My Mind’s Eye

Artist Statement: Ed Tepper

“My Mind’s Eye”

I love people watching.  I’m fascinated by people going about their daily lives and the stories I can tell about them. I’ve wandered through towns & cities close to home and far away capturing emotions of the moment with my camera.  Through the camera’s lens I see what’s there.  My mind’s eye sees a different scene where the people, places, and things seem to dance to their own music.    

I translate the vision in my mind’s eye into woodblock prints.  The style I’ve adopted is reminiscent of the early German Expressionists of the Die Brücke movement, using simplified or distorted forms to convey the emotion I felt when I created the photo.  I call the process “Fusion Art.” 

Woodblock printing is a form of relief printing.  I create the image by carving away the space that will not receive the ink.  If the print has more than one color, I create a woodblock for each color.  Because I hand print my woodblocks, I can create tone and texture in the image by darkening different areas in various degrees by applying pressure with tools like a wooden spoon, a doorknob, my fingers or anything else that works.