Dominique Thiébaut moved to the Pioneer Valley in the 1980s, from Paris, France. Like many residents, he never left the valley, and adopted it as his home. He currently lives in Northampton, Massachusetts, and teaches at Smith College. He is an avid amateur photographer, spending every opportunity to capture the beauty of our ever-changing New England skies. He is also a painter who incorporates his photographs in his digital paintings and explorations. Dominique’s recent solo show of photographs at the Amherst town hall, “Noho Skies,” featured Pioneer Valley landscapes and skyscapes. In the current exhibit at the Hitchcock Center, “Valley Skies,” Dominique continues his exploration of the Pioneer Valley landscape, often at sunrise or sunset, at times on a bright fall day. His photos seize the fluid formation of clouds rolling over hills, or, as in the 5-panel presented here, the inviting path curving around a maple tree at Park Hill Orchard, in Easthampton. His approach to photography is influenced by his scientific background. Taken with a point-and-shoot camera that is always with him, the photographs are heavily processed by various algorithms, including his own, and professionally printed on some of the most vibrant--and expensive--media currently available: HD dye sublimation on recycled aluminum. In this process, a mirror photo is printed in professional labs on paper with an inkjet printer loaded with special dye. Then, under high heat, the dye is fused with a special coating previously applied to the aluminum sheet. This results in a highly durable photograph with vibrant colors, that resists scratching and UV light. You may also be interested in visiting Dominique’s current collaborative project at the Anchor House of Artists, in Northampton, Massachusetts. This project, lead by Maria Guarino, explores the world of epilepsy in a multimedia presentation, featuring Dominique’s digital painting and videos. Enjoy the exhibit! Lonely Mountain, Crashing Clouds Holyoke Range, Hadley MA Early morning shot of Bare Mountain, one of the Seven Sisters, emerging from the clouds rolling up from the Connecticut River. Triptych 73W x 36H (each panel 24Wx36H) Red Eddies Sunrise over the Holyoke Range Playful eddies in the early morning sky over Long Mountain. Holyoke Range. 40W x 20H Fragility in the Orchard Park Hill Orchard Easthampton, MA This photograph, taken at Park Hill Orchard, in Easthampton, MA, on a bright fall day, is made of 517,864 polygons, tinted with only 64 different colors. It depicts the fragility of the nature that surrounds us. While the photograph may look natural and the landscape inviting, a digital transformation has taken place, and richness, diversity, and all the 24 million colors that originally made this image have been significantly altered. Only by paying close attention to the image, will we see the degradation. Only by playing close attention to the world around us, will we be in a better place to take better care of it. 101W x 60H (each panel 20W x 60H) Just a Sliver of Light Long Mountain at Sunrise Long Mountain taken in the mist of a very early morning. 40w x 30w Lonely Bird, Seven Sisters Holyoke Range Mount Hitchcock, center, emerging from the clouds, a single bird in the sky. Early morning sunrise. 40Wx20H Freckled Sky Sunrise over Northampton, MA The Northampton town hall emerges over the landscape of the Holyoke Range in this orangey freckled sunrise sky. 36W x 24H Contact Information Dominique Thiebaut (413) 586 2705 [email protected] https://www.instagram.com/modiniquet/ https://www.facebook.com/modiniquet/ .