Manfred Buchheit is a recognized Newfoundland professional Visual Artist who works in a variety of media and specializes in Fine Art Photography. He is a frequent exhibitor in the Avalon region and is highly regarded for his fine Black & White studies of the natural landscape, his experiments in alternative and low-tech Photography, his abilities as a lecturer /instructor and as an activist on behalf of the Arts in Newfoundland.
Like many an Artist, he is primarily self-taught : as formal studies in his youth were interrupted for
financial reasons, early on he embarked on a program of self-education in Applied Art and Photography as employed in the private sector. This has successfully provided him with extensive knowledge and expertise in several areas within the broad context of the Visual Arts, and a deep familiarity with traditional and contemporary media and art practice. Altogether. Manfred has more than 50 years of broad experience related to Art and Photography.
Mannie is a great believer in Practical Education: learning by doing, teaching by example, and freely passing on his knowledge to his students. He treats his practical experience as a resource for his students, and since the mid-1970’s he has taught classes and given workshops in Life Drawing, Painting, Serigraphy, Calligraphy, Graphic Art, Basic and Advanced Photography, Darkroom Process & Techniques, Pinhole Photography, Historical and Classic Photography, and Photographic Conservation Techniques. His approach to teaching is “hands -on” and one- to- one – an approach he credits his own instructors and mentors for fostering.
He is well-known throughout Newfoundland & Labrador for his Photography classes, especially his
workshops in Pinhole Photography: a low-tech hands-on vehicle for the introduction of Photography to the young. His students construct their own pinhole cameras, take photographs with them, and develop and print them.” In the process they learn about the Science of Optics, they’re introduced to basic Chemistry, and they learn to apply Composition and Design to their images. All in all, they have Fun. “ He says, “That’s important: learning any Art should be Fun. “
“Humans are born Creators”, he believes, “Art is the first thing we create, and we are hard-wired to be creative. Art is the way we exercise our innate creativity; all else follows”. …” Whether a person draws, paints or photographs – or crafts an object, writes a poem, or invents a tool – that person is exercising their creativity; with positive benefits to their self and all other endeavours that person may engage in.”
Mannie feels that Art Education is incredibly important in our modern technological society, as the
positive benefits he alludes to give a balance to our lives without which we are somewhat less.