Gerhardt Thompson




Background:
GERHARDT THOMPSON

is represented in Western Australia exclusively by Gadfly Gallery

"I would like to take a moment to introduce myself and my photography. I am a fine art nude photographer working strictly in the capacity of black and white (B&W) photography. My subject is the beauty of the nude physique set in and around the Australian bush and beach. Below I share a little of my thoughts regarding my photography as well as a link to my website which provides further links to my solo exhibit in Sydney, three International Exhibits, over fifty joint exhibits and six European based exposés. I have been interviewed by Jade Magazine (UK), Il Republica (Italy), The New Nude Magazine, FHM Spain, MeinBerlin.de (Germany), Incubus Choice, The Art of Love, and Duclerk.com. In addition to being published by them my work has also been published in the Sow’s Ear Poetry Review and The Blue Fifth Review in the USA. I have had two books published, The Sun Drenched Nude and Gerhardt – The Book (a limited edition collectors book). In 2008 my book Exposing the Nude will be available and I am also working on another book that I am anticipating will be available in 2009 titled Defining Masculinity.

I have won over 75 awards in both open and specific categories and over 90 acceptances/honourable mentions. I am a photographic judge at www.photokonkurs.com. Currently my photography hangs on walls around the world and I am considered one of the top photographic masters of the B&W Artistic nude.

Australia is such a unique country. Thousands of miles of pristine beaches, spectacular water ways, bush lands and vast empty expanses, wherever you look there is something you will only see in Australia.
I was born here and have lived most of my life along the east coast of New South Wales. Australia is an outdoor lifestyle that you just have to indulge. What else can you do! Are you starting to see why I don’t photograph in a studio yet? Well it is not simply that it has been done so many times or in so many ways before, it is more that it could have been taken anywhere in the world. The ever changing and unique Australian landscape is the perfect backdrop for a Fine Art Nude photographic session whether it is on a beach, a river bank, rocky outcrops or a bush land setting.

The nude in my opinion is so beautiful, particularly in the natural environment and many of the curves and lines of the model are found and repeated in nature. It is the harmony and/or often the contrast of the two I try to find and blend into one. I am very conscious of the textures and it is very evident in my work …some have called it my trademark and that which makes my work unique.
The end result is something quite unique that cannot be recreated elsewhere. Even the light is different. The intensity of the Australian sun is second to nowhere and creates its own special magic that while absolutely beautiful, is also a challenge to capture and harness in this type of photography. Many try but very few successfully harness and capture the beauty it provides.
I am a Doctor of Optometry and a student of light. I studied light, its mathematics, its spectrum and its nuances and how to use it to help others. As time passed I learned how to capture it, harness it and use it to share a vision deep within my soul.

My motto is “Single light source essential”. I have said it before and I will say it again, how do we define ourselves as an artist if we do not endeavour to work towards something original…it is difficult these days as so much has already been done. The Australian landscape is so unique yet the light is even more unique. I have travelled the world yet I have yet to find the drama that unfolds here every day. I know I can create light in a studio and well, so can everyone else…Leave the studio and accept the mercy of the elements, forego all control except your own ability to control your camera…Lets just say that I prefer not to control the light I can create but to control the natural light that can only be harnessed through understanding its many nuances. I will say it is a delightfully spontaneous light source!!!

It is the light that inspires me most. It is something I cannot ignore. It goes without saying that light is not enough, it requires a canvas to paint and the nude physique is the canvas I prefer to paint with the light. It is hard to explain yet sometimes you can take in everything else that others are doing yet be removed from it. For me I am on an eternal quest, one that is most influenced by the light and the models and how they integrate with a single natural light source, the natural environment and the sun.

Those who know my work will also know straight away that my passion is for the natural landscape of the Australian bush and beach. Australia has so much to offer and the blending of the model in the landscape, or contrasted to it, allows for something extremely beautiful and very unique. I will from time to time venture outside these boundaries to chase light however there is a drive that allows me to do so. At the end of the day there is a story to be told and in B&W there is an even more interesting story, one which colour cannot bring to life. A black and white photo has an underlying story defined by the tonal range and it is hard for me to ignore so when I look at a location there are two influences… tones and textures. In simplicity lies complexity.

My creation is one with order, one with harmony and balance. This order is achieved through the balance of light and shadow, fluidity of the tones, the expression of the light and in particular the model integrated with the environment which is integral to the overall perspective. It is the interaction of the light and model with the landscape that influences the destiny of the end results.

I invite you to share this quest with me.

Themes:
Gerhardt Thompson specialises exclusively in the genre of The Black and White Art Nude set in the natural light of the Austalan landscape.

Solo Exhibitions:
2008 The Sun-Drenched Nude, Gadfly Gallery, Perth, Western Australia