Here are a few photographs
from last week’s work. I was thinking about the Greek philosopher
Diogenes when I created the starting point for the day’s work. My 8th grade
algebra teacher introduced him to me by recounting one of his stunts. From time
to time, Diogenes apparently carried a lit lamp during the day looking for an
honest person. All images were created on set, no digital manipulation required.
First Looks are my initial reactions. It usually takes days or weeks before I’m comfortable deciding if something makes the cut. Editing, selecting which pieces make it and which ones don’t, is one of the most difficult parts of the process. The images you see here are either ones that might be finished or inspire ideas worth pursuing.
An Austin artist is creating increasingly abstract scenes in his photographs without Photoshop or other digital manipulation software.
Tom Suhler recently took on the challenge of creating surreal imagery on set and sharing his images with viewers just days later. It provides a backstage view of the process as it unfolds.
“Traditionally I’ve waited to share my work until a collection of ideas was complete,” Suhler explained. “This year I took a different approach and started posting a few images from each session on my blog (artloversinsights.com) and social media. People ask me when they could see the new work and this allows me to show it without stopping production,” which is now in its third year.
His current production keeps growing and generating different genres. What started as an exploration of life in the clouds has led to collections inspired by Plato’s Symposium and by Vitruvius’ proportions of the human body which inspired da Vinci.
“In April I was hit with this idea of how I could fracture reality through surreal imagery,” Suhler said. “This was inspired by particle physics, string theory, the nature of consciousness, and more.”
Suhler collaborates with members of Austin’s elite dance community as the dancers assume character roles in his single-image narratives.
“Dancers are great artists to work with in creating still narratives,” Suhler said. “In dance, they portray characters while expressing ideas and emotions through movement and form — that’s exactly what we are striving for.”
Why no digital manipulation?
“I love challenging myself in as many different ways as possible simultaneously,” Suhler explained. “Creating meaningful artistic expressions satisfies the urges from my right brain, while my left brain impulses focus on the technical challenges in my artistic decisions.”
Suhler will exhibit his recent work this fall at Exposure Fine Art Gallery & Studio, in East Austin.
Here are a few photographs from last week’s work. Introspection through the use of multiple characters in surreal worlds. All images were created on set, no digital manipulation required.
First Looks are my initial reactions. It usually takes days or weeks before I’m comfortable deciding if something makes the cut. Editing, selecting which pieces make it and which ones don’t, is one of the most difficult parts of the process. The images you see here are either ones that might be finished or inspire ideas worth pursuing.
Here are a few photographs from last week’s work. We are continuing our journey through fractured surreal worlds. All images were created on set, no digital manipulation required.
Here are a few photographs from last week’s work and a few thoughts that lead to creating these images. The first three images explore the idea of something fracturing our world. It might be something foreign from another dimension or a deity. It can also be a fractured relationship caused by an outsider or ourselves. The last two images can be interpreted as something controlling our world. Of course how you interpret these images is absolutely correct.
All images were created on set, no digital manipulation required.
First Looks are my initial reactions. It usually takes days or weeks before I’m comfortable deciding if something makes the cut. Editing, selecting which pieces make it and which ones don’t, is one of the most difficult parts of the process. The images you see here are either ones that might be finished or inspire ideas worth pursuing.
