Working process
I believe that any visual work of art whether it is abstract, representational or somewhere between the two should be based on the formal elements of line, tone, colour and texture. These elements if clearly defined have the ability to interact with themselves and with each other and create visual interest from passive subtlety through to dynamic excitement. It is this visual interest that will draw the viewer to the work to further study the ideas and the content. My own photography is based upon this principal from the very start of my working process. My eye is attracted to areas that show strong abstract qualities and I begin a process of photographing the area to try and find interesting compositions. It is important for me to capture the composition full frame and not look to cropping the image later in the computer. The reason is that I am emotionally moved to capture the image that I composed within the whole picture frame ( as Cezanne said of his painting if I move a little to the left or right etc.)
Once the image has been downloaded into the computer no reference is made back to the original source. At this point the image begins its own process of evolution, generated by my response to the formal elements within it. As I fine tune these elements certain feelings may evolve and I may adjust such things as tonal values, colour balance and colour saturation to emphasize what is evolving. I believe that the mystery is triggered by what we can see and not by what we can’t.
Emotive feelings are created by the visual interest of the formal elements in the picture, which can trigger parallel or similar experiences in the viewers, who draw on their own experiences that enable them to move beyond surface values. The mystery is conveyed not by what we can’t see but by what we can.