BioSanta Fe artist Stephen Robeck began making photographs with a Browniecamera and tiny black & white darkroom in a bathroom he shared with his sister.Early on, he was inspired by the work of Eliot Porter, Edward Weston, AnselAdams, Jerry Uelsmann and W. Eugene Smith.His creative momentum accelerated as the tools and techniques of the digitaldarkroom began to mature in the late 1990s. For the past twenty-five yearsStephen has worked to refine his skills and vision to bring abstract perspectives tophotographs celebrating the natural world.Early exhibitions in the mid 2000s used a classic presentation: matted archivalprints in frames with UV-filtering glass. He soon questioned the ubiquity of matsand the necessity of reflective glass or acrylic, and so developed the glasslessimage-finishing process he uses today. His work is included in a variety of privatecollections.StatementMy more serious work with a camera began through long wilderness treks in theHigh Sierras around Yosemite. Surrounded by grand vistas and natural wonders, Ifelt driven to capture grand panoramic landscapes. But once I began to really seethe abstract forms, colors and textures that abound in nature, all mypreconceptions of what my work should be were fundamentally changed. In asense, I was set free. Now I find that images are everywhere.I love creating photographs whose origins may not be readily clear. This kind ofabstraction can lead to images that are peaceful, but also a bit mysterious. I wantmy work to engage viewers through color, texture and depth, and to keep theireyes moving. If they ask, “What is that?” I feel I’ve succeeded in some way. Myintent is to make photographs that people want to look at and explore every day.