Dick Roberts grew up listening to the sounds of the Northwestern freight trains traveling between Milwaukee and Chicago in the early mornings.
As a boy, he loved the endless "click-clack" and the soft night whistle. Like so many other youngsters, these sounds conjured up sweet dreams of far away places. In his provocative photographic exhibit entitled "Fast Tracks," local photographer Dick Roberts captures the spirit of traveling by rail in large format photographs. "Fast Tracks" will be on display Arcadia Coffee Company in Old Greenwich, Conn., from SUNDAY, APRIL 1, UNTIL MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2007. In addition, there will be an opening reception with the artist, Dick Roberts, from 3:00 -- 5:00 P.M., SUNDAY, APRIL 1, 2007.
Roberts, who has been drawn toward and inspired by trains most of his life, said one of his most exotic and inspiring rail journeys was, "A sunset ride in Sierra Leone from Freetown to the diamond mines in the wild northern hills in 1965 while working on a documentary. The engineer of an old narrow gauge steam engine invited me to his cab, and for the first time I saw at rickety speed the beauty of miles of converging tracks. It was like a constant arrow shooting forward, cutting a blurred path through endless African jungle." In "Fast Tracks," Roberts captures the beauty most people probably miss during a seemingly mundane trip from the suburbs to New York City on Metro-North in the monumental works on display. The pieces are quite large -- each measuring 30 x 40 inches.
Dick Roberts has been a documentary film maker for many years, affording him travel to many interesting places including his trip to Sierra Leone. He spent six years living and working in Paris, where he had the exciting opportunity to meet the world-renowned photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and show him his work. Cartier-Bresson was both encouraging and inspiring and became a major influence on Roberts' work. Mr. Roberts currently lives in Riverside, Conn. His work was recently exhibited at the Century Association in New York City.
