Ed Tepper / Fusion Art

Artspace Member Spotlight Exhibition

April 26 - May 18, 2024
Elisabeth Flynn-Chapman Gallery

Hand printed woodcuts

Artist Statement

I love people watching. As an artist I find infinite joy in capturing stories of human life through the lens of my camera. I have wandered through places close to home and far away capturing the emotional stories of a moment in time. I translate those captured fleeting moments into works of art using the ancient technique of hand printing carved woodblocks onto traditional Japanese paper. I have coined my process “Fusion Art” because it combines modern photographic techniques with ancient art techniques.

In creating the woodblock print, I draw inspiration from the early German Expressionists of the Die Brüke movement by employing simplified or distorted forms and bold colors to convey the raw emotion I felt when I made the photograph. I first sketch the main elements of the image onto the woodblock followed by meticulously carving the negative spaces that will not receive the ink and therefore not print. At this stage I’m both following my original sketch and creatively adding details to it. After rolling the ink onto the block and carefully positioning the paper, I transfer the image to the paper using a variety of ordinary hand tools like a wooden spoon, doorknob, or anything else that works. By applying different amounts of pressure on the paper, I can create various tones and contrasts that bring the image to life. If the print has more than one color, I create a woodblock for each color. Finally, I may use markers, watercolors, and other paints to enhance the colors and contrasts.

My ultimate objective is to convey to you an emotional feeling about the subject. What emotion to you feel from my art?

Biography:

Ed calls himself a recovering accountant turned passionate artist. He was born in Brooklyn, NY and spent most of his formative years with sand between his toes in the beach town of Far Rockaway, NY. He now lives in Glen Allen, VA with his wife Arline.

Ed is a self-taught photographer and artist who attributes his success to viewing every so-called “failure” as an opportunity to learn and explore new techniques. His passion is photo’ing the human emotions that are naturally part of our everyday lives with his modern digital camera and translating those stories by employing the ancient arts of encaustic painting and woodblock printing. He calls his process “Fusion Art” because he combines new and old technologies to create his art.

Ed is very active in the robust Richmond arts community. He is a juried member Artspace Gallery (Exhibition Committee Chair 2022-2023) and the Metropolitan Richmond Artists Association; he is past president of the Richmond Digital Photography Club. He has published his art in Artstonish and the Hand magazines and has exhibited his solos shows in Anne’s Visual Art Studio Gallery (Richmond, VA) and the Electric Co Gallery (Bedford, VA). He has also participated in numerous group shows around the U.S. including the Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, VA.

Ed actively gives back to his community by donating his time and talents to organizations like the American Red Cross and the Richmond SPCA. He is on the Board of Photo for Purpose, a charitable organization which helps children in foster care learn life skills through photography and he teaches photography at the Chesterfield County, VA adult education program.

To see more of his art, Ed invites you to visit his website or his Instagram.

Website: EdTepperFusionArt.com
Instagram: EdTepperFusionArt