Artist Statement
The mystery of contrast that pits light against dark is the underpinning of my photography. It stirs emotions in me like fear, wonder, beauty, uncertainty, aloneness and peace. Each image is different and unique, yet each is linked to a universal picture of the world. I’m caught between dark and light, sadness and happiness, evil and good, and thus the eternal conflicts of life itself. The pictures I make reflect this unsettled yet optimistic view of nature and therefore of the world.
Bio
As an advertising executive for thirty years turned fine art photographer, Ira Thomas has enjoyed the best of both worlds. Following retirement from Ira Thomas Associates, Inc. and Marcus Thomas LLC in Youngstown and Cleveland, Ohio, Ira discovered the creative opportunities of digital photography while living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Not satisfied with shooting traditional landscapes, he has forged a distinctive style of monochromatic processing that pushes the envelope of contrast and darkness against minimal but treasured light. He seeks intimate nature scenes that beg the viewer to investigate the subtleties and emotions of the capture. His work has been selected for juried shows around the Valley of the Sun, and he had a one-man show at the prestigious Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio, where his work is included in the permanent collection. Ira has self published over 10 photography books including his most recent, “Out of Darkness”, in 2016. He lives with his wife, Susan, in Phoenix.
Ira Thomas