A Photographer's Journey
Continuing in the tradition of partnering with local artists to highlight their works and the beauty of East Tennessee, The Venue at Lenoir City is currently featuring the photography of Jack Retterer. His pieces are on display in The Venue’s Gallery Concourse through March of this year, curated on a volunteer basis by Evelyn Murphy of downtown Lenoir City’s The Backdoor Gallery.
Jack’s interest in and love of photography was triggered by the photographic creations of a childhood friend’s father. His early learning experiences about photography were mostly trial and error; or as Jack said, “first, envision a finished image and then, burn through rolls of film until I got the results I wanted.”
With the help of writings by photographic giants such as Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Dorthea Lange, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Yosef Karsh and others, Jack accelerated his self-taught journey into the world of photography. Eventually, Jack took photography classes at the Chicago School of Photography. This experience, with its structured and sequentially planned approach to learning, filled in major knowledge gaps.
He readily admits, however, “my greatest learning experience came when I taught basic and advanced photography classes at Benedictine University in Naperville, Illinois. It forced me to organize complex photography tasks and concepts into smaller, more easily understood blocks of information. While helpful to my students, the process also made me a better photographer.”
Jack’s goal in creating photographs is straightforward: Communicate emotional experiences in the simplest and clearest way possible. The challenge is to use light, shading, color and composition in a two dimensional medium to trigger the same emotional reaction one has when all the senses are reacting to a three-dimensional, real life experience.
Since retiring from IBM and moving to East Tennessee, Jack spends as much time as possible hiking the Smoky and Cumberland Mountains looking for the perfect photographic opportunities. He is also very active in local photography organizations.
The crisp and mesmerizing photos on display at The Venue include waterfalls, landscapes, wildlife, and even a colorful, creative slight-of-hand modern piece. While the art is available for sale, the public is invited to view the pieces at no charge during regular business hours.
The Venue is open for office hours from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. It is located at 7690 Creekwood Park Boulevard in Lenoir City, three miles directly west of Farragut off Kingston Pike/Hwy. 70. For more information, call 865-986-8340.
Jack’s interest in and love of photography was triggered by the photographic creations of a childhood friend’s father. His early learning experiences about photography were mostly trial and error; or as Jack said, “first, envision a finished image and then, burn through rolls of film until I got the results I wanted.”
With the help of writings by photographic giants such as Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Dorthea Lange, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Yosef Karsh and others, Jack accelerated his self-taught journey into the world of photography. Eventually, Jack took photography classes at the Chicago School of Photography. This experience, with its structured and sequentially planned approach to learning, filled in major knowledge gaps.
He readily admits, however, “my greatest learning experience came when I taught basic and advanced photography classes at Benedictine University in Naperville, Illinois. It forced me to organize complex photography tasks and concepts into smaller, more easily understood blocks of information. While helpful to my students, the process also made me a better photographer.”
Jack’s goal in creating photographs is straightforward: Communicate emotional experiences in the simplest and clearest way possible. The challenge is to use light, shading, color and composition in a two dimensional medium to trigger the same emotional reaction one has when all the senses are reacting to a three-dimensional, real life experience.
Since retiring from IBM and moving to East Tennessee, Jack spends as much time as possible hiking the Smoky and Cumberland Mountains looking for the perfect photographic opportunities. He is also very active in local photography organizations.
The crisp and mesmerizing photos on display at The Venue include waterfalls, landscapes, wildlife, and even a colorful, creative slight-of-hand modern piece. While the art is available for sale, the public is invited to view the pieces at no charge during regular business hours.
The Venue is open for office hours from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. It is located at 7690 Creekwood Park Boulevard in Lenoir City, three miles directly west of Farragut off Kingston Pike/Hwy. 70. For more information, call 865-986-8340.