Photographer John Masi with an image of vintage Asbury Park sign 'Tillie.'
Growing up, Johnson Avenue resident John Masi was the artist among his friends, the one who could paint and draw, make collages, but with a special affinity for photography.
He started snapping pictures in elementary school and has not stopped. He will display more than 50-years’ worth of pictures, at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, 695 Bloomfield Ave., Montclair.
The exhibition begins this week and runs through November. Closer to home, Masi will exhibit a smaller batch of images, for one day, Sunday, Sept. 28, at the Bloomfield Presbyterian Church on the Green. This will be in conjunction with a jazz concert that day in the church sanctuary to raise money for the restoration of the sanctuary. Masi said he likes to photograph vintage signage, something with a nostalgic feel.
“That’s what hits me,” he said.
He grew up on Clifton Avenue, Newark, near the Basilica, across the street from the Branch Brook Park branch of the Newark library system.
“I helped them with the bulletin board displays, putting on plays and had my first show at the library — collages, paintings and photos,” he said.
Masi attended Essex Catholic High School and wanted to be a journalist. Although accepted at Montclair State College, he did not attend because he could not afford it. Instead he went to the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts which had a three-year program.
During this time, he became a summer intern in the visual arts department at PSE&G, where his father was employed. After working two summers, he was attending the company Christmas party when a supervisor asked if he would like to come to work full time in visual arts.
He did, but after work would go to the art school to use its darkroom. He managed to graduate with his class and was asked by the photography teacher to take over his class. He was retiring.
Masi worked for PSE&G for 43 years and taught at Newark Arts for 11 years.
“And I loved it,” he said. “I loved work and going into the darkroom and developing on my own.”
The Montclair show will have images from Newark, Asbury Park and other locations including Hoboken’s Clam Broth House signage.
“The show is called ‘Flashback,” he said. “It’s a combination of old sites and a retrospective of my work, about 30 works. Half the time, if I like the photograph, it doesn’t sell, but Asbury Park photos sell. The Bloomfield show is a crap shot — an assortment of different work.”
People, he said, have come and gone, good and bad. But photography has never left him — it’s his ‘go to.’
A portion of the sales from the Montclair show will be donated to Tony’s Kitchen, the food ministry of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Montclair.
About the Author
