Artist Statement:
I’m an outdoors person. That’s really where I am most happy, so it’s not surprising that I always gravitated towards landscape photography, in spite of an extensive background in studio photography. Somewhere along the way, about 25 years ago, I took an interest in creating painted-light, as a quirky and fun self-experimentation in creative photography. I decided to combine that edgy side of light-painting with the classic passion of landscape photography, and this makes sense for me.
“The rugged and often remote "wilds" of the western U.S. are my studio: The unspoiled deserts, mountains, and forests of spectacular wilderness areas, public parklands and in some cases, private tracts, offer a myriad of photo opportunities, while the deep, dark nighttime in these places offer even more: solace, awe, and something akin to a private showing of the majestic natural world that is offered to us. I hope you can experience some of this in my work.“
About
Thomas Wheeler is an emerging artist in respect to gallery work, but has been passionate about photography in some form or another since childhood. His first photo art class was in 1987 at Stanford University and later took courses at UCLA Extension, Otis College of Art and Design, and Santa Monica College (Photojournalism with the Corsair Weekly and Large Format studio work). He later worked briefly with Our Times (LA Times Section) and also assisted in studios with various LA advertising and magazine photographers. In 2014 he has showed in the CA Open (Nat’l juried-TAG Gallery), The PV Art Center, Gallery 1650 (LA), The South Bay Contemporary Gallery, the LA Center for Digital Art (LA), and is slated for an upcoming solo show at the Vanderbuilt University Saratt Gallery.