Stephen Spartana

About the Artist

  Stephen Spartana 6706 Selkirk Rd, Baltimore MD 21239 • Cell 410-458-5663  Studio: 19 South Stricker St, Baltimore MD 21223 DOB 2.17.54 USA stephen@spartana.com http://stephenspartanaartist.com/ https://www.instagram.com/spartanaphotography/   Goal: To expand my career by developing my first love, fine art photography.   Education 1983 BFA Photography Major; Maryland Institute College of Art 1979 Certificate: Photography, Layout, Offset Printing; Visual Arts Institute 1972- 1978 UMBC Dundalk Com. College Work Experience Owner/Photographer/ • May, 1983 to Present Alpaca Farm Owner 2007-2017 Co-Founder, Owner at Insquare Art Gallery § Professional commercial photographer/videographer for the past 36 years. Location and studio assignments for advertising, marketing & PR, and editorial imagery for various clients including: healthcare, educational institutions, non-profits, corporations, retailers, and public agencies. Spartana Artwork Gallery Shows and Exhibits *September 19 - Oct. 8 “Contrive” National Juried Show d’Art Center, Norfolk, VA. *August 11- Sept. 8 “Water’s Edge” InSquare Gallery *June 22 The Big Show, Creative Alliance *May 5 -June 5 Group show @ InSquare Art Premier Show * April 27 Marguee Ball, Creative Alliance group show *April 13- Oct 25 “Intertwined” @American Center for Physics at College Park, Curated by Sarah Tanguy * Jan. 2-19 New Now 2, InLiquid Gallery, Phila., PA * Jan. 4-17 HumanNature Life in Layers @Amalie Rothschild Gallery, Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD *   Sept. 7- Dec.8, 2018 Asia in Maryland: Expressing Cross-Culture Experience, Accepted into Juried show, “Blue”   * The Big Show, Creative Alliance Jun 16- Aug 4,  “Leaves in Fall”    * April 17-28 Creative Alliance Silent Auction “Rooted” Sold   *  Nov.15, 2017 6th China International Digital Photography Art Exhibition, “Interwoven”    *  July 1, 2017- Sept. 30 at Himmelfarb Gallery “Inter-Twined” Series § May, 2017 at Laughing Pint, Baltimore, MD   “Interwoven Series” § 2002 at Fair Haven, Sykesville, MD  “Travel Imagery” § 1994 at Gomez Gallery, Baltimore, MD  “Human-Nature” § 1992 at Nye-Gomez Gallery, Baltimore, MD  “Aerial Imagery” AWARDS *September 19 - Oct. 8  2nd place “Contrive” National Juried Show d’Art Center, Norfolk, VA. *June 18 Prix de la Photographie de Paris Honorable mention Abstract art *May 22 Moscow International Foto Awards Honorable mention abstract art for the series, “Intertwined” * April 30 Finalist in the Siena International Photo Awards 2019 *Finalist for Umbra International Photography Awards 2018  * Nomination for the 12th Annual Color Awards, Nude category “Water Balance” * May 1, 2018 Bronze Award for Abstract Fine Art Moscow International Foto Awards 2018 for series “Interwoven” *  Feb. 25, 2018 Honorable Mention 2017 Tokyo International. Foto Awards Digital series, “Interwoven” Series  *  Nov.15, 2017 Honorable Mention 6th China International. Digital Photography Art Exhibition, “Interwoven”    Multiple CASE awards for publications and web site photography  

Artist's Statement

Artist Statement Stephen Spartana Spring 2016 An artist development starts at various stages of their life. Art became important to me with my interest in photography from an early age, awestruck at the amazing images from around the world in National Geographic. In college I bought my first camera and started to take note of the world around me. I found several artists' work and philosophies resonated with me. Irving Penn, whose quality of light struck me early on. Cartier-Bresson, whose composition and philosophy about the use of space and "the decisive moment”, has been a mainstay of my commercial work. Pete Turner, who felt that the shot image is not the end product, but just the beginning. Lastly, Georgia O’Keeffe, whose paintings of flowers and nature just blew me away, and inspired me to shoot pictures of all the flowers I could find. On to art school. My senior thesis at MICA involved shooting a cloaked figure in an outdoor setting, using mirrors of various shapes and sizes as a way of bringing different sections of the landscape into the photograph. I was fascinated by reflections at that point, and how they applied to nature. A collection of images titled, Human-Nature, was shown at the Gomez Gallery, Baltimore in the early 90’s. The series was a study of black and white nudes married to tightly shot colored images of flowers. I continued this work until my commercial schedule and children became all time consuming and the work was put aside for then. With Turner’s philosophy in mind, the chromes from the Gomez show have become the starting point for my current studies. Their interplay of black & white forms overlaid with details of flowers take on the function of underlayment. I’ve expanded the use of natural elements to include scenes of nature during times of growth and decay. Mirrors have been replaced by the natural reflective surface of water. Recently I’ve become intrigued with tattoos and body painting and found that the patterns of leaves or sedimentary rocks naturally suggest intricate tattoos. These compositional layers of elements give the viewer reason to look closer, to see beneath the surface. For me the interplay between the human form, organic elements, and the landscape create incredible beauty, as they are intertwined on earth, coexisting as one. We are of the earth, and how we treat our environment effects all of us. An artist development starts at various stages of their life. Art became important to me with my interest in photography from an early age, awestruck at the amazing images from around the world in National Geographic. In college I bought my first camera and started to take note of the world around me. I found several artists' work and philosophies resonated with me. Irving Penn, whose quality of light struck me early on. Cartier-Bresson, whose composition and philosophy about the use of space and "the decisive moment”, has been a mainstay of my commercial work. Pete Turner, who felt that the shot image is not the end product, but just the beginning. Lastly, Georgia O’Keeffe, whose paintings of flowers and nature just blew me away, and inspired me to shoot pictures of all the flowers I could find. On to art school. My senior thesis at MICA involved shooting a cloaked figure in an outdoor setting, using mirrors of various shapes and sizes as a way of bringing different sections of the landscape into the photograph. I was fascinated by reflections at that point, and how they applied to nature. A collection of images titled, Human-Nature, was shown at the Gomez Gallery, Baltimore in the early 90’s. The series was a study of black and white nudes married to tightly shot colored images of flowers. I continued this work until my commercial schedule and children became all time consuming and the work was put aside for then. With Turner’s philosophy in mind, the chromes from the Gomez show have become the starting point for my current studies. Their interplay of black & white forms overlaid with details of flowers take on the function of underlayment. I’ve expanded the use of natural elements to include scenes of nature during times of growth and decay. Mirrors have been replaced by the natural reflective surface of water. Recently I’ve become intrigued with tattoos and body painting and found that the patterns of leaves or sedimentary rocks naturally suggest intricate tattoos. These compositional layers of elements give the viewer reason to look closer, to see beneath the surface. For me the interplay between the human form, organic elements, and the landscape create incredible beauty, as they are intertwined on earth, coexisting as one. We are of the earth, and how we treat our environment effects all of us.