Jerry Uelsmann

Jerry Uelsmann is a surrealist photographer who was born in Detroit. He creates an interesting depiction of life in his photographs, twisting our ideas of normality. He specialises in dark and skewed versions of reality which I could definitely utilise within my own work. I could create a hyperreality by blending this brand of surrealism with the real world.

This image shows us a simple shallow lake in the countryside. Uelsmann takes this image and makes it visually interesting by adding a simple, singular component; a person. The sight of a person in mid air, preparing to hit the water as if they were diving into an ocean is enough to cause the audience to be caught off guard by the sight of Uelsmann's hyperreality.

This image is interesting as it focuses on contrast and strong imagery in order to tell a story. In the reflection of the water, we see a tree that is surrounded by other healthy trees in a peaceful landscape. The top of the image shows what appears to be the same tree, wilting in an abandoned desert environment. This can give us some idea of the story that Uelsmann is attempting to convey. He is showing us the affect that time can have and wants to reflect on what came before.

Within this image, Uelsmann attempts to once again take two simple components that are relatively common in everyday life. He makes the image interesting by combining these two ordinary objects in a way that makes the result appear otherworldly. The effect is so seamless that the house appears to be carved straight from the tree. This causes the audience to be disorientated from the effect as a result as their perspectives are jolted in a way that can only be achieved in this form of hyperreality.

This image may initially require more analysis. The image itself immediately allows audiences to associate this image immediately with hyperreality and surrealism. The components within this image give us enough to make our own interpretations on what the image symbolises. The image appears to show a memory or emotion that the person within the frame is holding dear.

Summary:

It appears that Jerry Uelsmann considers a lot of the thought that can be interpreted from his images. He may look to convey story and emotion through a distorted reality but in others he may consider to only change one simple aspect that may change the way the audience perceive his work entirely. His effects and techniques are grounded enough in order to ensure that the image maintains a realistic look in order to achieve the most effective audience reactions.