By Eric Wharton, Waunakee Tribune, January 4, 2024
Photography in the traditional sense of the word is a sort of bridge between technology and art that allows one to capture a single moment in time and save it forever.
But, Waunakee artist Mark Weller’s photography saves more than just a moment.
Weller calls his method of photography “time stacking”, which is essentially taking a hundred pictures at set intervals over a 10- to 15-minute period of time. This allows the whole period of time to be caught in “one” picture, and the result often comes out looking more like a painting and, at times, even impressionistic or surreal. This tracks for Weller, who says one of his biggest inspirations is impressionistic artist Claude Monet.
“I got the idea when observing stars and thinking about what Einstein had to say about the ones we can see,” explained Weller. “Many of them are so far away that we are just seeing the light from them.
They may have gone out thousands if not millions of years ago. So, there is an exquisiteness to time for me, and I wanted to capture my interest for it in my work.”
Weller has shown his work in 161 different shows, 53 of which he proudly boasts having received some sort of accolade for his passion. Recently, while participating in an online gallery show through Gallery HMVC in New York City, his work was shown in Times Square.
According to him though, he prefers doing juried shows where other well-known artists judge the work being shown. And, he is partial to participating in ones that are held in art museums. For example, he has an upcoming show at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art, which will be his largest exhibit to date and the closest to Waunakee in some time.
“The exhibit will feature 32 of my pieces, mostly themed after water and time,” said Weller. “In fact, the description of what I tried to do with these pieces is ‘to capture the preciousness of water and the exquisiteness of time,’ he said, as he reiterated his artist’s statement for the exhibit.
Weller’s work will be shown there from Jan. 5 through March 30, and is only one of six shows he has lined up.
“I’m pretty booked through June of 2025,” he said.
Though Weller’s medium is photography, he does not consider himself a photographer. Instead, he refers to himself as a “lens-based artist” since his pieces are uniquely different from standard photography. According to Weller, it took him many years of trial and error before his pieces could be considered fine art, especially because the art of time stacking photography is a little practiced method. But his work is considered fine art, particularly by the founder and director of the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art David Hummer.
“I am extremely excited for Weller’s solo exhibit to launch,” explained Hummer. “What people are going to see is the next Ansel Adams on display. He is a once-in-a -lifetime artist. He’s just extraordinarily talented at what he does.”
The opening presentation and reception for the exhibit will take place at the Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art on Jan. 12 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Reach Eric Wharton at eric.wharton@apg-sw.com