The Pyramids at Dawn. Jesse Kalisher. 2001.
A local artist has died, but his work lives on in some of the most prominent galleries and exhibits around the world.
Jesse Kalisher was a photographer who received his first camera from his father, Simpson, on his sixth birthday.
After coming of age, he embarked on an eleven-year stint in advertising that ended with a venture to Vietnam.
His passion for picture-taking was rekindled there when he viewed village life through the lens of a compact camera.
Llama at Machu Picchu. Jesse Kalisher. 2000.
Kalisher considered himself to be an observer whose camera was “a vehicle for capturing what actually exists in life.”
His photographs are the work of an artist seeking “a window into human achievement and the human condition.”
Some of those photographs are on display in the Louvre, the Smithsonian and the George Eastman Museum.
Prior to his death, Kalisher ran an art gallery and consulting outfit at 209 East Main Street in Carrboro, North Carolina.
Obama. Jesse Kalisher. 2008.
He was diagnosed earlier this year with a form of cancer that he described as “rare and aggressive.”
That description was provided in a post of his titled “Farewell & Gratitude” that was published online last week.
Kalisher is survived by his wife, Helen, his son, Jordan, and his daughter, Tamar.
Great portrait of our friend as an artist, but not enough how he turned his art into an international business based in Carrboro (long since not an “art gallery”) selling fine art reproductions to hotels and other institutions. Jesse also was committed to the community, endeavoring to form an organization of Carrboro based businesses.
Very sad news indeed. He was a neighbor when we lived in Chapel Hill. His wife and children are in our thoughts.
In Memory of a Great Man who loved this little village in Rwanda … http://www.journeymaninternational.org/build/