What
sets Wassmann's photography apart is not only the
spectacular locations that he chooses to shoot but
his keen eye for using composition and color to
lure the viewer into the scene. Years of studying
painting have given him a different perspective
on the photographic process. "Talk about f-stops
and shutter speeds make my eyes glaze over, says
the artist. I'm only interested in the final image
as seen by the viewer. I use only the most basic
techniques to create my images." This attitude
is not surprising when you learn that his training
was as a painter, not a photographer, when in school
at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia.
"It was my search for spectacular compositions
for my paintings that led me to learn photography".
While
his technique may be basic, the camera he uses for
most of his images is anything but. One thing viewers
comment on the most is the extraordinary clarity
of his pictures, even when enlarged to mural size.
This is the result of shooting with a "View
Camera" that uses a film size of 4x5 or 8x10
inches, many times the size of the standard 35mm
film that most people use.
The
large film size allows even minute areas of a scene
to be recorded in perfect detail. This comes at
a price however in time and money. It takes Wassmann
at least 15-20 minutes to set up the camera and
each sheet of the film needs to be individually
processed unlike regular roles of film. His images
of Easter Island and Antarctica, places where most
won't go to the trouble to take the bulky view camera,
are astonishing in the depth of color and detail.
There are moments so fleeting, however, that there
isn't time to set up the 4X5. In these cases Wassmann
relies on the Canon A2 35mm camera. This camera
has been the portal for some of his most famous
images such as surfing dolphins, rainbows and spectacular
lightning strikes over the Pacific ocean.
Wassmann's
limited edition supergloss prints can be now found
in collections around the world. Since 1996 when
his World Wide Web Internet site went up more and
more individuals and businesses have discovered
his unique talents. "Many of my more artistic
images that I had trouble selling in my local area
do very well when exposed to a world wide audience"
remarks Wassmann, busy rethinking his business strategy
now that the market for his work is growing exponentially.
"It's pretty mind-blowing how big this might
get" he muses, as he pops another slide into
the scanner.
For
the past 10 years he has been traveling to the places
that linger in our imagination, Easter Island, Chichen
Itza, Chaco Canyon, the lost civilizations and sacred
sites that pull us in for reasons we can't explain.
"Perhaps it's an ancient memory trying to awaken.
Maybe the fact that we have entered a new millennium
with all the predictions of the end of civilization
being hawked by Y2K alarmists and religious groups
is having an influence on me. It's not hard to imagine
our civilization collapsing the way so many others
have in the past. When I wander alone though some
of these ancient ruins I can feel the ghosts of
those that came before. While many fantasize about
UFO's building pyramids and utopian societies that
fell apart due to earthquakes or catastrophic natural
disasters, I feel only one overwhelming feeling
radiating out of the broken monuments: failure.
All these civilizations, at their pinnacle, couldn't
see it coming, Will we?"
Well,
until that happens Wassmann continues on with his
work. Although he no longer works in his gallery,
those wishing to view his original works can do
so at his gallery's Dana Point, CA location:
Wassmann
Fine Arts is located in Laguna Beach, California.
Generally open Every day except Sunday from 10:00-5:00
and by appointment
Mailing
address:
Wassmann Fine Arts
34118 Pacific Coast Hwy. Suite #1
Dana Point, CA 92629 USA
e-mail
949.240.8721
