| Scott Mutter is a world-famous photographic artist hailed for his curious, yet deeply entrancing, "surrational" images. Scott Mutter is not a trained photographic artist. He went to the University of Illinois at Urbana Champagne and got a Bachelor of Arts in history. Two years after he graduated, Mutter got a Master's Degree in the Chinese language from the University of Illinois. Growing up, Scott Mutter was never much of a shutterbug. Indeed, he twice traveled to continental Europe and, both times, failed to bring a camera with him. That being said, he was also deeply moved by the teachings and ideas of Sergei Eisenstein, the influential Russian film theorist. In particular, Mutter became intrigued by Eisenstein's notion of the montage, a collection of images piled on top of one another. Mutter adopted the montage motif in his art photography. His so-called surrational imaging technique gained him wide acclaim, not just from critics, but also from fans. Mutter's posters have decorated tens of thousands of college dorm rooms. Perhaps his most famous (and arguably his best) surrational photograph features a man carrying a briefcase, walking through an ocean towards a giant escalator. This piece stuns the eye because of its simultaneous photographic realism and iconic surrealism. The photograph suggests the disorientation of modern life. Mutter's photographs have found fans throughout the world, and the San Francisco International Airport and the Chicago Tribune have both held tributes to his work. Mutter's montage technique has helped inspire the work of a number of up and coming photographers and graphical artisans. Collectors may have their hands full gathering complete sets of Mutter's work. He has been quite prolific, and his rare photos sell for thousands. |