do I see and feel this? I shoot images for myself - if I
have an emotional response to a picture, if it portrays
what I wanted to capture, then I know I am starting the
beginning of the creative process in the right way.
Ultimately, I take that image and explore the essence
of what I wanted to capture. Although sometimes I
only want to show the beauty of the natural world as I
see it, this process may perhaps end with an abstract
work - or at least a work where color, form, and
structure are more important than the documentation
of a particular scene or object. Just as a diamond
needs light to show its real beauty, often it is the
interplay of light and subject, which is critical to that
which I am trying to achieve."
What are the primary themes of your work?
"Although I started with hand-stitched ultra-wide
panoramas of cities and occasionally landscapes, my
main subjects are now driven more by the natural
world. Color, form, structure, the interplay of light, the
essence that lies behind the beauty we perceive.
However, beauty is very personal. Modern advertising
concepts and much of popular culture assume ‘youth’
and ‘unblemished’ is equivalent to beauty. I do not. I
see a deeper beauty in the aging of a flower. As the
‘perfection’ matures and develops, structures, lines,
the ‘blemishes’ of age, show, for me, the real character
of the beauty of a subject. The interplay of color and
light with form and structure is never more present,
though here in a very ageless form, than when looking
at water and it will thus be no surprise that this is a
motif in all its manifestations to which I regularly
return."
Who are your favorite artists and why?
"I do not follow the work of other photographers -
neither wanting to be influenced by them nor wanting
to tie myself, unconscientious or not, to any modern
convention of what makes a 'good photograph.' I
pursue my goals and artistic ideas. Artistically, I find
the most abstract pieces by William Turner a real
inspiration. 'A Snow Storm At Sea' especially, captures a
dynamism and power which has never left me from
the first day that I saw it, and yet, there is barely
anything 'recognizable' to be considered in the image.
A real use of form and structure to display the power
of the natural world. For inspiration, I need to look no
further than the work of my partner, Ines Mondon, and
her photographic representation of the aesthetic and
perfection of the natural world. Her challenge and
support are a constant drive within my creative
process."
Why do you think art is important for the world,
and why is it important for you as an individual
artist?
"Art makes us truly human, or to put it differently, the
ability to appreciate the beauty in form, color, shape
and structure of an object, painting, sculpture or
photograph makes us human. It can define who we
truly are. People, our species, can be and are
(regularly) mean, selfish and even cruel. Art shows us,
or better still the appreciation of beauty tells us, that
this is not all that we are - all that we can be. For me, it
is a more rewarding and fulfilling and ultimately,
undeniably, real and fundamental alternative source of
meaning as opposed to that most pervasive of human
inventions: Religion. Art is, or can be, a window to a
‘better’ world. An appreciation of art and the artistic
process of the wonders of the natural world, (and the
fundamental processes which lie behind it), can define
us and make us, actually human."What do you hope to communicate to the viewer
and how does this specifically affects the final
result?"When somebody looks at my work, I want them to
feel an emotional response whether they ‘like’ the
image or not, is ‘irrelevant,' or at least not the goal.
Have I managed to capture a small part of our world
and given the viewers an opportunity to see it in a
different light perhaps, or given them a chance to
appreciate the natural world around us? I strive for the
perfect representation of this idea (though rarely
achieve it) and seek perfection in every part of the
Cont. Next Page“Silver Green”, Photograph Mounted Onto Acrylic, 60” x 39.3”