Richard Jansen: Painting with Light
October 6-27, 2017
Richard Jansen: Painting with Light
Opening reception: Friday, October 6, 5:00-9:00 PM
Exhibition hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
BIOGRAPHY
– Born in Kansas in 1947
– Graduated High School at Wichita Heights 1965
– Attended Wichita State University 1965-1967
– Joined the U.S. Army in June 1967
– Private E-1 in June of 1967 to Sergeant E-5 on April 1968
– Vietnam tour of duty Dec 1969 to Dec 1970
– Honorable Discharge in 1970
– G.I. Bill after Vietnam and entered University of Washington, Seattle in 1971
– Bachelor’s Degree from University of Washington, Seattle, WA in 1976
– Commissioned in Army as 1LT on October 1979
– Graduated with Actor Robert Redford with Master of Arts from University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 1983
– Completed Command & General Staff College in 1987
– Retired as Lieutenant Colonel in 1997
– Freelance Photographer from 1970 to present.
– Multiple Photography Awards 1979 to present
– First photography publication in 1984 on the cover of “Off-Duty Magazine” with additional photos.
– Photo Essay in “Ozark Magazine” in Aug of 1986
– Hallmark Card publication 1987
– Landmark Calendar publications in 1988
– American Products Calendar publications in 1993
– Juried into Knoxville Art Market Gallery in 2016
– Juried into Knoxville Alliance Art Gallery in 2017
– Juried into Broadway Studio Gallery in 2017
PHOTOGRAPHY STATEMENT
Photography has been my passion since 1970, after returning home from Vietnam. As a Freelance Photographer, my motivation comes from the world around me. It is what I believe to be a beautiful gift from God. Scenic and landscape photography is my main area of interest although I also enjoy the spontaneity of creative photography. I see the world in color and I also dream in color. I am inspired by an early morning sunrise and the golden glow of light. Seeing beyond the normal everyday scenes we take for granted requires skilled eyes and attention to detail. After my experience in Vietnam, I realized how much I had taken for granted in my environment. I began to look beyond the everyday routine views and became a very visual person. It thus transformed my way of seeing and understanding of the world around me.
Lighting is the key element in photography. Lighting and composition come together to form a statement in every photographic work of art. Therefore, to be considered art, that statement should be beyond the routine. An artistic photograph should represent an inspiration felt by the photographer, which is then transferred and communicated to the viewer through the completed work. That inspiration was created in me as an antagonist to my exposure of the horrors of combat. As an optimist, I endeavor to choose good over evil, light over darkness, and beauty over unsightliness. Those are also the characteristics I desire to convey in all of my photographic works.
RICHARD JANSEN, MA, LTC(R)