It took a stroke for West Chicago photographer to find his calling

Neighbors in West Chicago know Uwe Gsedlas a graphic artist, a community volunteer and the father of three young children.

Some know he is from Germany - his first name is pronounced "Oova" - and that his twin brother was instrumental in linking West Chicago with its sister city, Taufkirchen, Germany.

A few may even realize his slight limp is the result of a massive stroke.

But this month, another facet of Gsdel's creativity is on display at Gallery 200 in "Thru My Eyes," an exhibit showcasing his work as a studio photographer.

He explains the title: "It is my eye that is important, that makes my art, not a fancy camera."

Indeed, he started out using a simple point-and-shoot. Now he has a professional studio in the basement of the West Chicago home he shares with his wife, Tina, and their children. He works primarily with fashion models who are building their portfolios, but his assignments have included shooting photographs of subjects from scuba divers to farmers.

The images are compelling, with a strong graphic quality to the composition that reflects Gsdel's background in design.

So is the story behind them.

"If not for the stroke, I wouldn't be a photographer," he said.

Gsdel, 50, was trained as a typesetter in Germany. (When he told his fellow students in a black-and-white lithography class at the College of DuPage that he was a Gutenberg typesetter, "they all fell on their knees," he said.) He became a successful print-producer/broker for a large German advertising agency.

His twin, Bodo, had been an exchange student at Community High School in West Chicago in 1977, and the two brothers came back together for a visit in 1988. They went to a sports bar in Glen Ellyn, and that's where Uwe Gsedlmet Kristina Howard, the West Chicago woman who would become his wife.

They married in 1992. Four months later, Gsdel, then just 33, suffered a brain hemorrhage that left him paralyzed on one side and unable to speak.

His blood pressure was 280/180. Doctors told his wife he was not likely to survive the night.

"They said, 'we have to put drugs in him and we have to wait,'" Gsedlsaid.

He spent four weeks at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton, which was followed by extensive outpatient rehabilitation.

Getting his speech back was especially challenging because Gsedlwas still learning English when he had the stroke. Today, while he may struggle occasionally for a word, his German-accented English is fluent.

As soon as he was able, Gsedlstarted taking classes at the College of DuPage. He has high praise for the level of instruction and the quality of the design program.

A class in portrait studio lighting was his "aha moment." He had found his niche.

He also has immersed himself in community life in his adopted hometown. He is a member of the Lions and Rotary clubs. He volunteered to design the first T-shirt for Railroad Days in 1996 and the logo for West Chicago's 150th birthday. His mother-in-law, Fredericka Howard, is a local artist and one of the founders of Gallery 200.

Gsedldescribes himself as humble, happy and blessed.

"I do not measure success by money. - I would rather simply have someone look at my work and say, 'Hmm, he is good.'"

The question he asks himself is "Are you as good as you want to be?" Gsedlsaid. "I would say, not yet, but I'm getting there."

<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p>

<p class="News"><b>What:</b> "Through My Eyes," an exhibit of portraits by West Chicago studio photographer Uwe Gsdel</p>

<p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Through February at Gallery 200, 200 Main St., West Chicago</p>

<p class="News"><b>When:</b> Noon to 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays</p>

<p class="News"><b>Info:</b> (630) 293-9550 </p>