Beloved Gainesville photographer Jerry Uelsmann remembered as pioneer, mentor

Pioneering surrealist photographer Jerry Uelsmann has died.

The word that the iconic 87-year-old photographer had passed away began to spread around the Gainesville creative arts community late Monday afternoon.

“The work is iconic, and so was Jerry,” said Elizabeth Ross, University of Florida's School of Art + Art History director, in a statement. “He transformed photography."

Uelsmann’s technique of layering negatives and varying exposures created visual masterpieces of photomontage. One of Uelsmann’s works features a pair of hands cradling a bird's nest and growing from a tree stump. His ability to blend scenes, like making clouds and rippling water appear to become one, was honed in the darkroom through years of work.

Uelsmann worked in the darkroom till the very end. He didn't like to use digital software like Photoshop.

Eye-popping art: Works by UF's Jerry Uelsmann

Photography pioneer: Former UF professor Jerry Uelsmann's work up for auction

From 2017: Jerry Uelsmann's 'Confluence' exhibition features recent work at the University Gallery

Uelsmann grew to popularity in the 1960s after coming to teach photography at the University of Florida.

“He taught for 38 years helping to establish the creative photography program,” said Ross.

As a professor and person, Uelsmann touched the lives of many of his students, who say his openness, genuine love for sharing his life philosophy through photography and giving spirit are some of the qualities he will be remembered for.

John Moran, an environmental photojournalist and former Gainesville Sun photographer, was a student of Uelsmann in the mid-1970s.

"He was among the best teachers I’ve ever had,” he said. "He taught his students to trust and nurture the mind’s eye.”

Moran was a new photojournalist wanting to take a photo art class. Uelsmann's mentorship was just the thing Moran needed.

“He was so accessible, I loved him for that."  

Similarly, local commercial photographer Randy Batista was a former student under Uelsmann in 1974.

"He was always on task just creating imagery, his creativity was throughout his entire body,” Batista said. "His spirit of joy just filled the room.”

Batista recalls being a pre-med major and not being happy with his life path when he decided to take up photography after a friend let him borrow a camera. He said he had to convince Uelsmann to allow him to take a class. The two ultimately grew close.

“He allowed me to take the first class and the rest is history," Batista said. "It changed my entire life.”

To create a single image, Uelsmann would sometimes take up to seven negatives of different images. Each negative would get matted out so just a portion of the image was being projected through the negative.

His darkroom would have seven enlargers set up with each negative. He would get a single piece of photo paper and work through his exposure process. Dodging and burning each layer with precise timing, he had calculated through hundreds of proofs.

Then came the magic moment.

The photo paper gets a bath in developing chemicals and the pieces become whole. The final composite image was always flawless.

Gainesville Mayor Poe still remembers being amazed the first time he saw Uelsmann's work as a high school student.

His younger brother brought home a book from the library that looked like an M.C. Escher book, but with photographs, he said. The two spent hours just staring at the book.

"His work challenges our consciousness and the way we think about our world, and that is the point of art,” Poe said. “He has left a legacy here and impacted generations of artists, not just photographers.”

About two years ago, Uelsmann had a major stroke that caused him to lose sight in one of his eyes, preventing him from working in the darkroom much. Complications from a more recent stroke are what is believed to have led to his passing, friends said.

 “It’s a tremendous loss,” said Moran.