SHOOM

Contemporary Fine Art Photography Magazine

ISSUE #1 MAY 2014 www.shoommag.tk

SPECIAL EDITION*

SHOM online photography magazine

editor/ Anastasija Jermolajeva contact/ contact@shoommag.tk website/ www.shoommag.tk

c ntents/ 5/ digital collage art 13/ the problem of the soul of modern 24/ the premature aging virus 34/ digitalisation

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Welcome to the very first issue of SHOOM magazine! First of all, let me introduce you the concept of our magazine. Our online publication mainly focuses on contemporary fine art photography. Our aim is to expand all existing photographic boundaries and present to you the amazing possibilities created by digital technology. We are very passionate about photography and have a hunger for expanding our photographic vision through image editing software. Unlike many other digital photography magazines, SHOOM doesn’t bring any technical issues forward. There is no fashion, advertising and glamour. It only focuses on the ideas that can be communicated via images. We consider a photograph as a piece of art and strictly believe that it is the same thing as a canvas, where a photographer expresses his unique artistic vision.

This issue has no strict theme as I simply wanted to showcase the varied photographs on different topics and issues, which are important for me at the moment. What I wanted from this special edition was to address my feelings about the past, present and future. In the first half of this issue there are presented a series of photo collages and photographs that were inspired by surrealism, pop art and suprematism. In the second half I have put myself in miniature world and also experimented with colours, shapes and textures digitally. SHOOM magazine is very pleased to serve as an inspiration and we are looking for the emerging photographers with new and innovative voices, who are willing to share their works with us. We would like to collect creative images from around the world and provide insight into the world of imagination.

Anastasija, the editor of SHOOM magazine.

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“A photograph has two decisive moments: one is the instant in which the exposure is made, and the other is the selection youofmake when you sort your Welcome to the very first issue SHOOM magazine!

Firstout of all, let negatives” me introduce you the concept of our magazine. Our online publication mainly focuses on contemporary fine art photography. Our aim is to expand all existing photographic boundaries and Graciela Iturbidea present to you the amazing possibilities created by digital technology. We are very passionate about photography and have a hunger for expanding our photographic vision through image editing software. Unlike many other digital photography magazines, SHOOM doesn’t bring any technical issues forward. There is no fashion, advertising and glamour. It only focuses on the ideas that can be communicated via images. We consider a photograph as a piece of art and strictly believe that it is the same thing as a canvas, where a photographer expresses his unique artistic vision.

This issue has no strict theme as I simply wanted to showcase the varied photographs on different topics and issues, which are important for me at the moment. What I wanted from this special edition was to address my feelings about the past, present and future. In the first half of this issue there are presented a series of photo collages and photographs that were inspired by surrealism, pop art and suprematism. In the second half I have put myself in miniature world and also experimented with colours, shapes and textures digitally. SHOOM magazine is very pleased to serve as an inspiration and we are looking for the emerging photographers with new and innovative voices, who are willing to share their works with us. We would like to collect creative images from around the world and provide insight into the world of imagination.

Anastasija, the editor of SHOOM magazine.

Digital C llage Art/

a selection of digital photo collages made in Adobe Photoshop

six

“Revolution” seven

”Spirit“ eight

“Daily Life” nine

”Mass Media“ ten

”Forest“

eleven

”Urban Jungle“

twelve

The pr blem f the s ul f m dern man/

a series of surreal photo manipulations by Anastasija Jermolajeva

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In remote antiquity, a great philoso-

pher of ancient Greece, Aristotle, tried to define the meaning of life and true happiness. Nevertheless, the problem of finding the purpose of life still remains unsolved. Nowadays more people, who are stuck in life, feel that they are digging deeper in a hole of meaninglessness from where they cannot get out of. Aristotle believed that “happiness is an expression of the soul in considered actions”, so that human activity is the meaning of life.

However, a personal crisis usually bothers those who cannot find themselves in life and who do what they do not like. Society needs builders, cleaners, labourers, sales clerks; but these kinds of human activities do not satisfy people mentally and spiritually. In the 21st century we have a lot of different instructions, theories and beliefs, which are endlessly spread by politicians, religious communities, marketers, musicians, writers and directors.

The problem of the soul of modern man belongs to the issue that has become part of our century. In any modern society, particularly in Western developed countries, the great

masses of people are exposed to standardisation of consciousness.

The aim of the most influential people in politics is to equalize all members of society in their morals and values in order to make them more manageable and predictable. Mass media, for instance, is a truly effective brainwashing tool, which can manipulate people by spreading common ideals or anti-ideals, such as the image of a national enemy.

Any carefully planned propaganda, marketing or PR strategy drive the need for something. As a result, people start to wish something they may never need, and this need is transformed into the cult of material success. In pursuit of stereotypical ideals and “happiness”, people lose the appreciation for life and self-belief. Many of us are controlled by social stereotypes and prefer to do the same things as the others, even if it is against the will. The main problem of the soul of modern man is emptiness inside. In order to overcome mental health problems, a person needs to get out of the “comfort zone”, return to the true nature and change the life according to the desires.

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The Premature Aging Virus/

a series of photographs called “My Little World” text and photographs by Anastasija Jermolajeva

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I remember the time when I first saw

the film called “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”. This lovely family comedy tells the story of a crazy inventor who accidentally shrinks his and his neighbour’s kids to the size of insects. This fantasy fairy tale was a revelation and a big adventure for me. I had a feeling that I was in two completely different types of realities; in the “Gulliver’s” world and in the world of “midgets”.

In the mid-nineties you couldn’t just find any movie you want online, nevertheless I used to watch this film almost every day on a pirate VHS tape.

I have always wanted to see the world through the eyes of a small creature. I believed that it as much interesting as observing a life of insects under the microscope, where every tiny bug turns into a terrifying and incredible monster from the horror film. This infantile curiosity inspired me to create a series of photographs showing a miniature world. Just imagine yourself that your height is only a couple of millimetres. You are no longer able to recognise familiar objects, because

the grass is the impassable forest, a drop of water is a waterfall and a simple beetle is a real tyrannosaurus!

Isn’t it great, of course it is, but not for everyone. For some people this sounds silly because it is impossible.

However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t imagine this magic world in your head, even if you are an adult. Usually people forget about their interests and hobbies, as they mature, and are lost in the routine of daily life. Most of us haven’t much many incentives to go out at any time and simply enjoy life. There are so few people who can be thankful for small mercies as any child. I believe that we need to take the best of our childhood to avoid the “premature aging virus”.

It is the desire to explore the world and discover something new every day. It is the ability to be honest with yourself and sincere with the others.

It is the aspiration to fulfil the dreams and find the inspiration to live the way you want. Life will become a little bit happier if we learn to see the world through the prism of our imagination.

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Digitalisati n/

glitch art or data corruption author/ Anastasija Jermolajeva location/ Daugavpils, Latvia

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Undoubtedly, we live in an amaz-

ing time. Just about a decade ago we could not imagine that any information will be distributed so fast across the world. Mass communication technology has made it easier than ever before to connect with people. To my mind, the wheel, electricity and the Internet are the most important inventions in human history that changed the world completely. It is clear that digital revolution has influenced so much of our world. Smartphones, tablets, social networks, online shopping, have brought major changes in our daily lives.

In general, the real and virtual worlds are becoming closer every year. Virtual world enters into the real and the real world constantly derives inspiration from the virtual.

The spirit of digital age is felt everywhere, even in art. During the last few decades the development of modern technology has contribut-

ed to the evolution of art by bringing in new artistic innovations and techniques. As technology gets more complex, it also becomes more perfect. Nevertheless, that old feeling of “data bending” and “glitch”, when a sudden error occurs naturally in hardware or software, still remains attractive for me. Some people cannot consider glitch as art, but I think that it looks amazing even today, when the old video game consoles became history.

The idea of a completely virtual world has inspired me to create a series of photographs of my home town, which is still lost somewhere in Soviet Union. I tried to show the town through the prism of a computer game. The purposeful creation of glitches has transformed the town beyond recognition. This approach blurs all boundaries between the real and virtual, and shows the collision of physical and digital worlds, which society is experiencing now.

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SHOM magazine