Captured Moments- Coke Mattingly

     Image and imagination are the two words which drive Coke Mattingly’s creative photography.  He believes that just as in life, things don’t have to be accepted as they are. Settling for the obvious is not always the best way to connect with your inner person. His photographs capture images that stir some inner emotion, whether it is the colors of the world, the people, or just objects that he finds interesting.

     Coke’s interest in photography as art began with his life in the military, serving in Germany and Vietnam. As a young soldier he was exposed to many different vistas and people in the world.  Some of the photographs on display were originally taken in Vietnam in 1971. After his discharge and graduating from the University of Illinois with a Master’s in Advertising, he worked for Caterpillar for 30 years. He traveled throughout the United States and Canada, as well as visiting eight different countries in Europe. Through his military service, his time at Caterpillar, and his happy retirement, he has been fortunate enough to visit 21 countries.  With each trip his interest in photography as art continued to grow.   

     Beginning with his first tour of duty in Germany up to his last trip to Italy in 2021, Coke’s photography has been about capturing images that evoke emotion and interpreting the images of the world in different ways-which is what Coke says art has always been about. With the introduction of post-processing, the photo apps became his paintbrush. He found he could alter his photographs to achieve a different image, a different emotion, a different interpretation.

     Coke is a member of the Peoria Art Guild and the Peoria Contemporary Art Center. He has participated in the Peoria Art Festival, Peoria Art Guild Member Show, the Sugar Creek Art Festival, and the Washington Art Festival, as well as having an exhibit in Lisle, IL and at the Clock Tower Museum in East Peoria.  Since retiring, he frequently has taught photography and art classes for the OLLI program at Bradley University.