With his everlasting affinity for the built landscape, photographer Jim Westphalen seeks to capture the features and patterns that reflect human occupation within their natural surroundings. His current body of work, Vanish, is a continuous narrative speaking to the corrosion of iconic structures in rural America. Inspired by  artists Andrew Wyeth, A. Hale Johnson & Edward Hopper, Westphalen's photography is an open window to a  rapidly disintegrating world.

 

Often mistaken for paintings, Westphalen employs a vintage 4x5 view camera that has been adapted to digital capture. Along with his artful eye, Westphalen's consideration for the nuances of nature serves as a major component to the process of creation: light, weather, & wind play key roles key in capturing  capturing each image.

 

To create his signature "sharp/soft" look, Westphalen applies a series of processing methods to create dynamic detail while simultaneously rendering an overall softness. His limited edition prints are further finessed using archival pigment on 100% acid free matte rag paper onto which Westphalen apples three coats of optically clear varnish to ensure UV, handling, & dust protection

 

Widely published & collected both nationally & abroad, Westhpahlen is a self taught artist that has been practicing photography for over 30 years. Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Westphalen moved to Vermont in 1996, where he currently resides with his wife Kendra.