René Sheret

Biography

It seems to René Sheret that he has been taking photographs all his life. It started many years ago when he was in the seventh grade. He discovered the darkroom magic of a photograph slowly appearing in a tray of developing solution. Ever since, images have been his passion. This passion took him to the Art Center School in Los Angeles (now, Art Center College of Design, Pasadena) where he studied photography and graphic design and graduated with honors in 1954. This led to a career of graphic design and photography. René Sheret worked in agencies and the industry as a graphic designer and photographer until 1970 when he opened his own design firm. His work was almost entirely annual reports, which allowed him to use his skills both as a graphic designer and photographer. He has always enjoyed experimenting with the creative aspect of photography. René Sheret likes the idea of doing things differently. He feels it is necessary to explore new techniques. “For me, there's no point to practice a photographic discipline that has been established for decades, particularly today, with what the computer and ink jet printers can offer the creative artist.” Today, computer technology has replaced the darkroom giving René a multitude of new possibilities. The photograph is the starting point. His goal is to interpret the photograph as a unique image, to make a more dramatic statement that will not be forgotten. René will enhance the color, eliminate unwanted distractions, restyle the image replacing the photographic quality with a unique drawing style that he coaches from the computer. His goal is to achieve an image that is unique, one that can be enjoyed for generations. René’s images are no longer just a photograph. They are contemporary pieces of fine art.