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Artist Statement
#1

I have a series of shows coming up this spring, and one of the deliverables that I need to produce is an "Artist Statement". This is supposed to be a maximum of 150 words summing up my artistic roots, direction and philosophy. This is incredibly difficult - but it is a great exercise.

This is what I am using:

"Rob Will was raised on the Canadian Prairies, where he became fascinated by the subtle forms and nuances of the prairie landscape - the twist of a branch, the pattern of erosion on a rock wall, and the movements of the wind over grain. A photographer for more than 30 years, Rob’s appreciation of details led to an increasingly abstract vision and photographic style. To support this vision, he began to incorporate painterly elements into his photography and to experiment with modifying his images, first in the darkroom and later with computers. The result is a unique style that incorporates elements of the real and the abstract.

Rob’s images have a strong sense of narrative and an emphasis on atmosphere and mystery. As a result, even his most representational photos take on surreal qualities and convey the impression of unseen events unfolding just beneath the surface. Rob’s recent work features images taken at night of streets, docks, cafes, stores and buildings."

~~~~~~~~~~

Its really quite pretentious, but it is supposed to be used for marketing my work - so it is what it is.

I would be really interested to see what other people in the group would say given the same challenge. How about giving it a whirl?
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#2

Hey Rob,

Nice job, I like what you wrote, it's a very strong statement.
I think you did well describing your origin and background.

One thing I am not too sure about is the "later with computers" phrase, which I
would probably change into something like "later using digital technology...." or something like that.

Also, it seems to me as if you are slightly overemphasizing the abstract in your images,
what pictures are you going to hang at those shows?

Uli
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#3

Good suggestion on the computers thing. I am planning to hang a number of different things - mostly night shots. and lots of stuff that is fairly abstract - but I hear what you are saying. It's very difficult to be objective about your own stuff and still be self-promoting...
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#4

Tell me about it....

What you are saying in your statement about your work certainly feels fair enough to me if you are mainly showing
pictures like the five barns you posted, shots like the birds over the sea, or even some of your extensive photoshopping projects....

What I find a bit stark is the part where you say "even his most representational photos take on surreal qualities".

Good luck with your preparations! Planning a show is a lot of work, isn't it. And if you do more than one and you think it should be less the second or third time around, you still have to plan each of them individually :-)

Uli
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#5

wulinka Wrote:Tell me about it....

What you are saying in your statement about your work certainly feels fair enough to me if you are mainly showing
pictures like the five barns you posted, shots like the birds over the sea, or even some of your extensive photoshopping projects....

What I find a bit stark is the part where you say "even his most representational photos take on surreal qualities".

Good luck with your preparations! Planning a show is a lot of work, isn't it. And if you do more than one and you think it should be less the second or third time around, you still have to plan each of them individually :-)

Uli
+1. Surreal brings images of Salvador Dali to my head - melting clocks and ants everywhere.

Canon stuff.
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#6

I agree with the comment about "with computers". How about going from "...modifying his images, first in the darkroom and later with computers." to "...modifying his images, both in the traditional darkroom and with digital technologies."

The sentence "As a result, even his most representational photos take on surreal qualities and convey the impression of unseen events unfolding just beneath the surface." could be simplified to "Even his most representational photos convey the impression of unseen events unfolding just beneath the surface."

I like it, and think it sounds good.

matthewpiers.com • @matthewpiers | robertsonphoto.blogspot.com | @thewsreviews • thewsreviews.com
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#7

You know - the whole idea of this thread wasn't to ask everyone to critique my statement - I was trying to get others to chime in with something that described their own work.
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#8

an excerpt from my vita on www.u-pics.de:


Ulrike studied Molecular Biology in Germany and England before moving to New York where she became intimate with Photography.

Her style reflects her passion for detail and curiosity for the small things. Objects in her pictures are often secondary to the light phenomena she is hunting to capture. Ulrike almost always uses natural or ambient light, and various materials provide a playground for light rays to create unexpected effects.

Greetings, Uli
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