Art Of Photography Episode On Tom Baril

Tom Baril was born in Connecticut in 1952. He attended New York's School of Visual Arts in 1980 and received a bachelor of arts in photography. After graduating Tom worked as Robert Mapplethorpe's print maker. After that experience Baril's went on to have a solo career by creating stunning photographs from both behind the camera and in the darkroom itself.

Tom Baril has gone beyond being a master print maker in the last few decades. Tom Baril has mastered every medium he has used from 4x5 Polaroid pinhole to 8 x 10 collodion wet-plate.

What makes Baril's work particularly notable is his ability to amaze his viewers with exquisite prints that are technically perfect. Baril has generally focused on urban architecture, minimalist seascapes, and remarkably detailed still life and botanical images.

Baril has changed they way some people look at flowers, and that is an accomplishment. Few photographers have the skill to make their viewers look at something as familiar as a flower with a fresh new perspective.

It has often been said that Baril's work is mix of both the classic and the contemporary styles of photography.

Tom Baril’s work has been featuerd in two books:

1 The highly acclaimed sold out self-titled book published by 4AD in 1997
2 Botanica published by Arena Editions in 1999.

Baril's work has been featured in numerous publications, and is among prestigious collections both public and private including:

The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Center for Creative Photography, the George Eastman House, Amsterdam's Stedelijk Museum, The Fogg Museum at Harvard University, and the Elton John Collection.

Tom Baril Official Website
Tom Bari's Books
Koch Gallery
Learn more from the other Masters Of Photographers