TURNERS FALLS — The subject of Tom Wyatt’s photograph is technically a car, but his abstractions and reflections give a whole new understanding to this everyday object.
Wyatt just donated two of his photographs to Franklin County Technical School to be displayed in car repair classrooms, giving students inspiration about how their work can be seen as art, too.
“This donation speaks volumes for the culture we created here. You didn’t find art in tech school 30 years ago,” Steve Miss, automotive technology instructor, said.
The donated photograph is mostly indecipherable. The reflections create a surreal image, making it unclear what the viewer is looking at. Wyatt explained he included a small piece of tire at the bottom of the image to allow the viewer to understand what they are looking at, giving them insight that this object was found with the naked eye.
“I’m not into the mechanics of cars, I’m into the beauty of cars,” said Wyatt, who’s bio states the he “walks a tightrope between realism and surrealism.”
The donation is an example of how art and craft come together in the Franklin County Tech School.
The image was originally printed for a show at the MassMutual Center titled “5 Narratives,” which displayed Wyatt’s and four other artists’ work.
Wyatt began his photography career by studying art at Hallmark Institute of Photography in Turners Falls in 1996. There he was trained to print transparent slides on paper. He was frustrated with the lack of vibrancy of the colors, and began printing his work on archival aluminum instead.
“This offers a vibrant luminosity,” Wyatt said.
From his studies he opened a photography business, where he was hired to shoot weddings and parties. He decided he wanted to focus on the artistic side of photography and began taking photos of reflections for art purposes.
“Digital is freeing, you get to experiment as much as you want,” Wyatt said. He, like many, used to be limited by a prescribed number of photos on a roll of film, now he feels free to experiment as much as he wants with his work not being limited by materials.
Wyatt will soon be leaving his home of many years in Warwick to move to New Mexico to be closer to family. “It is time for a new adventure,” he said.
He needed to get rid of many of his prints in his home, so he reached out to a retired School Committee member of Franklin County Technical School to ask if the school wanted the donation.
“I don’t expect my art to have worldwide recognition. I just want people to be able to see from my perspective,” Wyatt said.
Jeff Tarr, collision and repair instructor, appreciates the desire. “Seeing vehicles from Tom’s perspective is amazing,” he said.
Career and Technical Educational Coordinator Matt West said the works will be displayed in the auto repair shop, but it is unclear where they will go exactly at this time.
“They are special and exceptional, we want to make sure we present them the right way,” he said.
West explained there is an arts and photography club in the school that helps students appreciate art, but he pointed to the work students do on cars as another art form.
“Collision repair, spray painting cars and working on vehicles; these are all art forms,” he said.
“We like to think of ourselves as artists, you need an eye for detail to this work,” Tarr concurred.
Displaying art about cars shows a different perspective to the students, according to West. “This art fits in with our respect and love for the industry,” he said.
The art displayed isn’t the only new perspective at Franklin County Technical School this year. West also explained there are many new teachers “fresh out of the industry” that provide a new perspective on technical education as well.
“I love finding illusionary abstractions around us in unexpected ordinary locations — like parking lots or street puddles,” Wyatt wrote in a bio.
“Here we have people who can appreciate art and get dirty and make a living,” Miss said.
Bella Levavi can be reached at 413-930-4579 or blevavi@recorder.com