Jerry Uelsmann Research Paper Essay Example

Jerry Uelsmann: Genius of the Dark Room Most photographers’ pictures depict real life things or events. However, Jerry Uelsmann’s pictures depict fantasies. He creates imaginary worlds in his photographs; places people can only dream of. He uses his photographs to get people to look beyond what they see. Jerry Uelsmann was born on June 11, 1934 in Detroit Michigan. At age 14, his father encouraged him to take photographs and he fell in love with photography. In 1957, Jerry received his B.F.A. degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He received his M.S. and M.F.A. at Indiana University in 1960. He studied photography under Minor White and Ralph Hattersley at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He later studied with Henry Holmes Smith at Indiana University. Eventually, Jerry became an art professor at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Jerry uses his photographs to create photomontages. He combines multiple negatives in the dark room to build a single picture. His photographs are slightly eerie, but they feel like a dream. Uelsmann’s photographs are unrealistic yet meaningful. He uses his artwork to sway people’s emotions and make them think about what they are really seeing. Uelsmann’s work is very different than most others. In 1969, Uelsmann created a black and white photomontage that he never named. At the top of the picture, in the background, there are clouds. Underneath the clouds there is a mountain range that has some very light lines on it. In front of the mountains, there is a large grassy area with rocks on the far left and right sides of the picture. From halfway down the picture, to the bottom, there are more clouds. There is a small circular grassy island in the center. Just above this island, there is a deciduous tree with its roots exposed floating in the air. In the clouds at the bottom, there is a long oval with pointy ends with 12 smaller ovals lined up horizontally inside it. Uelsmann’s use of the elements is