Celebrating Dataw Artist – Dick Golobic

by Marie Doyon & Bill Riski

Where are you from and what do you make?

I was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, where I lived for 31 years. After college, I worked for an Akron advertising agency for ten years, becoming VP and Creative Director. It was here that I met my future bride, Mariann. She was in a job interview with an agency client. I just happened to be meeting with that client that day, and the rest is history.

We moved to Detroit, Michigan, where I worked briefly for an advertising agency until deciding to be a freelance Creative Director. I lived in the Detroit area for 31 years. I hope to live at least a total of 31 years here on Dataw to complete a geographic trilogy in South Carolina.

I call myself a landscape photographer, and that includes anything outdoors.

How long have you been seriously pursuing art?

I have always enjoyed drawing, painting, and any artsy projects. I took several art classes in grade and high school, where my art teacher suggested I attend Syracuse University School of Art. Although my major was in advertising design, I took a mix of many art and graphic courses, from fabric design (taken by mistake) to typography to art history. In the latter, I learned that any good art has movement (e.g., The Birth of Venus by Botticelli).

Image: Tahoe, NV

It wasn’t until my senior year that I took a photography class. My career as a full-service Creative Director was all about communications, from concept to completion. My work could be described as combining ideas, copy, graphics, photos, etc., to produce ads, brochures, catalogs, logos, etc. In fact, I designed the first VAC logo, shown here.

What inspires you to create?

I was always encouraged by my artistic mother. She was very talented and enjoyed drawing fashions. My uncle, too, was an inspiration to me. He did cut-paper silhouettes that were so precise you could tell instantly who the person was!

I am inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds us, particularly in our national parks like the Grand Teton (my favorite), Bryce Canyon, and Glacier, to name a few. My daughter lived in Santa Fe, New Mexico before moving to Livingston, Montana. My son lives in Nevada, and my other daughter is a Chicago librarian. Visiting them over the years has been photographically fulfilling, to say the least. Of course, the famous landscape work of Ansel Adams provides inspiration.

You have to plan (and be lucky) to be in the right place at the right time to get a good photograph. Natural lighting and overall composition with very little tweaking are key elements. However, with digital cameras and computer software it’s now easy to tweak your photos; try to be careful and not overdo it.

Which artist outside of your chosen medium has had the most impact on your creations?

I credit Douglas Wilson, my design instructor at Syracuse, who was very encouraging in a positive way. I took several of his classes. Paul Klee was Douglas Wilson’s muse. One of his first assignments in freshman Basic Design was a self-portrait in the mosaic style – using little squares of colored papers. Douglas also admired the work of Marc Chagall. His paintings contain that important element of movement.

Is there a work of art that has changed your life or how you view the world in some way?

I have a print of Georgia O’Keefe’s Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1,1932 hanging in my house. In certain seasons, flowers may be the best, and maybe only option, for outdoor photography.

And it goes without saying, Ansel Adams’ Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico and his Grand Teton/Snake River photos.

As a member of VAC, what do you like most about us?

I wasn’t into photography beyond kids and travel until I moved to Dataw, so I credit the formation of VAC with igniting that interest of mine. My golfing friend, David Dolan* and I were the only males on the first VAC board. He and I hung all of the exhibits for several years. I think the continuing VAC art shows are among the many amenities at Dataw.

*Note: David Dolan’s name was erroneously omitted on the list of founding members of VAC in a previous VAC publication.

Image: Morgan River #10, Dataw Island, SC