From investigations, it’s clear that the context of photographic images is swayed and changed with how the image is consumed. This is a significant factor that any practitioner has to consider when producing any body of work.
Abstract images, where I am currently practice is no exception to the issue of context although it does appear that the context is harder to find for just the use of abstract work. With this, in mind, I am exploring two avenues to utilise the abstract images along with more traditional ‘straight’ photographs exploring mental illness and drug abuse.
At the current stage of the practice, abstract images can fall into several areas for consumption. The first and most obvious is the display of the images just as they are. Leaving the viewer to read what they want into the image. This lends itself to the gallery wall. Display in a commercial setting such as the office or hotel, such as the one over the bed in the Travel Lodge chain, or a domestic setting. For the none gallery installations, it possibly comes down to hedonism and the image. (See post on Hedonism).
Other avenues to consider would be book covers and album covers. A good example would be Stephanie Jung, famous for her multiple exposure cityscapes providing artwork for a book cover.
At present, I have explored surrealism, Dada and abstract expressionism. All these genres were accepted as art. This, however, is not leading in the right direction for the practice. Dada was very destructive constructionism, Creating images from parts of other images and no image was safe. The surrealist movement, born from the Dada artists going in different ways after a major artistic disagreement with physical violence. The abstract expressionism period with the likes of Robert Motherwell, Hans Hoffman, Frans Kline took over and does give the foundations to the abstract imagery that I am producing at present.
I will have to say that I am not sure that the work produced by the artists during this period is as informed as I could have hoped at this stage.
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