(b. 1946)
Jim Sylvia is a photographer and professor. He received his BA from Empire State College in 1973 and his MFA from the University at Buffalo in 1977. He was an associate professor of photography at SUNY Buffalo State. In 1977, he began his Scape series, which combined pieces of foliage and irregular coatings of cyanotype solution on paper. Inspired by his time growing up near the ocean, the works visually investigate local ecology. Elements such as light, exposure time, and finally, washing each print in natural bodies of water greatly affect the composition of each piece. Reflecting on the series in an undated artist statement, Sylvia notes, “My work from the very beginning has been photographic in nature and remains that way although it seems to resemble painting more each day…The process I use seems much more like performance. And because of the process, each piece becomes a one-of-a-kind object.” His work has been featured in exhibitions at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery (Buffalo, NY), Memorial Art Gallery (Rochester, NY), Burchfield Penney Art Center (Buffalo, NY), and Field Gallery (West Tisbury, MA), among others.