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Jerry Uelsmann
Darkroom composite photography
Biography
● Born in Detroit on June 11, 1934
● Graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology in
1957 with a B.F.A.
● He then attended grad school at University of Indiana
where he received his M.S. and M.F.A. in 1960
● After graduating from grad school he went on to teach
photography at the University of Florida in Gainesville
● Became a graduate research professor of art in 1974
www.uelsmann.net/about
Biography
● Uelsmann has received many awards and honors
throughout his career and his work has been exhibited in
more than 100 individual shows. Some of his
photographs are also in permanent collections in
museums worldwide.
● He discovered a way to calibrate negatives on enlargers
to blend photos into a surrealist photomontage, and even
though he now has digital tools at his disposal he still
prefers working in the darkroom with the impressive
technique he developed.
“I’ve spent so much time in the darkroom that it’s a part of me
“
History of Photomontage ● Aligned himself with photomontage (Began in the 1920s)
Photography: the art or practice of taking and processing photographs.
Photomontage: A photomontage is a collage constructed from photographs
● Sub-genre of Photomontage is Surrealism Photomontage: Creating a world or image that goes beyond the physical world. It tampers with what is real and what is imaginary.
● Surreal = Beyond the real
● Credits Ulesmann uses are René Magritte, Oscar Rejlander and Henry Peach Robinson as part of his inspiration for his
photomontage images.
Ulesmann’s Artistic Processes
● Uelsmann began to experiment with a lot of darkroom
techniques in photography
● Developed techniques with combining multiple images;
resulting in different but impressive surrealist artworks.
● “Allegorical and surreal compositions through painstaking
handmade collage” - Artnet
● “Uelsmann relies on multiple exposures and uses many
enlargers to achieve his dream-like imagery.” -Artnet
● “Alchemy”—silver-halide photography and printing
Ulesmann’s Artistic Processes cont.
● First stage of his concept, is he collects seemingly
random items to be used in his images.
● Second stage, Ulesmann forms his artwork by
assembling ideas and items from his library of found
and preconceived pictures.
● Final stage, what separates Uelsmann from other
artists? He leaves the important part of the functioning
of the art to his audience.
One of his famous artworks: “Untitled 1976”
Dream Theater - 2004
Key Elements
- Blended Photomontage
- Varying Opacity
- Foreground, Mid, Background
- Contrast, Visual Weight
Untitled - 1996
Key Elements
- High Contrast
- Centered Composition
- Blending
- Meaning
Untitled - 1976
Key Elements
- Sharp masking
- Lighting
- Contrast
- Rule-of-thirds
Untitled ~ 1997
Key Elements
- Overlapping composition
- Noise
- Dodging and Burning
- Masking
Untitled - 1982
Key Elements
- Dodging and Burning
- Distorted Perspective
- Contrast
- Weight
Questions of Self - 2015
Key Elements
- Inversion
- Intention
Untitled - 1997
Key Elements
- Burning
- Contrast
- Scale
Memories of Max Ernst - 1997
Key elements
- Light - Overlaying images - Perspective
Untitled - 1996Key elements
- Perception - Contrast
Untitled - 1992Key elements
- Central focal point -
Untitled - 1990
Key elements
- Scale- Lighting -
Untitled - 1992
Key elements
- Contrast - Fading - Dodging and burning
Untitled - 1985
Key elements
- Emphases using light- Shading- High contrast
Sources: “Jerry Uelsmann.” Alfred Eisenstaedt Biography and Humble Beginnings, FotogPedia, 2014, www.fotogpedia.com/jerry-uelsmann.htm.
Artnet. “Jerry Uelsmann.” Jerry Uelsmann, Artnet Worldwide Corporation, www.artnet.com/artists/jerry-uelsmann/.
Harris, Mark Edward. “An Interview With Jerry Uelsmann.” Digital Photo Pro, Photographer Profiles, 25 Apr. 2016, www.digitalphotopro.com/profiles/jerry-uelsmann-the-alchemist/#.
Tate. “Photomontage – Art Term.” Tate, Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/p/photomontage.
“Biography.” Jerry Uelsmann, 2012, www.uelsmann.net/about.php.
“Jerry Uelsmann - 125 Artworks, Bio & Shows.” Artsy, Artsy, www.artsy.net/artist/jerry-uelsmann.
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