An Introduction
Hallo and welcome to the latest Community Relations newsletter for Abstract & Surreal Photography, written for communityrelations. Here you'll find relevant information from the last two months of abstract and surreal activity, as well as information about my features and any particular plans for the future. As always, I shall direct your attention to my Roadmap, and my Daily Deviation Guidelines; two documents that one should keep a keen eye on. The former conveniently indexes all my previous journal entries, while the latter provides useful information regarding Daily Deviation suggestions. It also links through to an editorial I published back in December regarding controversy around Daily Deviation features.
Abstract/Surreal: RoadmapAbstract & Surreal CR Newsletter
A bi-monthly round-up of news, contests and events in the Abstract & Surreal category, written for the official Community Relations newsletter. These will also form the basis of bi-monthly road-maps of their own, going into more detail than is presented here.
November & December 2012
January & February 2013
March & April 2013
May & June 2013
July & August 2013
September & October 2013
Abstract & Surreal DD Report
Published on the first day of each month, these are formal articles that give detail of the precedin
Abstract/Surreal: DD GuidelinesDetailed Guidelines
If you're thinking about submitting a piece of art for consideration as a Daily Deviation, please consider the following:
I am the CV for Abstract and Surreal photography: this means that I will only consider work that is situated in either of these categories. If the piece you're wishing to suggest is not categorised in Abstract or Surreal photography, please consult this list of Community Volunteers to ascertain who an appropriate recipient would be.
To make a suggestion, just drop me a note with the subject line of DD Suggestion. Include the :thumb#########: code for the piece, which can be found to the right-hand sid
General News
Aside from my Pinboard news bulletins, two Photography Fortnightly articles have been released since the last Newsletter. These, compiled by Kaz-D, give news and updates for each of the photographic categories: since issue #52, I have written the Abstract & Surreal section myself. Be sure to check them out for information regarding group and artist activity in the abstract and surreal community. These articles also feature news about my Forum Thumbshare, which is a monthly drive to encourage people to share their abstract and surreal works, and the works of others that they particularly enjoy.
Photography Fortnightly #Photography Weekly Header created by TouchedD
“The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.”
~L.P Hartley
Courtesy of the National Archives.
I wasn't particularly going to do a fortnightly 'This week in Photography History' when I wrote this article, but I had to mention what did happen, this week, in Photography History. Joe Rosenthal captured the iconic image of the American Flag being risen on Iwo Jima. What has been forgotten, mostly, is that the flag was actually raised twice. The second time it was captured on camera, and so it is the belief that this was the iconic moment from that second on. The first flag was actually photographed, but was too small! The flag was lifted and photographed just four days in to the battle at Iwo Jima. Rosenthal won the Pulitzer Prize that year (1945).
I thi
Photography Fortnightly #55Photography Weekly Header created by TouchedD
“Others have seen what is and asked why.
I have seen what could be and asked why not. ”
~Pablo Picasso
I've put together an article due for release next week about how you can create your own Photography studio without going to too much expense or trouble. I'm all for making the most out of tricky or limited situations to try and make something professional...butt hen I stumbled across this article and thought it was a completely genius idea - and just goes to show that your studio can literally be anywhere. A Photographer in Yeovil (UK) has set up studio in what was formerly the public toilets! As well as a great move for a photographer it puts an abandoned building, formerly considered an 'eye sore' to great use. The mental images (until you actually realise it's been reno
Daily Deviations
As Community Volunteer for Abstract and Surreal Photography, I publish Daily Deviation features each and every day. At the end of each month I collate these into reports, and since the last update there have been two of those. Additionally, I have a category in my favourites which exhibits, together, all the pieces that I have featured. As always, I am open to Daily Deviation suggestions, but please follow the guidelines I have set out and don't be discouraged if I don't reply to your note; being a CV is like spinning plates, and some forms of correspondence need to take priority over others.
Daily Deviation Report: February 2013Hallo, and welcome to my third Daily Deviation Report. What follows is a comprehensive feature of the Daily Deviations that I featured during the month of February 2013 in the Abstract and Surreal categories. It's difficult to believe that I have been at this for three months already, and that the seasons will be changing for all of us in the near future.
In terms of this collection, all of these images caught my eye in some way; whether it be through technical perfection, compositional intrigue, or the concept within. I am proud to present these works, and I applaud the relevant artists for their dedication and inspiration.
February 1st in Surreal
Blocks by *HectorGuerra
February 2nd in Abstract
At evening 'Gdansk by ~b3dnar
:big
Daily Deviation Report: March 2013Hallo, and welcome to my March Daily Deviation Report. What follows is a comprehensive feature of the Daily Deviations that I featured during the month of March 2013 in the Abstract and Surreal categories. This month has been a difficult one for me in terms of my staff responsibilities, due to one computer breaking and another having continued teething troubles. I apologise for not being as active this month in terms of comments and correspondence, but hopefully this will change in the coming days and weeks.
In terms of this collection, all of these images caught my eye in some way; whether it be through technical perfection, compositional intrigue, or the concept within. I am proud to present these works, and I applaud the relevant artists for their dedication and inspiration.
March 1st in Surreal
1867 by ~donmezerm
March 2nd in Surreal
Friday Feature
Since the last newsletter, a large number of Friday Features have been released. These journals feature work both within and outwith the abstract and surreal community, and cover media outside of photography. Affiliated with this series is my Forum Thumbshare series, and at the end of each month a special feature is published which contains the best work submitted in each month's edition. There have also been a number of preview editions, which looked at the work of a particular artist or style.
Friday Feature: Issue 013A Collection of -
Recent Discoveries
:thumb262824749:
Stronghold in Flames by alexandre-deschaumes
Manchester Walkabout 4 by Okavanga
Sunset by aysenursarier
instagram.0105 by insolitus85
Dimensions of Consequence by rooattack
:iconfoolsgolde: :iconkmkmk: :iconkayjensen: :iconlesnyswietlik:
:icongorilla-ink: :iconpagit: :iconfxsanyi: :icongrebille:
:iconkraftseins: :iconcalorproduction: :iconrodgerson: :iconalexandre-deschaumes:
:iconokavanga: :iconaysenursarier: :iconinsolitus85: :iconrooattack:
Featured Artists
Other Entries
Friday Feature: Issue 014A Collection of -
Thumbshare Highlights
:iconconceptualmiracles: :iconaerendial: :iconmegalithicmatt:
:iconladyclarabellafaire: :iconmichael789: :iconjpthart:
:iconkatzilla13: :icondavidschermann: :iconsophiaazhou:
Featured Artists
Other Entries
Friday Feature: Issue 015A Collection of -
Recent Discoveries
Another Universe of Tears by SmileyG
Keep the Door Open by Olga-Zervou
Like a caressing breeze by NanisKa
Loseing our selves by IoaSan
Autumn Winds by Sortvind
air show by sandpiper764
:iconbutayban: :iconssquared-photography: :icondaaththeabyss: :iconateist-kleranty:
:icondeepinswim: :iconjoannakossak: :iconfarbanomalie: :iconmichael789:
:iconpeggymintun: :iconporomaa: :iconsmileyg: :iconolga-zervou:
:iconnaniska: :iconioasan: :iconsortvind: :iconsandpiper764:
Featured Artists
Other Entries
Friday Feature: Issue 016A Collection of -
Recent Discoveries
Rare fact by ailuig-holiday
splash by edredon
Snail. by PaulineRouziou
hope by mattstorm
:thumb349046932:
Abstract Ceiling 1 by FiLH
:iconreachingflames: :iconblackdennie: :iconmagpiemagic: :iconnightingalelights:
:iconshadddow: :iconpanjirelawan: :iconimmortal-mynx: :iconindajazz:
:iconzable666: :iconmychikowski: :iconailuig-holiday: :iconedredon:
:iconphotographypauliner: :iconmattstorm: :iconzarazi: :iconfilh:
Featured Artists
Other Entries
Friday Feature: Issue 017A Collection of -
Recent Discoveries
Flax Falling Walking 1 by jenniferhansen
Questions by RAOqwerty
my horizon. by unevens
:thumb342541720:
desamparado by hyyb
Green and Red glass 2 by MissUmlaut
:iconmichael789: :iconmeyrembulucek: :icondertlidolap: :iconloadus:
:iconshadows-in-twilight: :iconchildwoman: :icondynyasha: :iconb-ereza:
:iconnimiel-dei: :icontheskyisempty: :iconjenniferhansen: :iconraoqwerty:
:iconunevens: :iconpedjaundermyskin: :iconhyyb: :iconmissumlaut:
Featured Artists
Other Entries
Friday Feature: Issue 018A Collection of -
Thumbshare Highlights
:iconwhomphoto: :iconrechbi: :iconbarnum60:
:iconfeigenfrucht: :iconanoxia-photography: :iconwintersread:
:iconcloe-patra: :iconisalovesphotography: :icong-heide:
Featured Artists
Other Entries
Friday Feature: Issue 019A Collection of -
Recent Discoveries
:thumb351284916:
:thumb193420098:
:thumb221521246:
:thumb141053139:
frame room by jurcic
danger of death by TheNewBlueBlood
:iconeintoern: :iconvinxibit: :iconeredel: :iconeuzhaphotography:
:iconawjay: :iconhugitsa: :iconnairon: :iconall17:
:iconelizarosca: :iconsilentland: :iconrezzann: :iconwinnipeg:
:iconvaldna: :iconkayjensen: :iconjurcic: :iconthenewblueblood:
Featured Artists
Other Entries
Friday Feature: Issue 020A Collection of -
Recent Discoveries
Contact by VioletVioletta
wherever you will be... by AlicjaRodzik
Horrible sanity by Liraa
Schedule by AmandaBlack
Envers by Zwoing
Lux by traffic-sky
:iconblueviolette: :iconfistfulofneurons: :icon3lrem: :iconz-grimv:
:iconmilkychild: :iconnitrok: :iconhadi-shirjang: :icondajono:
:iconnickduijnstee: :iconwaltrk: :iconvioletvioletta: :iconalicjarodzik:
:iconliraa: :iconamandablack: :iconzwoing: :icontraffic-sky:
Featured Artists
Other Entries
Friday Feature: Issue 021A Collection of -
Recent Discoveries
The gray box by Kvikken
613 by SlevinAaron
seaside by niiinBoo
SURVIVOR SHANGHAI 2173 : The Arrival by The-Ronin-Artist
Kings Cross by thomasomoore
The Next Milestone by EnduringEyeliner
:iconkopalov: :iconsican: :icone-112: :iconbildidee-fotografie:
:iconalexandrinaana: :iconveeera: :iconraoqwerty: :iconpledent:
:iconrudithebohemian: :icondobytek: :iconkvikken: :iconslevinaaron:
:iconniiinboo: :iconsufjanjimmy-h-brook: :iconthomasomoore: :iconenduringeyeliner:
Featured Artists
Other Entries
Friday Feature: Issue 022A Collection of -
Thumbshare Highlights
:iconviceberly: :iconinsolitus85: :iconsteeeffiii:
:iconurus-28: :iconromanowsky: :iconscheinbar:
:iconellke: :iconmylittlebluesky: :iconifsantag:
Featured Artists
Other Entries
Saturday Spotlight
My Saturday Spotlight series has become, perhaps, my most popular and well-received action since starting my tenure as Abstract and Surreal Community Volunteer. Each week, I interview a prominent member of the abstract and surreal community, and invite each artist to share their thoughts and opinions on the genre and their work. While it is the most time-consuming aspect of my role, it is definitely the most rewarding and I am glad that it's being enjoyed by the rest of the community: it was originally planned only to be a monthly feature running for one year, but recently I published my 20th edition and there's no end in sight just yet!
Saturday Spotlight: Volume 013An Interview with-
insolitus85
:iconinsolitus85:
insolitus85's Gallery
> Please introduce yourself, in your own words. What are your interests?
Hi, my name is Rowan Heuvel, and I am 27 years old. I am a hobbyist photographer and my main photographic interest lies in abstract, (surreal) infrared and long-exposure photography. Other things I like and enjoy are skydiving, music, and wine.
> Where did you begin with artistic endeavours? How did you come across Abstraction or Surrealism?
When I was a kid I loved to draw and paint. Traditional tools where replaced with digital ones before long, because my father's job demanded a computer and we had p
Saturday Spotlight: Volume 014An Interview with-
Pierre-Lagarde
:iconUne-Vache:
Une-Vache's Gallery
> Please introduce yourself, in your own words. What are your interests?
Hello: my name is Pierre Lagarde, AKA Pierre-Lagarde. I'm a consultant in computer systems and data processing in a large company, and a photography and design hobbyist. I love music, singing, talking and laughing with friends and, for all these past years, I loved skating.
> Where did you begin with artistic endeavours? How did you come across Abstraction or Surrealism?
I began a few years ago for fun by making some desktop wallpapers for my friends and I, and also trying some 3D works with the primary softwar
Saturday Spotlight: Volume 015An Interview with-
ra-gro
:iconra-gro:
ra-gro's Gallery
> Please introduce yourself, in your own words. What are your interests?
Hallo. My name is Ralf, I'm 45 years old, and I'm from Bremen in Germany. My interests are primarily music and photography, along with movies and painting.
> Where did you begin with artistic endeavours? How did you come across Abstraction or Surrealism?
At first I started with abstract traditional painting as a means to express myself. As I reached my limits in that medium I experimented more and more with abstract and surreal photography, but now it's more the post-poressing of those images towards digital painting that
Saturday Spotlight: Volume 016An Interview with-
daaram
:icondaaram:
daaram's Gallery
> Please introduce yourself, in your own words. What are your interests?
Hi: my name is Olivier Jollant, I'm 47 and my nickname is Daaram. I'm a professional photographer living and working near Paris, France. I'm specialised in creative reports and fashion portraits. All of my life is connected with art and the fact to create. I am passionate about photography and all kinds of visual arts of all eras and styles. I love paintings, drawings from Jan Van Eyck or Andy Warhol and from Egon Schiele or Mark Rothko... I'm also mad about movies from the very first of Charlie Chaplin's up to the latest James Bond. Music is als
Saturday Spotlight: Volume 017An Interview with-
LeMatos
:iconLeMatos:
LeMatos' Gallery
> Please introduce yourself, in your own words. What are your interests?
I'm an independent French photographer, based in Brittany, and for a few years I have gathered photos along my travels and through my intuitions. I focus my work on geometric and abstract composition. I am a part of several artistic groups, most notably the Collectif 18-55, with whom I work in order to create and publish general purpose photography. Additionally, I also work on short films. Today I initiate a new association that will focus on artistic projects.
> Where did you begin with artistic endeavo
Saturday Spotlight: Volume 018An Interview with-
ParallelDeviant
:iconParallelDeviant:
ParallelDeviant's Gallery
> Please introduce yourself, in your own words. What are your interests?
My name is Daragh. I was born in Dublin, Ireland. I have been living for 27 years in Spain and currently reside in the south-west of Spain, in the border town of Badajoz. My interests include Art, Music, and Sports.
> Where did you begin with artistic endeavours? How did you come across Abstraction or Surrealism?
I studied Fine Art & Design in Dublin and worked for a number of years as an Interior Design Consultant before taking a career change and moving to Spain. I have always been
Saturday Spotlight: Volume 019An Interview with-
NVENTFISCHER
:iconNVENTFISCHER:
NVENTFISCHER's Gallery
> Please introduce yourself, in your own words. What are your interests?
Hi there, my name is Neda Vent Fischer, and I was born in 1974 in Yugoslavia. I'm currently living between Paris and Belgrade. My interests, hmm. I have way too many. How much time do you have? Let’s say I am interested in art en général. Creativity. Curiosity. Life.
> Where did you begin with artistic endeavours? How did you come across Abstraction or Surrealism?
Originally I wanted to be a dramaturge, so I went to study at the Academy for Film & Theatre in Belgrade. It didn
Saturday Spotlight: Volume 020An Interview with-
chriseastmids
:iconchriseastmids:
chriseastmids' Gallery
> Please introduce yourself, in your own words. What are your interests?
Hello, I'm Chris; only my mother calls me "Christian" and when she does I know I'm in trouble. I'm 53 years young and I live in the middle of the UK. I love photography and music; far too much music, I may add.
> Where did you begin with artistic endeavours? How did you come across Abstraction or Surrealism?
I've always been interested in art from a very early age, mainly because my dad was an abstract painter. I'd be the only kid in the street with oil paint on his clothes while the other
Saturday Spotlight: Volume 021An Interview with-
kparks
:iconkparks:
kparks' Gallery
> Please introduce yourself, in your own words. What are your interests?
I am a fifty-something photographer and graphic designer living in Southern California. I have been taking and making photographs since the days when it made your fingers smell (ah... fixer). At first I lamented the departure of film, but the digital medium certainly has its advantages. While I do some computer processing of most of my images, I try to limit it to things that I could have done in the darkroom. It is important to me that the pictures are not overly synthetic. Ultimately, I am most inspired by the phenomenon of nature that we call
Saturday Spotlight: Volume 022An Interview with-
Azenoire
:iconAzenoire:
Azenoire's Gallery
> Please introduce yourself, in your own words. What are your interests?
My name is Dimitris and I hail from Hellas. In my childhood memories and throughout my 38 years on this earth I've messed around with the arts: it was a natural instict, a way to express nearly everything. I focused on my greatest love, music: I was a DJ for many years and I compose my own music. Later, I finally found the time to deal with photography and to express my feelings through a camera, an overlay/texture (or many...) in any way I can, and with any means at hand. Other than these two interests, I must say I am a quiet guy: I h
Sunday Soundcheck
Planned to be something to end the week in a light-hearted manner, this series has proven to be surprisingly popular, and with the music I am featuring there is certainly a connection to the abstract and surreal genre; I tend to enjoy artists whose sound is either deconstructed or rebuilt beyond recognition. Nonetheless, this is a slightly off-topic look back at the journals that have been published since the last update. Maybe you'll find something you'll enjoy. Who knows?
Sunday Soundcheck: Set 013This week...
Max Richter
Infra - 2010
24 Postcards In Full Colour - 2008
Songs From Before - 2006
The Blue Notebooks - 2004
Memoryhouse - 2002
Origin Point:
Germany
Sounds Like:
Ambient, Minimalist, Modern Classical, Electronica, Film Score
This week's edition looks at the works of an artist born in Germany, but raised in the United Kingdom; a classical writer who has performed co
Sunday Soundcheck: Set 014This week...
Bark Psychosis
///CODENAME:dustsucker - 2004
Hex - 1994
Scum - 1992
Origin Point:
United Kingdom
Sounds Like:
Post Rock, Experimental, Trip Hop, Jazz, Progressive, Ambient, Drone
Bark Psychosis is one of the seminal acts of the post-rock genre, and one of the defining artists in the scene: their sound in the early 1990s helped spawn an entire enclave of like-minded artists and musical ensembles that continues to this day.
In a stop-start career, Scum is their most ambitious release, being a twenty-minute improvisation that covers the entire scope of their sound. Hex a
Sunday Soundcheck: Set 015This week...
Brambles
Charcoal - 2012
Petrichor - 2012
Origin Point:
United Kingdom
Sounds Like:
Ambient, Modern Classical, Minimal, Post Rock
This week's sound-check features an elusive and obscure British artist, permanently residing in Australia. Brambles is his minimalist, piano-led modern classical project with a lot to offer to those willing to listen. While the full release, Charcoal, is predominantly ambient, the stand-alone track Petrichor is perhaps the more intriguing composition, drawing inspiration from acts as diverse as the art-rock post-classical sounds of Ulver's A Quick Fix Of Melancholy and Burial'
Sunday Soundcheck: Set 016This week...
This Will Destroy You
Tunnel Blanket - 2011
Moving On The Edges Of Things - 2010
This Will Destroy You - 2008
Young Mountain - 2006
Origin Point:
United States
Sounds Like:
Post Rock, Instrumental, Shoegaze, Experimental, Drone Metal, Ambient
This Will Destroy You is a band that has polarised opinion in their relatively short existence. Beginning as an outstanding example of the by-the-numbers post-rock sound, their musical direction changed
Sunday Soundcheck: Set 017This week...
Les Discrets
Ariettes Oubliées... - 2012
Septembre Et Ses Dernières Pensées - 2010
Origin Point:
France
Sounds Like:
Shoegaze, Post Rock, Post Metal, Melancholic Rock, Metalgaze
Emerging from the same blackgaze circles as Alcest and Amesoeurs, Les Discrets is a musical project that is similarly difficult to categorise. Their sound ranges from lush, acoustic folk passages through to brittle black metal riffs and post-metal wall-of-sound crescendo, all the while suffused with a haunting vocal style winding somewhere in the mix.
To listen to their music, simply click on the album covers to be taken to their respective pages.
Now, I know the discussion of music can be an emoti
Sunday Soundcheck: Set 018This week...
Russian Circles
Empros - 2011
Geneva - 2009
Station - 2008
Enter - 2006
Origin Point:
United States
Sounds Like:
Post Metal, Progressive, Instrumental, Post Rock, Experimental
Russian Circles is one of a number of American post-rock bands that broke through at the same sort of time in the early 2000s. Like their contemporaries Caspian and This Will Destroy you, Russian Circles has since become one of the seminal acts in the genre, with an equally impressive discography. Each release contains somethi
Sunday Soundcheck: Set 019This week...
Redjetson
Other Arms - 2009
New General Catalogue - 2005
Origin Point:
United Kingdom
Sounds Like:
Post Rock, Indie Rock, Shoegaze, Progressive, Alternative
This week's edition of the Sunday Soundcheck looks at the tragically short-lived Redjetson, an English band who were one of the first to fully experiment with post-rock aesthetics and indie rock sensibilities. Their sound lies somewhere between jagged melancholy of the sort that bands like Interpol and Editors became famous for, and slow brooding instrumental passages. Their first album, New General Catalogue, is a masterful listen. The second was released after their 2008 split, and carries a lighter and more radio-friendly sound.
To listen to the
Sunday Soundcheck: Set 020This week...
Pete Davis
The Pottsville Conglomerate - 2011
Origin Point:
United States
Sounds Like:
Singer-Songwriter, Avant-Garde, Folk, Indie Rock, Progressive, Alternative, Experimental
I thought I would select something a little from left-field for my 20th edition of the Sunday Soundcheck, and this certainly fits the bill.
Pete Davis is an obscure American songwriter who has been consistently writing and producing his own music since before he left high school. While his early material is mostly unassuming acoustic folk, things take a turn for the orchestral macabre in The Pottsville Conglomerate: an album that is 95 minutes long and was five years in the making. Showcasing a pinwheeling vocal style and a dizzying array of instruments layered throughout, the album assaults the senses from beginning to end with a dark, carniv
Sunday Soundcheck: Set 021This week...
Callisto
Providence - 2009
Noir - 2006
True Nature Unfolds - 2004
Origin Point:
Finland
Sounds Like:
Post Metal, Sludge Metal, Post Rock, Progressive, Experimental
Callisto, like many in their genre, arose from the ashes of various post-hardcore bands in the early 2000s. In each of their three releases, their sound has evolved: starting with a majestic, doom-laden post-metal sound in True Nature Unfolds, moving on to the appropriately-titled Noir with a dark, urban aesthetic with heavy use of horn and brass instruments, culminating with the - again, appropriately-titled -
Sunday Soundcheck: Set 022This week...
October Tide
A Thin Shell - 2010
Grey Dawn - 1999
Rain Without End - 1997
Origin Point:
Sweden
Sounds Like:
Death/Doom Metal, Progressive
With little-to-no media attention, the October Tide project garnered an almost cult-like reputation in the late 1990s and early 2000s. As a Katatonia side-project, their sound continued in the trend of Brave Murder Day; slow, hypnotic, melancholic metal with tortured vocals and long instrumental passages. After going through a ten-year hiatus, the band was revived in 2010 with a slightly less maudlin and more aggressive aesthetic, and they continue to grind out their own brand of death/
In Closing
That's it for this edition. If you've any questions, comments or suggestions, please don't hesitate to share your thoughts: I'm receptive to ideas and I enjoy feedback and conversation. Thank-you for your time and for your appreciation, and all the best for the coming change of season.
