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It is fitting that Tom Bamberger: Hyperphotographic is the first exhibition to engulf all three of the Museum of Wisconsin Art's changing exhibition spaces (three galleries, two hallways and an atrium, to be precise). As the size, subject matter and technical achievement of the 130+ photographs and digital works on display make evident, Tom Bamberger is an artist given to extremes. (Urban Milwaukee readers will also know Bamberger from his In Public column on architecture and public art.)

The most self-evidently extreme of Bamberger's works are two monumental photographs taken with a GigaPan, the camera co-invented by NASA to capture extremely high-definition pictures of the surface of Mars. Bamberger puts the technology to different use. To be sure, a compulsion to saturate his photographs with as much detail as possible - to "take up your brain's bandwidth," in his apt phrase - is one of the guiding threads of Bamberger's oeuvre. But the GigaPans contain more than detail. As their curatorial classification "Timescapes" suggests, Bamberger's GigaPans are photographs of time. Indeed, the thirty-five feet of Civil Twilight and twenty-two feet of Pete's World each embrace roughly thirty-five minutes.

How is it possible to compress duration into a moment? As noted, the GigaPan was invented to take detailed panoramic photographs. Such scientifically useful muscularity of detail requires time to gather. To do so, the GigaPan is programmed to divide a vista into a composite of hundreds of individual photographs, which it then takes one by one, top to bottom, left to right (or vice versa). Consequently, successive rows of images may be recorded minutes apart.

Bamberger took advantage of this technical quirk. Civil Twilight, for instance, is a study of the eponymous time when the sun first drops below the horizon. Weighing in at some three hundred photographic cells, the thirty-five-foot long photograph rewards being viewed from different distances - up close so as to appreciate the density of detail and from afar for the panoptic view.

Despite the enormity of his "Timescapes," Bamberger is really a minimalist at heart. Other bodies of work operate on a significantly smaller scale, distilling photography to its most basic elements and creating a photographic analogue to literary forms like the haiku or aphorism.

For years Bamberger was fixated on horizon lines, using the phenomenon to orient his photographs. The images themselves are rather small and their compactness is enhanced by being printed on outsized sheets of unexposed white paper. "The small horizons have the same density of information as larger photographs," notes Bamberger, "the difference is in the appropriate viewing distance." Just as a shout might arouse us from distraction whereas a whisper bids us listen carefully, the small horizons draw us closer as if ready to divulge a secret.

Although the "Timescapes" and the "Horizon Line" photographs both fall under the rubric of landscape photography, they represent the genre's ability to work with different degrees of specificity. The "Timescapes" are places par excellence. The twenty-two foot Pete's World is awash in here-ness and now-ness. The high-powered GigaPan articulates individual leaves, distinguishing with its robust detail this particular place from all others. And during the thirty-five minutes of capture time, a brief rain shower was preserved between bookends of climatic calm. With its astonishing precision, Pete's World is a photograph of a particular place during a particular time.

The "Horizon Line" photographs, on the other hand, are comparatively placeless. Differentiating marks have been removed by design and often the only clue situating the subject is in the title, as in the case of Untitled (Pretty Wisconsin Landscape) and Untitled (East Colorado). The grammar of this suite of photographs is comprised of rich tonal and textural contrast between the earth and the bleached-out skies, which blend imperceptibly into the white of the photographic paper.

Bamberger sees the "Horizon Line" photographs as his conquering of the need for meaning in art. After his early forays in portraiture and landscape photography, which are psychologically and symbolically suggestive, Bamberger became skeptical of the place of meaning in art. Photographically, this skepticism manifested in moving farther and farther away from his subject matter, progressively denuding his pictures of human figures and distinctive markers of place. Bamberger's horizon line photographs are his first to fully realize the potential of placeless places.

Ok, a multi-image digital installation nearly ten years in the making, is Bamberger's return to meaning. The setup replicates Bamberger's personal desktop computer, for the simple reason that Ok is a refined version of Bamberger's screensaver. As an image connoisseur, whenever a photograph caught his eye or a digital experimentation yielded a satisfying result, Bamberger would save it to a folder entitled "Ok." When his screensaver kicked on, images would be drawn randomly from this cache of approximately eight thousand, appearing on one of three screens at skewed intervals of eight seconds.

What initially interested Bamberger in the artistic potential of his screensaver was not merely the fact that he was no longer the center of attention whenever his computer took a nap, but the curious response that was common across viewers: "No matter whether they're art historians or the Fed Ex guy," says Bamberger, "there's a sound people make when they watch it-'hm.' It's the sound of something making sense but not in any linear way." That the effect of Ok was the same for the artistically literate and laymen suggested that something deeper was at play, something about the sense-making faculties of the human brain.

Recently, Bamberger sent me an email with the slightly alarming subject line "IMPORTANT READ ME INTERESTING." The email linked to a recent piece by Teju Cole, the photography critic of The New York Times Magazine, entitled "A Photograph Never Stands Alone." The email consisted entirely of a lengthy quote culled from the article and, despite offering no commentary, it was clear from our many conversations that he was thinking of Ok: "...soon after the invention of photography, the world was full of photographs, and newly made photographs could not avoid semantic contamination...All images, regardless of the date of their creation, exist simultaneously and are pressed into service to help us make sense of other images. This suggests a possible approach to photography criticism: a river of interconnected images wordlessly but fluently commenting on one another."

Ok makes a photography critic of the viewer. The aforementioned "hm." that caught Bamberger's attention is simply the viewer's recognition of interconnections between the images; for instance, when a triptych of tree limbs, masts in a shipyard and branching fractions line up like a slot machine that has just hit the jackpot.

Tom Bamberger: Hyperphotographic is the artist's most complete retrospective to date, encompassing his earliest photographic experiments from the late 1970s through digital works completed this year. Despite the diversity of subjects covered and techniques used, the retrospective reveals abiding artistic impulses that have guided Bamberger's work over the past 40 years. For instance, from his early adoption of Kodak's SO424, a film used by scientists and military personnel to record lasers, to more recent work with the GigaPan, Bamberger's interest in science and technology has informed his practice from the start.

The retrospective was occasioned by Bamberger's gift of nearly 400 works to the Museum of Wisconsin Art. "This is the largest and most important gift of artwork to MOWA since its founding in 1961," says Laurie Winters, the CEO and Executive Director of MOWA. The retrospective is a rare opportunity to see a lifetime of work emanating from one of Wisconsin's boldest and most distinctive artistic visions.

Tom Bamberger: Hyperphotographic is on view at the Museum of Wisconsin Art through May 21. On April 8 and 22, from 1-4 pm, Bamberger will be at MOWA to speak with visitors.
On Saturday, May 6, at 1 p.m., Bamberger will be joined by friends and colleagues including Debra Brehmer, Director, Portrait Society Gallery; Dick Blau, Photographer and Professor of Film Emeritus at UW-Milwaukee; John Koethe, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at UW-Milwaukee and Wisconsin's first Poet Laureate; Dean Sobel, Director, Clyfford Still Museum, Denver, Fred Stonehouse, Professor of Painting at UW-Madison; and Laurie Winters, CEO and Executive Director of MOWA. On May 13, there will be a discussion on "Placemaking in Milwaukee" with Bamberger and a slew of local architects and leaders in Milwaukee's creative community. For more information on these and other MOWA events, see wisconsinart.org.
Tom Bamberger: Hyperphotographic Gallery

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It is fitting that Tom Bamberger: Hyperphotographic is the first exhibition to engulf all three of the Museum of Wisconsin Art's changing exhibition spaces (three galleries, two hallways and an atrium, to be precise). As the size, subject matter and technical achievement of the 130+ photographs and digital works on display make evident, Tom Bamberger is an artist given to extremes.

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Tom Bamberger: Hyperphotographic | Museum of Wisconsin Art

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Tom Bamberger | Museum of Contemporary Photography

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Tom Bamberger attended Boston University and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he studied philosophy and taught mathematical logic. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions, including shows at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the ASA Gallery at the University of New Mexico; and the Milwaukee Art Museum.

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Home site of the artist Sandy Skoglund with images of recent work, including installation views.

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In 2008, Skoglund completed a series titled "True Fiction Two". This project is similar to the "True Fiction" series that she began in 1986. This series was not completed due to the discontinuation of materials that Skoglund was using. Kodak canceled the production of the dye that Skoglund was using for her prints.

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Born in 1946 in Massachusetts, Sandy Skoglund is a American installation artist and photographer. She graduated in 1968 from Smith College where she studied studio art, history and fine art. A year later, she went to University of Iowa, a graduate institute, where she learned printing, multimedia and filmmaking. In 1971 and 1972, she earned a Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts, respectively. From here onwards, she started working in New York as a conceptual artist. However, she soon became fond of photography and so in 1978 as a first assignment for herself, she photographed food stuff.

Skoglund worked with food items against colorful and patterned backgrounds. It was her means to develop a universal language - without a doubt everyone eats. The intention to use food as a subject was to create a connection with the spectators of her work. Today in the world people are injecting various chemicals in to food items to give them a different appeal for example by using artificial colorings to stimulate the appearance of vegetables and fruits. In advertisements, photography is used as a tool to capture the enhancements of looks in something. For example oily coatings to give shine to food surfaces or usage of dimethicone to reproduce sweat on a chilled glass. This is why Skoglund had a fondness in studying and working with food since there is a plethora of options to re-create something.

Sandy Skoglund produces surrealist photographs by constructing intricate tableaux. She colors the set, places life size objects and subjects. This process for a single piece takes her months to finish. Once she is done staging the desired scene, she photographs it. Skoglund fulfils her artistic endeavors with photography and most importantly is able to document it - she is able to experiment with varying themes.

One of her renowned works include Radioactive Cats, which features clay cats painted green, running in rampage in a grey kitchen. In there, an old man is sitting on one of the chairs of a round table facing opposite the camera and a woman is looking inside a refrigerator. Another widely recognized installation photo is Fox Games. This piece is somewhat following a similar theme as the cats one. Another often recognized work by Skoglund is Revenge of the Goldfish, in which many fish are suspended above people positioned on bed late at night. The image was featured in the cover album of Inspiral Carpets, an alternative rock band.

Sandy Skoglund served as an art lecturer from 1973 to 1976 at the University of Hartford. Currently she is a professor of art multimedia/ installation and photography in New Jersey at Rutgers University.

In 2004, she complete True Fiction Two - a series that she started off with in 1986. It took so long because she faced problems with the unavailability of materials she began using in her pieces. Hence, she had to suit her work according to what was feasible and manageable.

Skoglund demonstrates a great ability to oppose reality to imagination. She mixes the artificial with the natural and this is the origin of her interest. She attracted to some artificial objects so much so that her life depends on them. Things like fragrant creams for skin, colorful and interesting fabrics and etc. For Sandy Skoglund, a world without artificial amplification is unthinkable. She believes that she is definitely not the only one doing this everyday in her life.

Her works have been displayed at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Dayton Art Institute and Museum of Contemporary Photography in Columbia.

Sandy Skoglund Photos

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Born in 1946 in Massachusetts, Sandy Skoglund is a American installation artist and photographer. She graduated in 1968 from Smith College where she studied studio art, history and fine art. A year later, she went to University of Iowa, a graduate institute, where she learned printing, multimedia and filmmaking.

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Find artworks for sale and information related to Sandy Skoglund (American, 1946) on artnet. Browse gallery artworks, auctions, art events, biography details, news, and more for Sandy Skoglund.

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William Kentridge - Yahoo Image Search Results

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Nate Swain is an artist best known for his photo-murals located in Boston's North End

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Nate Swain is an artist best known for his photo-murals located in Boston's North End

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Official page for fine art photographer Ljubodrag Andric.

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Andric Ljubodrag - Yahoo Image Search Results

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Andric Ljubodrag is a self-taught photographer born in Belgrade Yugoslavia. He was just 21 years old when he got his first paid job as a photographer. He lives in Toronto and shoots advertising campaigns in Europe, Canada, and the U.S.

He does nearly all of his own post-production work, believes shooting from real life is the key to creating compelling photography. He reserves the digital phase for enhancing atmosphere, not assembling the illusion of reality.

"A good image should always leave some questions unanswered," he says.

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People and Space Photos By Andric Ljubodrag

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Andric Ljubodrag is a self-taught photographer born in Belgrade Yugoslavia. He was just 21 years old when he got his first paid job as a photographer . He lives in Toronto and shoots advertising campaigns in Europe, Canada, and the U.S.

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Website of Swedish surreal photographer Erik Johansson.

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Website of Swedish surreal photographer Erik Johansson.

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Impossible Photos of Erik Johansson | Create

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Erik Johansson is a master of photo retouching; using Adobe Photoshop, he creates very realistic-looking surreal landscapes and images reminiscent of Escher and Dalí.

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I came into photography and advertising assignments when crafting the one perfect, signature image was key. Now we create several signature images and a film and secondary shots and portraits and Behind the Scenes, all in the same time.

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Erik Almas is equal parts photographer and artist. Based in San Francisco, California, he originally hails from Norway and credits his upbringing for influencing his romantic, surrealistic style. Almas took some time to discover his signature look, but it was worth the wait. His creative image compositions fuel the imagination and keep clients coming back for more. In this interview with Photoshop.com, Almas shares his thoughts on photography, light, and creating visually appealing images.

Photoshop.com: Which piece of equipment couldn't you live without and why?

Erik Almas: I find there are different tools for different images, so I'm not sure if there's one specific thing I couldn't live without. As long as there's a camera I can use I'm happy.

Photoshop.com: What role does Adobe Photoshop software play in your photography process?

Erik Almas: For me, Photoshop has become a true extension of my image making and how I take pictures, so it plays a big role in the whole process. Before Photoshop, one would pick a film with the characteristics appropriate for the job and add filters to the lens to enhance it before heading to the darkroom. Today, Photoshop has all the characteristics of the film, the filters, and the darkroom. For me, it's the gateway for compositing different elements into one picture, which allows for truly making images rather than just taking them.

Photoshop.com: How did you create the result in the image of the woman hailing a taxi?

Erik Almas: This image was shot in Barcelona for Spanish Tourism with McCann Erickson, Madrid. It seems quite simple, but there were a lot of subtle details involved. Standing between buildings with no room to pull back I had to do a pan of several exposures to capture the complete background. We also wanted to give the image some visual depth so we shot a separate camera angle down the avenue around the corner from where we were standing. These exposures were several seconds long in order to get the depth of field we wanted. Our model was lit by four strobes and photographed separately and then combined with the longer background exposures. We later added smaller elements like the taxi sign, cars and their taillights, and the sky. We also did several color explorations but decided to stay with the cool blue evening color.

Photoshop.com: Describe a favorite photo you've shot and what grabs you about it.

Erik Almas: The image of the woman wading in the water is a signature piece of mine and in some ways it has defined me as a photographer. I shot this about nine years ago and at the time I was scratching the surface of what would be my style of photography. After getting the film from the lab and working with the scans in Photoshop I realized that this was it. This picture embodied all the things I wanted to capture in my imagery. The landscape and its light quality, the color palette and its painterly feeling, and the emotion and the subtle metaphors evoked by the girl wading in the water. What I wanted to capture had been brewing in me for some time and the atmosphere and light in this picture sort of came to the surface. I became conscious of the light and emotion that attracted me, and all the pictures I have taken since have in many ways been based on this one photograph.

Photoshop.com: How do you know that a photo is really good?

Erik Almas: An image is really good when it evokes some kind of emotional response from the viewer. A photograph can be great to me in many ways, without meaning much to other people who look at it. I can love an image for the cool way it was lit or some new technical achievement. Facebook is great because you get instant feedback on what images people respond to and I have found it so fascinating that many of my favorite images are rarely the ones people like the most.

Photoshop.com: What are your favorite features in the latest release of Photoshop? Why?

Erik Almas: The enhancements to the selection technology in Photoshop CS5 are great. It wasn't that long ago that I used to cut up Polaroids and tape parts of them together to show ideas to clients. Now, I can do rough comps on set in just minutes and give clients confidence that a shoot is headed in the right direction. I still do the final compositing pixel by pixel. It might take five minutes to make things fit visually, but it can take five hours to make them pixel perfect.

Photoshop.com: Was there a defining moment when you knew that it was time to take pictures professionally or was it a gradual transition?

Erik Almas: I didn't set out to become a photographer. I started skiing, took some pictures, and got some published. Joining the National Defense in Norway was mandatory, and during that time I took a darkroom course. Next I spent some time as a DJ, but got tired of it. At 22, I thought photography sounded like fun. The idea of studying in the U.S. came up randomly, and three months later I was there. I attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco for four years. Halfway through the program I became addicted to photography. In the beginning I focused on sports photography, but at some point what I was doing changed from taking pictures to making pictures and I started shooting people and places. I went through all of the normal struggles of a young photographer and almost gave it up, but after a few smaller articles and one big article in Communication Arts, I was on my way.

Photoshop.com: How have you evolved as a photographer/artist?

Erik Almas: When starting out, I approached my picture taking very intuitively. It was very much a reaction to things I saw. As I built a body of work, the same themes and subject matter, textures and light started to surface and this made me aware of what I was responding to and attracted to visually. This has allowed me to be more proactive and put myself in situations I knew I would like and that would have good outcomes. This awareness of what I'm seeking in my pictures and what I want them to contain truly lets me explore my vision and who I am as a photographer.

Photoshop.com: Describe what gives your photos a recognizable style.

Erik Almas: There is a softness and quietness and romanticism to my work. I didn't develop it on purpose; it is more of a reflection of who I am and my upbringing. I try to create a quiet sense of beauty and a sense of bigness and forward motion. I want images to feel photo-real even though they are composited. This style is applicable to lots of industries, including travel, healthcare, and more.

Photoshop.com: How do you apply your point of view to shoots for various clients?

Erik Almas: I always try to find a standpoint that I can relate to myself. I try to understand the client goals and then say something more with pictures. For example, I worked on a campaign for Union Pacific where the brand message was building America. I'm from Norway, so whenever I took a picture I thought about how I was building that dream myself. For my healthcare clients, I try to find out what a specific drug does that is useful to myself or someone close to me and focus on that so I can offer a viewpoint that is solid and honest. As I've matured as a photographer and an image maker I think it's very important to include my voice in every picture I take.

Photoshop.com: What artist(s)/photographer(s) do you admire?

Erik Almas: There are so many amazing photographers out there and I get inspired by images created by different people every single day. It's hard to name a few but a shortlist of five would right now include Paolo Roversi, Annie Leibovitz, Bruno Aveillan, Eugenio Recuenco, and Irving Penn.

Photoshop.com: What's next for you and your photography career?

Erik Almas: There are so many things I'd like to accomplish and achieve visually. I want to continue to explore myself and make my images even more personal than they are today. I also want to create images that tell a story, making the moment of capture a part of the unseen moments taking place before and after. In making my still photography more cinematic I have also started shooting video with my DSLR cameras. It's a fascinating process to go from crafting one defining moment in time to many visual moments that combine to tell a story.

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Insights and ideas from Erik Almas, Adobe ® Photoshop ® user

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Erik Almas is equal parts photographer and artist. Based in San Francisco, California, he originally hails from Norway and credits his upbringing for influencing his romantic, surrealistic style. Almas took some time to discover his signature look, but it was worth the wait. His creative image compositions fuel the imagination and keep clients coming back for more.

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The official website of collage artist Joe Webb.

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joe webb art - Yahoo Image Search Results