Artist Bio
David Coleman Photographic Artist
After graduating from Youngstown State University, in Ohio, David Coleman embarked on a career in arts education which spanned over forty years. During that time he taught drawing, painting, printmaking, and photography to students of all ages. Along the way, he completed a Masters degree in education at Augusta College in Georgia, and garnered awards in drawing, painting, printmaking and photographic art which is now his major focus.
After selling all of his photographic darkroom equipment, many years ago, Dave now uses only digital technology in creating his art. Generally, he manipulates his original photographs using various photo-editing software programs to improve the composition or to add a painterly look. Many of his works are composite photographs, made up of several disparate images to create what he calls a "new reality." Dave also likes to work in series, exploring a number of views of the same subject.
Dave's work has been exhibited at the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Brooklyn, New York, the Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio, The Pennsylvania Center for Photography, Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Tubac Center for the Arts, Tubac, Arizona, the St. Louis Artists Guild, St. Louis, Missouri, Framations Gallery and the Foundry Art Centre, St. Charles, Missouri, Jane's Art Center and the Hub on Canal, New Smyrna Beach, Florida, and the Quincy Art Center, Quincy, Illinois.
Dave now spends much of his time at "Disparate Images," his studio located in Galerie Elan located in Daytona, Florida.
Artist Statement
The most important aspect of my art is that it celebrates photography. The medium has excited and fascinated me since childhood. On rainy days, I would look through the family photo albums and see relatives and friends frozen in a particular place and time. Later, as a young man, I took photos, developed the film and made the prints in my own darkroom. To this day, I still remember the thrill of seeing that first black and white print appear in a tray of developer.
Now, with the advent of digital photography, I can create my work on a much more complex and enriched plane. Often, I combine intriguing visuals from several disparate images to form composite photographs, a “new reality” if you will. I also like working in series, exploring a number of views of the same subject, especially images of wood. Whether it be trees, boards or driftwood, the seemingly endless variety of line, form and texture are a continuous source of inspiration.
