and empty space abounded.
For Sanchez, picking up photography was as simple as happening upon a used DSLR in a second-hand shop in Chelsea. A day spent chasing seagulls on Revere Beach with Ellery Jr. cemented in his mind that this art form was a perfect fit for the two of them.
“The streets were quiet almost every day and there was nobody on the road, so we just took a lot of road trips up the North Shore Rockport, Gloucester, and places like that,” said Sanchez. “And one thing led to another.”
While Sanchez and Ellery Jr. had the opportunity to present art at the Marblehead Arts Association and put up an unofficial gallery at Lynn’s Walnut Street Cafe ― a hotbed of local creativity, according to Sanchez ― his first chance to present at an art exhibition in the city is now.
“Past and Present” Co-Chair Nicole McClain referred Sanchez to Galleries at LynnArts (GALA) Director Annette Sykes, and thus his status as GALA artist was made official.
“I used to write poetry and perform with hip-hop artists, underground artists, back in the day so I always had a niche for art. Now I’m expressing myself more through my lens rather than speaking into a microphone or recording a song,” he reflected. “I’m telling you it’s a blessing, it’s a dream come true, finally being able to (present) in your own hometown.”
“Past and Present” seeks not only to highlight the work of contemporary Black artists working in Lynn, but to also celebrate the work of Black artists throughout history. Each featured artist has been asked to present selected work of a historical Black artist. Sanchez and son decided upon Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Why did a photography duo choose a neo-Expressionist painter as their featured artist?
“The way I take my pictures is a little unorthodox,” Sanchez explained. “It’s meant to look like a painting.”
Sanchez’s paintings ― odes to the natural beauty of the Northeast ― capture the changing seasons by depicting wildlife with a painter’s composition and, of course, lavish amounts of color. While Basquiat might not be the first artist conjured by Sanchez’s works, each vivid landscape depicts vibrancy and vividity in excess, something to which Basquiat was no stranger.
Then there’s Basquiat’s story.
“(Basquiat) also shares my heritage of being half Puerto Rican,” he said. “Also, he sold his first art for $200 and that’s how much I usually charge for my photography frames, in the hopes that it’ll bring me good luck.”
“It’s nice that I could sell something once in a while,” Sanchez added. “Everybody wants to get rich, right? But with art it’s different ― a different enrichment. It’s more about the satisfaction of people admiring your work, complimenting or even criticizing.”
Sanchez plans to stick faithfully to photography and to Ellery and Son, and it’s already paying off; he has another Marblehead Arts Association show slated for April. He is also looking into getting a grant that would allow him to start teaching photography foundations including framing, matting, and mounting one’s work.
“After one opportunity comes another one, maybe a little setback, but I feel like maybe this (GALA) show invigorated me to get back in it, this time with both feet in instead of just one,” Sanchez said. “I’m going full tilt and I’m not looking back and I’m trying to take my son along for the ride.”
Of course, some rewards are worth more than all the money and fame in the world.
When asked who his favorite photographer was, Ellery Jr. tilted his head toward his dad.
“Him.”