Stephen Tomasko (1966 -)
About the art and the artist:
From the series Winter was Hard, photographer Stephen Tomasko creates large-format, close-up studies of Ohio trees in spring bloom, "a reaction to," he says, "and reward for surviving a cold and unrelentingly gray northern Ohio winter."
We recognize the sentiment and can appreciate the senses that this detail of a star magnolia branch brings into play. Tomasko says that while he photographs these blooming branches, his real subject is the "essence of the air and its fragrance, and of the fresh spring light, the touch of petals and pollen, and of our emotionally intimate experiences with our land." That is to say, his intent is to immerse us in this atmosphere and bring all our senses to bear in suggesting a particular time and place. The understated pinks of these blossoms against the pale blue sky, and then the more intense hue of the unopened buds, captures something quite thrilling about the moment.
Tomasko has worked with a digital camera and specialist lenses since about 2008, when digital equipment had developed sufficiently for him to control color, switching from black-and-white photography. For the desired close-up effect, he uses a wide-angle lens (he says his lenses often get covered with pollen as he shoots). He also tends to light his subject artificially while photographing, admitting that that makes for "one-handed photography," and then experiments with the printing process without changing basic composition or color. The scale and detail of his prints are meant to call to mind the floral prints of the Japanese woodblock artist Hokusai.
Born in Parma, Stephen Tomasko earned a B.A. in Art History and Philosophy from Bowling Green State University and an M.F.A. from the University of Delaware. He was awarded an Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council in 2013 and more recently a Soul Train Fellowship in Akron. He lives with his wife and daughter just outside of Akron.
Where you can see more of this artist's work:
A sense of the range of Stephen Tomasko's work comes from his website, as he has photographed aspects of Americana (county fairs and political rallies) as well as spring-flowering trees, which are the subject of his 2014 book, Delira and Excira.
His photographs are in the permanent collection of the Akron Art Museum, which exhibited them in shows in 2011 and 2016, as well as in the Cleveland Museum of Art. Other exhibition venues across Ohio have included the FAVA and Kendall galleries in Oberlin, the Sieberling Gallery in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and at Bowling Green State University. His work was featured in the Akron Curated Storefront series as part of the FRONT Art Triennial in 2018.
Untitled, from the series Delira and Excira
Work title, date: Untitled, from the series Delira and Excira, 1 in edition of 3
Materials and dimensions: archival pigment print on acrylic, ~ 32” x 51”
Location at Summa: Juve Family Behavioral Health Pavilion
About the art:
From the series Winter was Hard, photographer Stephen Tomasko creates large-format, close-up studies of Ohio trees in spring bloom, "a reaction to," he says, "and reward for surviving a cold and unrelentingly gray northern Ohio winter."
We recognize the sentiment and can appreciate the senses that this detail of a star magnolia branch brings into play. Tomasko says that while he photographs these blooming branches, his real subject is the "essence of the air and its fragrance, and of the fresh spring light, the touch of petals and pollen, and of our emotionally intimate experiences with our land." That is to say, his intent is to immerse us in this atmosphere and bring all our senses to bear in suggesting a particular time and place. The understated pinks of these blossoms against the pale blue sky, and then the more intense hue of the unopened buds, captures something quite thrilling about the moment.
Tomasko has worked with a digital camera and specialist lenses since about 2008, when digital equipment had developed sufficiently for him to control color, switching from black-and-white photography. For the desired close-up effect, he uses a wide-angle lens (he says his lenses often get covered with pollen as he shoots). He also tends to light his subject artificially while photographing, admitting that that makes for "one-handed photography," and then experiments with the printing process without changing basic composition or color. The scale and detail of his prints are meant to call to mind the floral prints of the Japanese woodblock artist Hokusai.
Born in Parma, Stephen Tomasko earned a B.A. in Art History and Philosophy from Bowling Green State University and an M.F.A. from the University of Delaware. He was awarded an Individual Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council in 2013 and more recently a Soul Train Fellowship in Akron. He lives with his wife and daughter just outside of Akron.
Where you can see more of this artist's work:
A sense of the range of Stephen Tomasko's work comes from his website, as he has photographed aspects of Americana (county fairs and political rallies) as well as spring-flowering trees, which are the subject of his 2014 book, Delira and Excira.
His photographs are in the permanent collection of the Akron Art Museum, which exhibited them in shows in 2011 and 2016, as well as in the Cleveland Museum of Art. Other exhibition venues across Ohio have included the FAVA and Kendall galleries in Oberlin, the Sieberling Gallery in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and at Bowling Green State University. His work was featured in the Akron Curated Storefront series as part of the FRONT Art Triennial in 2018
Untitled, from the series Delira and Excira (white apple branch)
Work title, date: Untitled, from the series Delira and Excira (white apple branch), 1 in edition of 3, 2010
Materials and dimensions: archival pigment print on acrylic 32” x 51”
Location at Summa: Juve Family Behavioral Health Pavilion
About the art and the artist:
From the series Winter was Hard, photographer Stephen Tomasko creates the large-format, close-up studies of Ohio trees in spring bloom, "a reaction to," he says, "and reward for surviving a cold and unrelentingly gray northern Ohio winter."
This bright image, a profusely flowering apple branch, takes us right into the tree where we can practically smell the aroma and feel the smooth textures of the petals. Tomasko describes his photographic work as "straight photography", by which he means minimal processing or manipulation in the frame and in printing. This and its companion image in the Summa Collection come from a 2014 publication of the same name, Delira and Excira: Visions of the Flowers of Spring; as individual prints, they have been distributed in limited editions of three (that's what the "1 in edition of 3," means). (The expression "delira and excira" is Irish slang for (roughly) "delighted and excited," and probably was chosen by the artist to describe his state of mind as he made these photos.)
Stephen Tomasko has made drawings, paintings, and photographs for over thirty years, including subjects such as American streets, Midwest County fairs, Rustbelt auto and steel installations, and political scenery. Most of his latest work concentrates on flowers and gardens, involving processes which he finds almost meditative in its careful observation.