Commercial Record Art News Saturday 8 October, 2005 Local photographer shows work at Timmel Gallery August 03, 2005 Those who have visited Oval Beach over the last 17 years have probably noticed a little beach shack and "the beach guy" at the private beach collecting money. What may not be known is that Ted Swoboda is also a photographer who has been photo journalizing the area for two decades. His photo archives chronicle hundreds of spectacular nature scenes, some that have been immortalized in paint by other local artisans. Currently on display and showing through the month of August at The Timmel Collection in Saugatuck are more than 100 of Swoboda's images. As a summer resident of Saugatuck since the early 1970s, Swoboda developed a close connection to the Denison family who own the scenic north and south shoreline property at the Kalamazoo River inlet. In 1989, Swoboda became caretaker of the pristine 161-acre property and took over management of the beach concession for the owners. His extensive color photo collection of the shoreline property opens one's eyes to why Saugatuck's Save Our Shoreline project has been working so intently to preserve this dune and wetland ecosystem. Because of his access to this private section of land, Swoboda's images containing views that have rarely been seen by the public. Swoboda discovered Saugatuck's beauty first hand more than 30 years ago when he was a bar manager at The Coral Gables, a teacher and head lacrosse coach at Michigan State University. The walls of his boyhood home were decorated with painted images of Saugatuck's dunes and waterways. His father was a portrait photographer and amateur artist who attended Ox-Bow Art Institute in 1948. During the two-week visit, he completed a series of 16 paintings featuring the region. Swoboda's father's paintings set the tone for his own appreciation of the area. Like his father when given praise for his work, Swoboda replies, "Nature's beauty was already there, I simply had the privilege of recording it for others to enjoy." ©Commercial Record 2005 Copyright © 1995 - 2005 PowerOne Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
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