Artist Statement

Joseph Zielinski, a photographer from Florham Park, NJ, was educated in the sciences and is employed as a pharmaceutical research scientist. Mr. Zielinski has seriously pursued photography as an art form in the last six years. He is an actively exhibiting artist and is a member of the New Jersey Photography Forum at the Watchung Arts Center. “The photographs I have taken can best be explained by the adage ‘learn by doing’. Like solving problems as a research scientist, I apply my scientific ability creatively when designing a particular image using different angles, light, texture, color and weather conditions.”

In a progression from color landscape photography, Mr. Zielinski has been extending his range of work to include black and white landscape photography using both traditional and infrared film. Examples of Mr. Zielinski’s works taken using the black and white infrared technique include; Cemetery-Christmas Island, Wagon Wheel and Barn, Bradford Pears, and Alberta Falls. Wagon Wheel and Barn was recently awarded First Place at the Watchung Arts Center Member’s Show (Aug 2001). An example of his traditional black and white landscape work (Essex County, NJ) was part of the ASMP Juried Show: “Focusing on New Jersey's Heritage”. The addition of the fog in the image created a dramatic, but intimate moment of our wetlands. According to the Star Ledger, “This show has many worthy images and should be remembered as one of the year’s better exhibits” (Sept 1999). Mr. Zielinski exhibited his first black and white solo show, “Recent Works in Black and White”, at Pro-Set Professional Photo and Imaging (Feb 00).

“I like to travel, both locally and outside New Jersey, and this offers me the advantage of photographing new subject matter. When a distinct subject grabs my attention, I am moved by it and I want to capture that emotion on film.”

Joseph Zielinski’s work has primarily involved color landscape photography, and he has won several awards for his work (Fall Colors-Wanaque, First Place award at the 1998 Ringwood Manor Association of the Arts Open Exhibit, an Honorable Mention from New Jersey Outdoors magazine (Winter 2000). Winter Fog and Fall Colors-Wanaque were selected (Mar 97) as images for the New Jersey exhibit at Senator Robert Torricelli’s Washington, D.C. office). Winter Fog was recently published in Hasselbald Forum magazine (Jan 2002). His landscape works were featured digitally as the Artist of the Month (July 99) on Pro-Set Professional Photo and Imaging Center’s Virtual Gallery web page. Mr. Zielinski was part of the Liberty Science Center exhibition; “Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water: Images from the New Jersey Landscape” (Nov 99-Apr00). “The photographs draw heavily on nature and the environment making the Environment Level a natural site for the exhibit, and Zielinski’s work fit the season”, said Mitch Seidel (The Star Ledger, Nov 1999). “Since the theme of our show was environmental, I wanted to express the true colors and beauty of our state.” Mr. Zielinski also served as co-curator for the exhibit.

Mr. Zielinski launched a solo exhibition, Time and Place, at the Children’s Specialized Hospital, Mountainside, NJ (Aug 2001). The exhibit included over 20 color landscape photographs. The photographs showcased my landscape both near and far. The common thread was the environment, but also man’s interaction with the environment. These places existed long before I photographed them. My photographs strive to document a “time and place”, of being there. According to The Star Ledger, “he mixes his appreciation of precision with an appreciation of nature” (M. Seidel, Aug 2001).

“When photographing landscape images, I like to work in and around nature and to extract that image as part of my own personal landscape. My goal is to capture the quiet and intimate moments of nature to create photographs which interpret my personal vision.”

Photography Exhibitions and Awards

National Parks Photo Contest, Experience Your America, Finalist, Sprague Lake Sunrise, 2001

Group Exhibition, American Society of Media Photographers 7th Annual Juried Show: Journey’s Within and Beyond, Bloomfield College, Oct 2001

Solo Exhibition, Children’s Specialized Hospital, Time and Place, Aug-Sept 2001

Watchung Arts Center, Member Show, Wagon Wheel and Barn, First Place, Aug 2001

Asbury Park Chamber of Commerce Photo Contest, Fisheye Convention Hall, Winner

Group Exhibition, Chamot Gallery, Jersey City, NJ, Modern Life, Jul-Aug 2000

Group Exhibition and Curator, Atrium Gallery, Administration Building, Morristown, NJ, Five Views, May-Jul 00

Solo Exhibition, Pro-Set Professional Photo and Imaging, West Paterson, NJ Recent Works in Black and White, Feb 00

Group Exhibition, American Society of Media Photographers Juried Show: Focusing on New Jersey's Heritage, Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, Morristown, NJ, Aug 99 to Jan 00.

Commissioned, Cheshire Home II Holiday Card, Parsippany, NJ, Dec 99

Group Exhibition, Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, NJ Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water: Images of the New Jersey Landscape, Nov 99 to Apr 00.

New Jersey Outdoors Magazine, Honorable Mention (2); Fall Colors and Fall Impressions (Winter 00)

Group Exhibition, NJ Photography Forum Juried Show, Watchung, NJ, Honorable Mention (Colisseum, Rome) July 99

Group Exhibition, Ringwood Manor Association of the Arts Open Photography Exhibit, Ringwood, NJ, Jun 99

Solo Digital Exhibition, Artist of the Month, Pro-Set Professional Photo and Imaging Center’s Virtual Gallery, Jul 99

Commissioned; Cheshire Home Brochure, Florham Park, NJ, Jun 99

Group Exhibition, Bergen County Administration Building, Hackensack, NJ Creative Energy, Apr-May 99

Group Exhibition, West Milford Camera Club Juried Show, Winner-Best in Show (First Snow), Dec 1998

Postcards from New Jersey, The Star Ledger, Winner (Flying High), Sept 98

Solo Exhibition, Artist of the Month, Berkeley Heights Library, NJ, Jul-Aug 1998

Group Exhibition, NJ Photography Forum Juried Show, Watchung, NJ, July 1998

Group Exhibition, Ringwood Manor Association of the Arts Juried Show, Winner First Place Landscapes (Fall Colors), Ringwood, NJ, June 1998

Group Exhibition, Borders Books and Music, Livingston, NJ, Jun 98.

Solo Exhibition (Collection on loan), Mediterranean Scenes, Galvano’s Ristorante, Florham Park, NJ, May 1998

Solo Exhibition (Collection), Pro-Set Professional Photo and Imaging, Spice Market, Istanbul, West Paterson, NJ, Jan 98.

Group Exhibition, Bernardsville Public Library, NJ, Dec 97.

Group Exhibition, NJ Photography Forum Juried Show, Watchung, NJ, July 1997

Group Exhibition (on loan) New Jersey Photographs, U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli’s Washington, D.C. Office, Fall Colors and Winter Fog, July 1997

Solo Exhibition, Florham Park Library, NJ, March 1992

Commissioned; Book Jacket Cover Photo, E. Krupat. People in Cities. The Urban Environment and Its Effects. Cambridge University Press, 1985

Commissioned; The Mackey Mosaic School Brochure, Boston Public Schools, 1985