JERRY UELSMANN (1934-)

In 1982 arts writer, photo journalist, author, International Association of Art Critics (AICA) member and NEA grant recipient Marcia Corbino (Google her) attended one of Jerry Uelsmann’s 3 day photography workshops in Sarasota, Florida. At the end of the workshop, there was a drawing among the attendees and Marcia won an original 7 3/6 x 9 7/8 inches (photographic paper size) photograph by Jerry Uelsmann that he created at the workshop as a demonstration to teach the students his multiple image techniques. The photograph is not signed.

 The image of the man in the photograph might be Uelsmann himself, although I have no confirmation of this statement only the comparison I have made of photographs of Uelsmann I’ve seen.  Although, Uelsmann had a house on Longboat Key at the time and this is mentioned in Marcia Corbino’s book A History of Visual Art in Sarasota.  Also, the trees in the photograph are Live Oaks that are abundant in Sarasota County.

 Please understand my digital images are not close to replicating the quality of this photograph by Jerry Uelsmann. The photograph is in mint condition.

 Also, included with the original Uelsmann photograph are Marcia Corbino’s January 30, 1982 typewritten notes of the above mentioned workshop, the original Steven Katzman Gallery’s photography workshop with the course description and other photography courses and the registration form.

 Prior to the workshop Corbino interviewed Uelsmann for a feature article in Sunday edition “Florida West” section of the Sarasota Herald Tribune January 17-23, 1982. Included in this auction is Corbino’s 45 minute taped interview with Uelsmann, a copy of the published article, and the 11 page typed transcription of the tape.

 Also, included with the above is a typewritten, signed letter from Uelsmann to Corbino, dated January 8, 1982, plus the items mentioned in his letter which are 10 different, unused  6 x 4 ½ inch postcards of his photographs and a photocopy of an article about Uelsmann from the Miami Herald’s Tropic Magazine. Plus, the original decorated envelope posted to Corbino and a copy of Corbino’s letter responding to his.

 Corbino originally wrote about Uelsmann in 1975 for the Sarasota Journal newspaper. A copy of the original newspaper article, 2 press releases from the Witkin Gallery in NYC, two B&W 10 x 8 glossy press release photos of Uelsmann work are included in this group.

Also, included are a July- August, Art Voices article about Uelsmann and a photocopy of a nine page Popular Photography article written by Uelsmann.

JERRY UELSMANN

Jerry Uelsmann was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1934. He is the master innovator of the multiple image, using 3-8 negatives combined together, creating dream-like surrealist black and white photographs. Uelsmann does not create a copy negative to reprint any of his photographs.

Uelsmann has been a major creative force in fine art photography for nearly four decades.  Unlike the purist approach of Ansel Adams and Edward Weston, Uelsmann's photography is influenced by the Surrealists like Man Ray and Rene Magritte. Uelsmann is amongst the top ten photographers collected in America.

In 1957 Uelsmann graduated from the Rochester Institute and entered Indiana University's graduate school. Soon after graduation, Uelsmann joined the faculty of the Department of Art, teaching photography at the University of Florida and he gives workshops and lectures throughout the world. 

He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1967 and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 1972.  The following year, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society of the U.K.

MUSEUMS and PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC

Museum of Modern Art, NYC

Chicago Art Institute

International Museum of Photography at the George Eastman House

Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Bibliotheque National, Paris

National Museum of American Art, Washington, DC

The National Gallery of Canada

The National Gallery of Australia

The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

The National Gallery of Scotland

The Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona

Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography

National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

Moderna Museet in Stockholm