South Gallery
August 2 through October 5
Reception: Wednesday, August 27, 6-8 pm, in the Trefz Forum; click here for more information.
(Reception kicks off at 6 pm, followed by a conversation between Kretsch and Miggs Burroughs at 7 pm.)
Along the wooden weathered docks
boats bob gracefully to the
whims of the water
in a blending of reality and abstraction
the colors that dance in the water
create a tapestry of shapes
that change magically
with the ebb and flow
of the dancing waters
while light glistens
soothing the soul
for just a moment
and leaving us to wonder
if we will ever see that
mysterious twinkling of time
again
— A Symphony of Color, Light and Tranquility by Tom Kretsch
Tom Kretsch of Tom’s Peaceful Places Photography captures the quiet poetry of the land and sea and places in-between. From misty harbors, to sun-drenched porches, to abandoned structures on the plains, to old barns that ooze with texture, his compositions often feel like memories: soft, still, and filled with a sense of place. With a painter’s eye for light and balance, he brings an artful calm to everyday scenes, making the ordinary extraordinary. His work is soulful and serene.
Kretsch’s background as an educator and lifelong traveler informs his ability to see beauty in the simple and the small. Whether he’s photographing New England, further afield or right here in Westport, his work speaks to his genre of peaceful places.
Mostly self-taught, Kretsch has taken courses at Maine Media, The Silvermine School of Art, and with Action Photo Tours. He has been influenced by the work of many painters including Edward Hopper, Andrew Wyeth, and the Impressionists. Photographers like Edward Weston, Joey Meyerowitz, and Henri Cartier Bresson have touched him in meaningful ways.
Kretsch spends May through October doing outdoor art festivals throughout New England, including the Westport Fine Arts Festival, Gracie Square Art Show in New York, and The Bruce Museum Art Show in Greenwich. Festivals are a chance for him to sell his work as well as network with interior designers and art consultants who have used his work in projects including Sloane Kettering Hospital, Morgan Stanley, and locally in Rizzuto’s Restaurant.
He has won numerous awards at shows and festivals including the Bruce Museum Show, The Brunswick Arts Festival, and the Wilton Library Annual Photography Show. He is represented in galleries including The Nylen Gallery in Westport and Frame and Save in Fairfield and Norwalk.
One-man shows including The Palouse-Serene, Sublime, Surreal, A River Runs through Us — A Town’s Treasure, The Saugatuck, Touching Maine, and Living in Color, A Nicaraguan Tapestry have been part of his journey.
Along the way he has published two books of his work, On the Road, Five Visions and Touching Maine. The latter was a labor of love, with essays and photographs made over a ten-year span from visits to the coast of Maine.
“It is a great honor to have been given a chance to share my work here in this beautiful library. Our family has lived in this vibrant town for just over 50 years, and it has truly been a sweet, special sanctuary to call home," Kretsch said.
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For more about the Library art exhibits, visit the Art at the Library page.
