J U D I T H P R E S E N T digital montage: "Ghost of Papa"
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from H i G H W A T E R M A R K S A L O [O] N volume 2 number 2
"1857-Purvis LaMar " from Ghosts of the South "Now right here...... Come forward boy....... We have a fine specimen of a Niggra. He don't come from the black continent; he comes from the Caribbean.... He's nice, he' fine and he' is high yella. HIGH YELLA! He can serve with the grace and etiquette equal to any European manner....turn boy, turn, let them see your grace and charm.... A wedding gift perhaps for the new bride, a treat for the mistress....a tender morsel for ones self......" |
Judith Present does many different things and has the knack of putting them all together for presentation. Whether performance and photo's, assemblages and music, or gardening and writing, she has an uncanny ability to combine her talents. "Ghosts of the South" is a multi-media piece that explores the two lives lived during the time of Slavery, continuing through the Civil War to Bobby Seal and the Black Panthers. Judith was a resident playwright in NYC at the American Renaissance Theatre where she wrote numerous plays, learned to act and direct. She took her talents with her to this area and ran "Theatricks by Starlight" for ten years. Being a Columnist for the Hancock Herald gave her the impetus to write a book on Small Town America and the American Dream. This gives her the chance to travel the country interviewing small towns, photographing the residents and finding out what they want and what makes them tick. Whether shooting photos in her garden or studying history Ms. Present likes to see things in a new light. She says, "Being creative is coming up with something no one else has." |