Are you an artist, arts organization or venue?

artist

What town do you live in?

Warwick

In which disciplines do you work or exhibit?

Photography, Digital Media, Installation

Artist Statement/Bio

Tom Wyatt is a photographic artist from the small Western Massachusetts hill town called Warwick. He grew up traveling the world with his family, exploring cultural sites & art museums. His critical eye and aesthetic interest grew as an avocation over the years as he became a teacher, and moved west to build a home and raise a family. After working in retail sales and kitchen design, Tom jumped at the chance to dive headlong into photography in 1995. He completed the intensive 10-month program at the Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls MA. A business as a commercial photographer ensued for the next several years. However, Tom eventually shifted his attention and viewfinder toward the mysteries inherent in reflected surfaces - such as water, ice, glass and metal. An artistic passion was rekindled and regional exhibits followed. The style he developed focuses on abstractions and impressions that surround us but often remain hidden in this busy world. His narrative follows.

For many years I have photographed water reflections, enjoying the impressionistic effects of rippling water. These images maintained aspects of realism; objects such as lily pads or leaves could be seen, or the subjects (trees, fences, buildings…) were still recognizable. However, over time I experimented with focusing completely on the distorted patterns portrayed on the water’s surface. These moving forms highlighted the colors, textures, lines and shapes for their own sake. The playful compositions were enhanced since the reflected scene was no longer identifiable. By losing representation, the photographs opened the door for the viewer to perceive the work without reference points. They were invited to imagine whatever popped into their minds, or just take a visual vacation amongst the swirls, ruffles or doodles. Ah, the mesmerizing power of ripples!

I was excited by my discovery, knowing that much of this surrealism was visible to the naked human eye and could be found in lakes, pools or harbors around our world. It has motivated me to look more carefully at water and other shiny reflective surfaces, like glass, metal or fiberglass. This work-in-progress is the result of that exploration.

My process begins with observing the shady side of ponds, rivers, and bays; this followed by zooming in on the reflected sunlit patterns and colors. The motion of the water is both creative and challenging. If the water is moving too fast, the reflections blur, while too little motion makes for dull scenes. Moving closer, using a long telephoto lens and fast shutter speed makes it possible to enlarge and freeze the detailed shapes as they bend and swirl. Many times I cannot see exactly what I’ve captured while I’m doing it because the movements are constantly shifting.

As I sit at my computer I get to see what’s appeared. Then I have fun with cropping and rotating the photographs, enhancing the composition of the forms which I’ve found. I often choose not to do extensive altering of colors or other digital manipulation, trying to come as close as possible in the final image to what I originally saw. More recently I have begun experimenting on certain images with modifying colors and tones well beyond the captured image. Exploring this feels right to me as I view myself more now as an artist than a photographer. Nevertheless, my creative fascination is still rooted in discovering what is mysterious, whimsical and artistically joyful around us.

Website

http://www.tomwyattphoto.com