STEREO ARTIST'S PASSION RIPENS WITH AGE

Passion rules Jerry Oldaker's art like rain rules the weather of his Pacific Northwest home. At first glance, the bearded 6'4" Oldaker looks more like a rugged mountain man than a painter of innovative, fantastical stereo images which combine complex shapes, textures and colors with realistic highlights, reflections and shadows that belie their computer-assisted origins. His passion reveals itself in the diversity of his designs, in his vivid colors ranging from bold primaries to subtly-shaded pastels, and in the intensity of his soft voice and twinkling eyes when he describes his present life.

Oldaker decided at age of 47 to follow his youthful dream of becoming an artist. “It's a sobering thing when one day you wake up and realize almost fifty years of your life have vanished, and you are no closer to your dream than when you were growing up in the Fifties,” he says. His artistic goal is to create visually exciting stereo fractal compositions using fanciful fantasies of form and color, which evoke a child-like sense of discovery and delight in the viewer.

Once an image has formed in Oldaker's imagination, rendering it visually is a complex technical challenge. Creating fractal images involves many formulas, and to produce stereo fractals one must manipulate many formulas, with each change of number revealing new ideas and possibilities.

Then there's the choice of color, which can make all the difference to whether or not a stereo image "works." It’s not enough to just know the intensity of the chroma or its value to render an image. The real effort is in conveying Oldaker's inner vision to touch the hearts and minds of those who view his artworks.

Oldaker creates fractals to express his inner essence. In sharing his images, he strives to communicate both tranquility and complex emotion to anyone willing to learn how to see the depths in what he does. “The challenge to create a great stereo view of fractals on a flat surface has made me dig deeper and examine my thoughts more than I ever dreamed possible," he muses. "Then I spend many hours finding the best pigments to illustrate the feelings this artistic process evokes in me, which others can then share if they spend the time to look deeply into my canvases.”

Even more than technique or design, it is the colors that makes a Oldaker fractal step off the wall or screen into the viewer's imagination. “Color is a language that speaks to everyone," he says. "I use many colors in my conversations with the canvas. Some of these conversations are like shouting matches and others are tranquil and serene. I want to give shape to that powerful, passion-laden conversation and have it connect with all who encounter it.” Oldaker punctuates his words with broad gestures, as if to make sure the listener knows this is his heart speaking.

"I’m a touchy-feely experimental artist. I emphasize the stereo visual drama by using a strong design focus, contrasting values, and complementary colors. When I’m satisfied with the composition and value study, the actual rendering process brings my original vision to life."

Jerry has received the National Stereoscopic Association's Paul Wing award for best stereo theater presentation in 2008 and 2009, and he also earned the "Artist Choice" Award, by vote of the other stereo artists, the same two years at the NSA's annual convention. His artwork was recently featured in the cover story for The International Stereoscopic Union Journal: Stereoscopy # 77 (Issue 1.2009). It is showcased on the cover of the book "Crossview 3D" Compiled by Barry Rothstein. Jerry's images were also featured in the cover story for The NSA Journal: Stereo World V33 #6 (2008). He received an Honorable Mention in the Lou Smaus Awards in 2008 for Best Stereo World Article on Modern Stereoscopy with his images in "Fantastic Fractals" V33 #6 (2008) of Stereo World.

Visit his web site at: http://www.gostereoartist.com

His email address is: jerry@gostereoartist.com

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