As a painter, I had always used photography to inform my painting. I would experiment with depth of field and planes of fauna to create semi-abstract photographs that I would then convert into paint. In an attempt to improve the quality of my photography, and thus my painting, I bought a better camera; the Canon 5D MK III. This opened up new realms of possibility as I explored the in-built multiple exposure function. Fascinating possibilities of cubist compositions awaited me, until I tried the camera’s HDR function. Having no idea what would happen, I pressed the release and went to look at the result on the camera screen. What I saw there changed my life. A peculiar repetition, weird outlines, an unfamiliar blur and abstracted shapes. In that moment a brand new project flashed before my eyes; I felt sheer exuberance as I imagined the possibilities to come. I have barely taken a “normal” photograph since. I no longer paint. Painting now serves to inform my photography.
The collection of photographs in this submission are presented in chronological order. Most are gleaned from projects (some detailed below) or series’ of images exploring a different idea, style or location. They are all, however, intrinsically linked by technique and concept.
It is crucial to understanding my practice that my photographs are all created in-camera. Only adjustments to light, dark and cropping are made on the computer in post-production. Each one is made using a technique that contradicts the proper functionality requirements for High Dynamic Range imagery. According to all official manuals, the camera must remain fixed, preferably on a tripod, and the subject matter stationary to avoid distortion and ghosting. It is the possibilities within these distortions which fuel my work. Rejecting the stillness and introducing chance and happenstance into the process has allowed me to build a unique art form.
The emphasis for "Aberrational Expressionism" is on deviating from the prescribed camera functionality in order to create something uncontrolled and unexpected. Wandering entranced amidst visually rich parts of the globe allows all weathers and variables to infuse into the photographs. The compelling images created are effectively a glitch, an aberration and a peculiarity of a camera function. They are able to inform the viewer some of what is underneath and in front of what we see.
In "Sundown at Bank Junction", the movements of people and traffic in the heart of London’s financial district are portrayed as the sun sets. Twilight draws in and dusk takes hold. It is an expressionistic response to a vibrant place over the course of a single evening.
"Carnival, Painted" is a recent series created during the final hours of the Notting Hill Carnival. Attempting to capture the intoxicating sights, smells and sounds amid the wonderful textures, colours, and insatiable energy of a giant party. Crowds pass through the weaving, extending lens that knits the passing of time together in rhythmic harmony.
Other projects currently in progress are "Gallery"; exploring the relationship between a gallery, its artworks and those that inhabit its space. And "Protest"; examining the energy created when gatherers march for an impassioned cause.
My intention is to create visual personalised expressions of the world around me. By gesticulating my camera and lens during a photograph, I aim to paint the scene there and then. However, instead of composing a painting back in the studio, I am left with a non-figurative image in-camera that is the direct result of my performance, instinct, intuition and coincidence. I am looking to rip apart the elements of the HDR and reveal it’s innards. To capture more than a snapshot in time. To delve into what was and what will become. To explore the relationship between painterly and photographic completeness. To expand the realms of possibilities both on the inside and outside of the camera. Ultimately, to create an original body of work that is a dynamic interplay between abstraction, figuration, the painterly and the photographic.
