Jerry Uelsmann

Biography

BIOGRAPHY

• Born in Detroit on June 11th, 1934
• Enrolled at the Rochester Institute of Technology intending to become a portrait photographer
• In 1972, he received a National Endowment for the Arts and Guggenheim Fellowship
• A founding member of The Society of Photographic Education
• Inspired by a flaw he saw in an image; he reckoned he could do a better job.

STYLE

style

• Best known for skillfully layering his images without the use of Photoshop
• Photographs combine several negatives to create figures in unexpected ways
• His surreal images are done with his own intuition, feelings and thoughts
• Refers his photography as to dreams, surrealism/visual myth making.
• His work has a likeness to listening to music; you are immersed with feelings

METHODS

METHODS

• Uelsmann uses the camera to record images that form the basis
• Accomplishes his surreal images in a wet darkroom 
• Uses multiple negatives and enlargers to create a single unified image
• Uses highly-refined masking, diffusion, burning and dodging techniques
• Does not often have a specific composition in mind

PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy

• Photography is going beyond the camera and using different techniques to express you
• When capturing images he would try to find the quintessential thing happening in front of the camera.
• Trust what’s happening at a non-intellectual level that you can produce work that later resonates
• Realized he could compose images in the darkroom, therefore he has greater freedom and authenticity