about the artist
biography
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About Daniel Sroka
how my career got started
For most of my life, my photography took a back seat to paying the bills. A discovered talent for graphic design helped me pay my way through school. This lead to a professional career, the highlight of which was my role as the original creative director for Yahoo!, where I helped guide them from a quirky curiosity into a globally-recognized brand. But I grew tired of using my artistic skills to help other people realize their dreams, while ignoring my own. So I quit my day job, and focused my energy on my fine art photography.
Where my art comes from
Photography has always shaped how I see the world. My childhood desk was my father's old enlarger, and I spent many days in our basement darkroom, listening to the creaking of the floorboards as we coaxed images out of the dark. Then when I was 12 years old, I earned my first computer by scraping a hundred years of paint off my uncle's house. It was like a new part of my brain had woken up. That computer was my first experience with unrestricted creativity: an artistic tool that you can mold to the needs of your imagination. When I combined photography with computers, I felt like I finally found my creative home. Like a perfectly weighted hammer and chisel, the camera and the computer simply feel right in my hands, allowing me to see farther and deeper than I ever could alone.
Galleries and representation
- Eaton Fine Art
- Karin Newby Gallery
- Arterra
clients and collectors
- Baccarat Hotels and Residences, Anguilla
- Miraval Resort, Tuscon
- I have prints in over 700 private collections.
Selected shows and competitions
- 2008 - Group show, Elemental/Environmental: Space, New Orleans Photo Alliance. (Gary Braasch, juror)
- 2008 - Prix de la Photographie Paris (Px3), third place in Nature category
- 2007 - Featured artist, Area of Design
- 2007 - Featured photographer, Positive Focus (NYC)
- 2007 - Group show, Arcadia: Artists Celebrate Trees, California Modern Gallery (San Francisco)
- 2004 - Solo show, The Main Gallery (Redwood City, CA)
- 2004 - Group show, Visions of Memory, The Main Gallery (Redwood City, CA)
- 2003 - Group show, Garden of Earthly Delights, The Main Gallery (Redwood City, CA)
online galleries and organizations
- Trunkt
- Discovered Artists, founding artist
- Public Artist Forum, moderator
design career, awards and education
For many years I've been a creative director and designer for print, web and interactive projects, experience which has had a major impact on my artistic vision and craft:
- Daniel Sroka Designs LLC: sole-proprietor, fine art photography, prints, ketubahs. 2003-present.
- Brand Consultant for The Stowitts Museum and Library. Pacific Grove, CA. 2001-2002.
- Branding/Interactive Director for Turner & Associates (design firm). San Francisco, CA. 2000-2001.
- Creative Director for Yahoo! Inc. (internet pioneer). Santa Clara, CA. 1996-2000.
awards
- Judge for the 44th Mead Annual Report Show
- Multiple design awards: including Clio Award (short list), ID Annual Design Review, San Francisco Show, Print Magazine, British D&AD, Graphic Design:USA, AR100, Telly Award for Video Animation, and HOW Magazine Self-Promotion Competition
education
- BA, Cognitive science and linguistics. Hampshire College, Amherst, MA (1989)
- Advanced study on the connections between visual symbols and language, the use of metaphor in language, and the development of visual language skills in children.