Jerry Uelsmann

Not to be confused with Jerry Yulsman.

Jerry Uelsmann
Jerry Uelsmann at Lucie Awards in 2015
BornJune 11, 1934
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
DiedApril 4, 2022(2022-04-04) (aged 87)
Gainesville, Florida, U.S.
Alma materIndiana University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Known forPhotography

Jerry Norman Uelsmann (June 11, 1934 – April 4, 2022) was an American photographer.

As an emerging artist in the 1960s, Jerry Uelsmann received international recognition for surreal, enigmatic photographs (photomontages) made with his unique method of composite printing and his dedication to revealing the deepest emotions of the human condition.[1][2][3][4] Over the next six decades, his contributions to contemporary photography were firmly established with important exhibitions, prestigious awards and numerous publications.[2][1] Among his awards were a Guggenheim Fellowship,[5] National Endowment,[6][1] Royal Photographic Society Fellowship,[7] and Lucie Award.[8]

Uelsmann described his creative process as a journey of discovery in the darkroom (visual research laboratory).[9][10] Going against the established practice of previsualization (Ansel Adams, Edward Weston and others), he coined a new term, post-visualization. He decided the contents of the final print after rather than before pressing the shutter button.[1][3] Uelsmann constructed his dreams like a visual poet with results that often seemed emotionally more real than the factual world.[10][6][11] By the 1980s he became one of the most collected photographers in America.[12] His work influenced generations of both analog and digital photographers.[13][11] Although he admired digital photography, he remained completely dedicated to the alchemy of film photography in the black and white darkroom.[6][14]

  1. ^ a b c d Bunnell, Peter C. (1970). Jerry N. Uelsmann. New York, NY: Aperture. pp. 3–7. ISBN 0-912334-14-2.
  2. ^ a b Coleman, A. D. (January 3, 1971). "He Captures Dreams, Visions, Hallucinations". The New York Times. pp. D-14.
  3. ^ a b Chao, Shung-liang (2017). "The Alchemy of Photography: "Grotesque Realism" and Hybrid Nature In Jerry Uelsmann's Photomontages". Criticism. 59 (2): 301–328. doi:10.13110/criticism.59.2.0301. JSTOR 10.13110/criticism.59.2.0301. S2CID 194996650.
  4. ^ Uelsmann, Jerry (2014). Uelsmann Untitled: A Retrospective. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida. pp. Intro Carol McCusker. ISBN 978-0-8130-4949-6.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :23 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c Ksander, Yael (April 2014). "An Interview with Jerry Uelsmann". Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :9 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference :24 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Roland, Craig (May 1993). "An Interview with Jerry Uelsmann: Master Photographer and Teacher". Art Education Magazine. 46 (3): 56–61. doi:10.1080/00043125.1993.11652219 (inactive September 12, 2024).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of September 2024 (link)
  10. ^ a b Uelsmann, Jerry (1985). Uelsmann: Process and Perception. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida. pp. 3–19. ISBN 0-8130-0830-1.
  11. ^ a b Brown, Russell P. (July 16, 2020). "An Interview with the Artist, Jerry Uelsmann". Archived from the original on May 2, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference :12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Sandomir, Richard (April 13, 2022). "Jerry Uelsmann, Surreal Image-Maker, Dies at 87". The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
  14. ^ Hackett, David (October 9, 2007). "From Hobby to Art". The Gainesville Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.