Taking inspiration from abstract expressionism, surrealism and impressionism, painters from Salvador Dali, Joan Miró, Jackson Pollack to Paul Klee, and using a 19th century window pane as his preferred medium of expression, Greg Considine has created an inspiring series of smoothly graceful, beautifully volatile and emotional reflection photos.
I got in touch with Greg to tell us a little more about his process of taking refection photos and the color inspiration behind his fluid and imaginative photo series ‘Reflections of Melbourne‘.
COLOURlovers: Tell me about your background.
Greg Considine: I have worked for a long time as a union advocate and recently took a long break to recharge my batteries. Prior to concentrating on reflections I used to shoot color and B&W digital infrared images as well as wildlife. Most of my time off work was spent taking photos, printing and exhibiting.
CL: How did you start taking reflection photos?
GC: As my photographic eye improved I started noticing them and found abstract expressionism, surrealism and impressionism ready made in old plate glass windows.
CL: Can you tell me about your process for taking your reflection photos?
GC: My favored medium for reflection is old 19th century plate glass-the old process produced sheets which were not flat and contain different densities and patterns-these distort the light nicely.
The key to my process is manually focusing telephoto lenses - I find 200mm, 300mm and 400mm all useful and sometimes I use a 600mm. My aim is usually to compose the photo so that the window surrounds are not in frame to reduce or eliminate cropping so that I can preserve large print size options. The right focal length lens enables this.
On February 8th, 2008, the Polaroid corporation announced that the incredible invention of Edwin Land has a permanent expiration date that no refrigeration can postponed; stating, “Polaroid has made the difficult decision to cease manufacturing of instant film products in 2008. We hope that you will continue to choose Polaroid products, as we take instant imaging into the digital platform with exciting new products being launched this year.” The last of the film is projected to expire in September of 2009.
It seems that there is still yet one hope remaining for Polaroid film. Save Polaroid has setup shop to assemble artists and fanatics to save Polaroid.
About Save Polaroid
On February 8, 2008, Polaroid Corporation announced that it will discontinue production of all instant film. This site will document the aftermath of this announcement and will serve as a home-base for the effort to convince another company to begin producing the cherished technology that Polaroid has so carelessly abandoned.
This site is not about saving Polaroid, the company, rather the remarkable invention of Edwin Land, the instant film that made Polaroid a household name.
Since this announcement, we’ve been assembling articles, links, stories and planning out the best way to create a joint effort to save instant film. We’ve contacted Polaroid, Fuji and Ilford about licensing.
- Save Polaroid
Rod Hunting Helps Save Polaroid
My good friend, and fellow member of the Chicago artist family The Post Family, artist Rod Hunting was asked by Save Polaroid to produce a limited run of his Polaroid print to be auctioned off on ebay to raise money for Save Polaroid. I sat down with Rod over some fine malt liquor to discus his ‘Polareds’ project, the end of Polaroid and speeding tickets.
Music is a popular source of inspiration for creating colors and what if the tables were turned with color being the source of inspiration for music?
What is the sound of color?
This abstract question is exactly what Rehab and GAP proposed to 5 music artists — DNTEL, Swiss Beatz, The Blakes, Marié Digby, and The Raveonettes. Then, the music was delivered to video directors, Chris Do, Mary Fagot, James Frost, Tom Gatsoulis, Russ Lemourex and Ryan Ebner to interpret the music and create video. The results can be found at soundofcolor.com.
Nathan Brown, Executive Director of Rehab and Creative Director, Sean Leman took a breather to speak with us about Sound of Color and non-traditional delivery of content.
CL: Please share with us a bit about Rehab’s background:
SL: Rehab was founded in 2002 by Sean Leman and Nathan Brown; both of us had worked at traditional production companies before and felt that the model could be improved upon. We believed that we could be more nimble, more adaptable, and produce work in a lot of different spaces (online, commercial ad campaigns, features, etc.). NB: As we move forward, we’re continually looking for ways to evolve traditional models of entertainment and advertising.
On December 10, 2007, Pantone, Inc. announced Blue Iris #18-3943 as the Pantone Color of the Year. Chosen to spend 2008 leading thousands of colors available in the Pantone universe, Blue Iris #18-3943 takes the honor is stride. Here are some highlights from a recent telephone interview:
When did you hear that you were chosen as the Pantone Color of the Year?
We don’t know until the public knows. I knew I was a finalist because execs at Pantone had been staring at my swatches, but I tried not to think about it until the announcement was made.
Were you surprised?
According to my agent. I had to be told twice, so yeah, I was surprised. At first I thought I was the Pantone color of the day, which is also a considerable honor.
Pantone calls you a “multifaceted hue reflecting the complexity of the world that surrounds us.” What does it feel like to hear comments like this?
I’m not allowed to blush because that would change my color, but if I was allowed I probably would.
Do you see the world as particularly complex?
I see the world as complex, but I also see this complexity as a result of how light manipulates cone cells in the retina. The world is a billion different things, yes, but if I ever get overwhelmed I just stop and think about how everything is just a variation of red, green, and blue.
Pantone says that emotionally you are “anchoring and meditative with a touch of magic.” Is this a fair representation of how you see yourself?
I can see how I may be perceived this way, but some of the colors I’ve dated might feel otherwise.
Are you dating anyone now?
I’m sorry I brought that up. I’d rather keep my personal life private.
It was the beautiful red book titled Effusus sitting on a coffee table that first captured my attention and then my heart. For most of the rest of the evening, Ron van Dongen’s photographs of flowers had me spellbound. Each image was striking with detail and seductive, sensual colour.
Since that evening, I’ve been lucky to have met Ron on several occasions and he graciously took time to share his approach and photographs with us.
CL: What is your background?
van Dongen: I grew up in the heartland of floral agriculture in the Netherlands, and later studied Biology and Health Scinece at the University of Delft. Despite my involvement with plants, I’d never thought they would become a subject matter for photography. Digging in the dirt and watching a plant’s life cycle in its own environment was, and still is, more rewarding than isolating it and documenting it on film.
CL: How did you get started making photographs of plants and flowers?
van Dongen: About fifteen years ago, while I was working as a floral designer and going to college, a friend predicted I would one day photograph flowers as a primary occupation. I thought the idea was ridiculous.
As a photography student, I was obsessed with the human form, and in my youthful ambition to be taken seriously, found flowers too frivolous a subject matter. I was determined to become a portrait photographer.
While I did photograph plants occasionally, it was only done to practice my 4×5 camera skills without burdening live models with my limited technical ability. When the flower pictures drew attention, I would respond by saying they were only meant as an exercise.
During the following few years, I built a portfolio of body and face photographs. These images were all taken in the studio with simple strobe lighting. I worked exclusively with Polaroid 55P/N for its instant results. Mostly high in contrast, with the light skin tones against black back drops, the pictures had a dramatic, but often static effect.
In a subsequent project, I photographed white bodies on white backdrops. In this series the light tones were meant to symbolize death and mourning. The white-on-white imagery created a feeling of eerie serenity but also of distance. As the project progressed, this concept changed to a more visual observation; it takes effort to see where a white-on-white image begins or ends. This ambiguous pictorial quality literally forces the viewer to draw in closer and examine the whole image area. It makes the imagery more challenging and dynamic.
Simultaneously, I applied this idea to floral still lifes, using a 4 x 5 Sinar F1 camera. Although visually similar, the botanicals lacked the emotional tension and heaviness of the figure studies. Another difference was the circumstance in with I photographed them; at home using only natural light.
In the attempt to market my work to galleries and magazines, it was the flower portfolio that was consistently singled out. I chose–albeit reluctantly–to devote my time exclusively to photographing the botanical form.
I love Polaroid, so when the opportunity came along to interview Patrick Winfield, a graphic designer and photographer who frequently uses Polaroid to create dynamic visual stories, I jumped at the chance to speak with him.
Patrick’s work has a healthy following. I’m excited he took time to share his work; his love of Polaroid and playing around.
CL: Please share with us a bit about your background:
Winfield: I studied computer and stop-motion animation initially then moved onto graphic design, painting and photography. I landed a job doing graphic design for a startup company in 2000 and have been working in the industry pushing pixels ever since.
I grew up in upstate New York and have always been most at home in nature, walking through a trail in the forest or exploring a riverbed.
beaver pond, 2007 - polaroid 600 film on board - h:20 w:21 inches
CL:Tell us about when Polaroid came into your life:
Winfield: A photographer friend of mine told me about her ideas and techniques she was experimenting with, it was only a matter of time before I picked one up and did my own thing.
CL: What Polaroid Cameras do you own?
Winfield: I own a few. The original SX-70 is my go-to camera. I use a basic one-step for all my photogram work, just to eject the film from the cartridge.
CL: What camera do you wish to own?
Winfield: I am pretty excited about the release of the Zink cell phone printer. There is something similar out now, but this looks cool with prints that go to the edge of the sticker paper…fun stuff! O yeah, and the 20×24 camera is always there…the possibilities! But really any camera will do.
origin, 2007 - polaroid 600 film on stretched canvas - h:38 w:38 inches
CL: Why did you choose Polaroid film?
Winfield: It is all about the flow of working with images as soon as I create them. The process is like playing in a way. When a photo comes out of the camera I can see if I want to adjust it or take another shot right away. Polaroid film isn’t the only way I can do this and I have experimented with disposable cameras, Xerox machines and flatbed scanners, but the immediacy and characteristics of the Polaroid film is unique and seductive.
CL: Polaroid film does not seem readily available. How does this affect your work?
Winfield: It is actually very available and I enjoy working with it knowing it is available to everyone. It is not as depleted as one may think, but it surely is not the cheapest medium and most formats are being discontinued so I do keep a cache in my fridges crisper drawer. This makes me more conscious at times when using film, as well as preparing food. I am not hesitant if I want to take a shot or start a big composite, rather I will think about it more.
piecemeal, 2007 - polaroid 600 film on board - h:20 w:21 inches
I stumbled upon Richard Sarson’s work via Circa1979 and was immediately entranced. His work is hypnotic and intriguing in its complexity created with simple materials and forms. Richard was kind enough to share a bit of his methodology, inspirations, and admit a small fear of colour.
CL: Please tell us a bit about your background:
Sarson: I am a graphic artist living in London. I create work across the fields of art and design and by doing so attempt to question established methods of production and ways of thinking.
CL: How did you find your way into design?
Sarson: I have always enjoyed drawing and I think I was set on an art-based path right from the start. My interest in design has evolved due to a combination of an obsessional personality and a love for composition in art.
CL: Most creative people tend to cringe or joke about math and science. Your work seems heavily influenced or constructed upon it. What is your take on the relationship between science and art?
Sarson: Often they are seen as opposites, scientific order versus artistic chaos, to me they are very similar in the sense that they are both composed of loose-ends and bits that don’t add up. Science and art both have an imposing authority to them but really they are just someone thinking ‘what happens if I do that?’. How the microwave was invented is not really that far in spirit from Marcel Duchamp putting a bicycle wheel on a stool and in the process questioning the whole idea of art. I tend to work in scientific way, often I will spend time on a drawing as an experiment simply to see what it will look like, sometimes it is a good outcome other times not so good, then I move on. I like to work on newsprint and use cheap materials because there is no precious, art-like quality about it, each one is an experiment that doesn’t really have an end point.
CL: Circles have made a frequent appearance in your work. Why circles?
Sarson: I think the simplicity of a circle is beautiful. I don’t intentionally focus upon that shape. My drawings are more about the points where the compass sits; I work in a structured way so the framework is usually the thing most visible. There is also something really lovely about drawing a line and finding yourself right back where you started.
After posting Painting with Light, I had the pleasure of speaking with the LICHTFAKTOR crew, the artists responsible for the photos posted. The 3-man creative force behind LICHTFAKTOR is VJ sehvermoegen, graffiti artist jiar, and VJ 10X.
Read all the way down to see their new video work.
COLOURlovers: What drew you to become light graffiti artists?
LICHTFAKTOR: As VJs, we were used to film and because we are all into graffiti it was only a small step. This is the reason why our light-paintings are always moving.
Colblindor was started in early 2006 when Daniel Flück created a blog based on colour deficiency and colour blindness. The blog has actually become quite the comprehensive resource itself, addressing types of colour blindness and how to distinguish between types of colour blindness.
CL: What led you to create your blog, Colblindor?
Daniel Flück: It was in January 2006 when I was inspired by a talk of Robert Scoble about weblogs, and their growing power and interaction possibilities. After viewing this I decided to get on the boat, starting with my own ideas just about everything. Only after a while I found out, that this wasn’t really what I was looking for. Browsing through some well known blogs about blogging taught me to watch out for my own niche which I could write about. And as I am colorblind myself and couldn’t find anybody else writing about it, I started off with Colblindor.
I was lucky enough to be in Toronto and catch Franco’s work on display in a gallery a few months back. His work was wonderfully colorful and drew us into the gallery. I thought the medium was equally interesting and I’m excited he took the time to share with us how he creates these beautiful works and where he finds inspiration.
CL: What is your background?
Franco:
Born and raised here in Toronto to Southern Italian (Calabrese) immigrant parents, I graduated from the Ontario College of Art (which is now called the Ontario College of Art and Design). After graduating from school and traveling I began a career as a freelance graphic designer, which I had worked at until 2001. With changes in the labor market, affected by the notorious “tech bubble” and a personal desire to shift career possibilities I began working in the renovation industry as a carpenter and general tradesman. After working in the reno industry for a couple of years I returned to school to resume art studies and have been a working artist since 2004.
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