Luther

Luther Gerlach, AmbrotypistPictorial photographers from the 1890s through 1920s strived to understand the meaning and expression of line and light. These elements were used as letters of an alphabet to write poems about their ideas and dreams. Luther Gerlach finds himself allied to these photographers in his effort to accomplish the same goal. He returns to the art of not just selection, but of translation and the creation of visual music. By reducing subjects to their essence, and using the journey of process required, Luther creates photographs that reflect an emotional state.Luther Gerlach's passion for photography began early. His father's anthropological studies led their family throughout the world, providing the inspirational canvas for what was to become Luther's devotion to the art of photography. For the past 15 years, photography on the road less-travelled, has been his life's work. Luther originally studied under Bret Weston travelling the globe where he fell in love with landscapes and classic black and white photography. Mr Gerlach has also explored most forms of vintage photography and has chosen to specialize in the Collodion/Ambrotype process (origin- 1854). Currently, Luther is one of a small handful of artists who specialize in this unique medium and the only recognized photographer using the super large-format vintage cameras and lenses in which a 16x20 inch glass-plate Ambrotype is made. Because these original cameras are extremely rare, Luther actually restores authentic equipment which he uses for his work. While also doing traditional Platinum (origin-1870), and Kallitype (origin-1840) contact printing, Luther Gerlach creates images from 5x7 to 30x40 inches.The art of Luther Gerlach is collected and shown internationally and is included in numerous corporate, private and museum collections, including the Denver Museum of Art and the Schacknow Museum of Fine Art. He has participated in the Meet-the-Artist program at the Carnegie Art Museum, and his work has appeared in Architectural Digest. Luther is also a guest lecturer at Brooks Institute of Photography and The Art Center, Pasadena, and he will be a key note speaker at Photo Arts Santa Fe 2003, in July."Quite often I feel as if my soul is in the past and my mind is in the future. The vintage cameras and processes I use have a magical quality, which helps me to bring forth an indefinable depth of feeling and poetic structure in my photographs. My primary concern is that my art communicates both on a factual level, as well as on one of beauty and emotion."