Dominic DeFazio Memorial Page
"My lifelong fascination with photography has taken a new twist with the advent of the computer age. Experimental images that I created decades ago coupled with recently acquired skills in digital manipulation have opened up a new world of image making for me. I began experimenting with photograms (camera-less images created solely in the darkroom) as a means of combating the numbing boredom of my job as a professional photographer. I soon left the profession but the excitement I felt during this creative process remained and continues to inspire me.
"I have revisited some of these old images and incorporated them in new photomontages, which more closely resemble my current fantasies. “Ol' Blue Eyes is Back” is an example of an old photogram slightly enhanced by adding color in the computer. Other images such as “Rest Area – Northern Nevada” are photographs with little computer enhancement, while the underlying photographs of “Twisted Sister” and “Carmela's Burden” have been manipulated to an extent that they are barely recognizable. “Shapes and Shadows” has no photographic roots and was created completely on the computer. As I have become more skilled in this medium my work has become increasingly complex, 'A Night to Remember', 'Time’s Up' and 'Lost in the Woods' are montages using dozens of photographs and layers.
"New advances in printing technology have led to the first truly archival prints. I have recently reprinted my work with Epson Archival Ultrachrome K-3 inks guaranteed to last for over 100 years. Print sizes available are from 8x10 to 17x22. Please contact me for prices and details. My work can also be seen at the New Zone Gallery where I have exhibited so often that I no longer keep track!
"I received a Bachelor of Science degree in professional photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York. My curriculum included courses in art, science and the practical applications of the photographic process. Art courses included studies with master photographer, Minor White.
"I was a professional photographer for several years before "retiring" and moving to the West Coast. It was here in Eugene that I became a craftsman/woodworker and started my own crafts business - selling my creations has been one of life's sweetest joys! Now I have retired from woodworking and am once again exploring the artistic potentials of photography. Whatever the medium, it is essential that I am always involved in a creative pursuit. An avid backpacker and outdoorsman I have hiked thousands of miles in our magnificent Northwest mountains, deserts and shorelines. I always bring my camera! I find nature to be endlessly fascinating and a constant source of inspiration. I am also the “unofficial” photographer for the Oregon Country Fair, the nation’s premier counter-culture event. I have documented the Fair as a historian and a participant for over 20 years and sell my photographs at my crafts booth there. I love the Fair and photographing it is my ultimate dream assignment!"
-Dominic DeFazio
