Contemplations

George Vago’s approach to fine art photography is contemplative and observant. During his meditative process, George loses himself in the scene. This allows him to discover and internally respond to its contents.

In contrast to a world full of color, George finds that a black and white image is more enduring because it has a magic ability to command the observer’s attention and focus. Its simplicity adds drama and power and invites the viewer to enter the image.

Creating an artistic depiction amidst a mixture of visual inputs is the difference between looking and seeing. George presents the viewers with an image they may have looked at many times before, but never actually saw, the way George saw it.

Having started out as a black and white photographer, George also photographed extensively in color. However, his love of the black and white media brought George back to this traditional art form which utilizes traditional wet darkroom processes.

George simplifies complexity and creates images that venture beyond the obvious through his understanding of colors and their tonal relationships to each other in the black and white spectrum.

For George, black and white photographic art is a form of nonverbal communication. Intuitively, he understands that this media affords him the luxury of less restricted visual creativity. In George’s world, the final print is no longer the subject, but rather the expressive result of his interpretation. When a final image emerges from his dark room, it represents the difference between recording a scene and creating a work of art.