From the depths of an imaginary hedonistic world juxtaposed against the wreckage of sunken ships, born of the imagination of Andreas Franke, to the shallow waters of Lara Zankoul’s surface and concealed intentions… This issue is transformative, an odyssey through prolific minds, fertile with ideas and imagination. Nick Veasey gives us an X-RAY view into everyday objects, from cameras to aeroplanes, to a bus with passengers, and more with his photographic fusion of art and science. Also taking us somewhere we’ve never been is Patrick Rochon, who uses LED lighting to make paintings with light, using cars as his brushes, and night-time as his canvas. Benjamin Von Wong turns regular folk into super human athletes with the power of his lens, his lighting, and his props. Prompting us to take a second look at our pop-culture through our daily choices of food and media consumption is Doug Bloodworth. Through his uncanny photorealism technique, Bloodworth leaves the viewer doubting his own sense of vision when asking, “Is this a photo or is it a painting?” Meanwhile, Derrick Lin uses miniatures to tell stories of the mundane and stressful moments at work, the moments not glamorized on personal social media. With a touch of humour, and his endearing miniature characters, Lin is able to ease a little of the frustration often associated with 9 to 5 jobs. Taking us somewhere entirely offbeat is Henry Hargreaves who uses celebrity artist riders, like those of Beyonce or Lady Gaga to create Renaissance painting-like photography. Leonora Hamill borrows from her experience as a one-time art student to revisit art schools all over the world and show us art-in-progress in the studio with the entire setting as a work of art in and of itself. It is not a challenge to find talent to fill each issue; photography is raw ground for sprouting innovation and materializing imagination. It is a journey putting together each issue, a journey into parallel universes where the laws of physics as we know them are not only defied, but are redefined. Enjoy Issue 40, The Soura Magazine Team
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Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Ahmed R. Abou Naja Managing & Creative Director Marwa R. Abou Naja Editor Nahla Samaha Contributors Leonora Hamill Lara Zankoul Andreas Franke Benjamin Von Wong Henry Hargreaves and Caitlin Levin HIPA Award TNick Veasey Patrick Rochon Ars Thanea Derrick Lin Published by
UNEXPLORED PUBLISHING United Arab Emirates P. O. Box 5337 Garhoud, Dubai Tel: +971 4 283 3254 Lebanon P. O. Box 14-5184 Mazraa, Beirut Tel: +961 1 654 910 Editorial Inquiries: editorial@unexploredpublishing.com Š Cover Photograph Newspaper Man Courtesy of Nick Veasey
Marketing Inquiries: marketing@unexploredpublishing.com Distribution Inquiries: distribution@unexploredpublishing.com ISSN 1997-0625
All text and layouts remain the copyright of Unexplored Publishing. Soura Magazine cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material or transparencies. Soura Magazine is fully independent and its views are not those of any company mentioned herein. All copyrights and trademarks are recognized and all images are used for the purpose of criticism and review only. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without a written permission of the publisher. Soura Magazine can accept no responsibility for inaccuracies or complaints arising from advertisements featured within the publication.
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CONTENT | ISSUE 40 14 Leonora Hamill Contemplative and Dynamic 24 Lara Zankoul The Economics of Photography 32 Andreas Franke A Sinking World 40 Benjamin Von Wong A Visual Engineer 46 Henry Hargreaves and Caitlin Levin Beauty and the Far-Fetched 54 HIPA Award The 4th Season of HIPA Marks an Unprecedented Number of Participants 56 Nick Veasey A Fusion of Art and Science 68 Patrick Rochon Inspired Light The Infiniti Motors Project 78 Ars Thanea DuPont Nutrition & Health: It’s What’s Inside 82 Derrick Lin Miniature State of Mind
2015 | Volume 2 13
Photography | Leonora Hamill
Leonora Hamill
Contemplative and Dynamic
Leonora Hamill is an artist based in New York and London who operates between film and video, installation and photography. Born in Paris in 1978, as a child she was often taken to museums by her mother. She initially trained as an art historian at the Courtauld Institute in London and at the University of Oxford where she specialized in Italian Renaissance. Exposure to painting and sculpture from an early age conditioned her eye and she subsequently decided to start her own practice. She attended the International Center of Photography in New York and the Royal College of Art in London.
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The series is the reaction of somebody who went to art school in their mid-twenties and as a result is completely fascinated by its dynamics and the collective energy encountered there. In 2012, Hamill was awarded the Prix HSBC pour la Photographie for her series Art in Progress, which is an exploration of art schools around the world. To a certain extent, the series is the reaction of somebody who went to art school in their mid-twenties and as a result is completely fascinated by its dynamics and the collective energy encountered there.
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The images are published in a monograph by the venerable French publishing house Actes Sud. Earlier this year Hamill conceived Furtherance, a site-specific work for St Eustache Church, the late gothic masterpiece in the heart of Paris. The video is a touchstone of the Franco-British artist’s work in terms of its cinematic engagement with the recurring notions of ‘Empathy’ and the ‘Other’ that punctuate her practice. The artist collaborated with the acclaimed director of photography Ghasem Ebrahimian to shoot this work.
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Earlier this year Hamill conceived Furtherance, a sitespecific work for St Eustache Church, the late gothic masterpiece in the heart of Paris. Recent exhibitions include the American Academy in Rome (2014), the Musée GéoCharles in Grenoble and Somerset House in London (2013). Images from Art in Progress will be exhibited in Paris in the show L’artiste à l’oeuvre at the Petit Palais in April 2016. Hamill is currently making work on the European migrant crisis. She is represented by Tristan Hoare Gallery in London and Podbielski Contemporary in Berlin.
Painting II St Petersburg, 2013
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Photography | Leonora Hamill
Painting I Dusseldorf, 2012
Painting I New-Haven, 2012
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Painting I Athens, 2012
Painting II Dusseldorf, 2012
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Sculpture II Saigon, 2010
Photography | Leonora Hamill
Sculpture I Bangkok, 2010
Painting I Warsaw, 2009 20  Soura Issue 40
Sculpture I Saigon, 2010
Sculpture II Baroda, 2009 2015 | Volume 2  21
Sculpture I Tetouan, 2011
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Art in Progress Art in Progress is inspired by art schools across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. The series, which started in 2009, consists of images of studios within these institutions. Shot with a large format camera and printed analogically, the images are intentionally detailed, frontal and neutral. “I have a certain way of confronting myself with reality,” Hamill explains, “and that is conveyed by frontal images, and by a cold aesthetic that offers the spectator the possibility of visually navigating a space that is simultaneously contemplative and dynamic.” Despite their absence, the students remain present through the spaces they work in, the objects they engage with, and the work they are in the process of making. The spaces exude a palpable sense of collective energy. The objects that are scattered throughout the studios often belong to the Western canon of history of art and constitute a web of cross-references, which acts as a unifying device throughout the series. The studios, ranging from Saigon to Saint Petersburg and Bombay to New Haven, condense the presence of students within the institution, the passage of time, and the production of art, creating an intensely stratified space. © All images courtesy of Leonora Hamill www.LeonoraHamill.com
2015 | Volume 2 23
Photography | Lara Zankoul
Lara Zankoul
The Economics of Photography
Lara Zankoul is a fine Arts photographer represented by Ayyam Gallery, and who lives and works in Beirut. Born in Lebanon in 1987, Zankoul graduated from the American University of Beirut with a Masters in Economics. Zankoul was born photographically in 2008. Driven by passion, she taught herself photography and started an enriching journey in the artistic field. During 2009, she completed her ‘365 Project’, a personal mission in which she committed on taking a picture every day in a row for a year. In 2011, she was an award recipient at the Shabab Ayyam Photography Competition organized by Ayyam Gallery, and has joined the Shabab Ayyam incubator program since then.
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During 2009, she completed her ‘365 Project’, a personal mission in which she committed on taking a picture every day in a row for a year.
She has participated in several local and international collective exhibitions such as the ‘Women’s Art Exhibition’ in Art Lounge Lebanon in 2011, the 3rd edition of the Festival Photomed in the South of France in 2013, and ‘The Road To Elysium’ group show organized by Heist Gallery in London in 2014. Her works were featured in various magazines worldwide like Images Magazine - France, Public Art - Korea, Grazie - Italy, and Phototech – France. In 2012, Zankoul was mentioned
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on CNN as the first of, “10 emerging Middle Eastern artists aged 30 or under from the Ayyam Young Collectors Auction who could be names to watch out for in the future.”
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At the end of 2014, Zankoul left her full time job in the field of economics to focus on photography as a full time activity. Zankoul has had 2 solo shows in Ayyam Gallery Beirut in January 2013 and February 2014. In the first solo show in January 2013, she presented for the first time, her cinematographic work, which was auctioned in April 2013 at Christie’s Dubai. Her series, the ‘Unseen’, which was showcased as her 2nd solo show in Ayyam Gallery received international acclaim on social media. Many of her works have been sold in the Young Collectors Auctions organized by Ayyam Gallery in Dubai. At the end of 2014, Zankoul left her full time job in the field of economics to focus on photography as a full time activity. She currently teaches economics at LAU part-time, and conducts photography workshops locally and internationally. Zankoul has held workshops in Spain at La Galeria Roja, in Lebanon at the Agenda Beirut and plans to provide more workshops around the world including Egypt and Germany. In 2014, she was selected as a brand ambassador for MINI COOPER car brand, as part of the #OriginalinMe campaign.
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Photography | Lara Zankoul
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Photography | Lara Zankoul
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2015 | Volume 2  29
Photography | Lara Zankoul
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Floating Above the State of Truth ‘The Unseen’ presents two visions within one viewing experience; commenting not only on the surface of things, but also on what may lie hidden beneath.
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I attempt to challenge the role of photography as a means of capturing truth in the world. The twelve photographs in the series each display that which is known, and hint at that which is slowly revealed to be the truth - kind of an iceberg effect. As in my previous work, through distorted perspective on the natural order, space and time, I attempt to challenge the role of photography as a means of capturing truth in the world. I attempted to further challenge the parameters of photography in ‘The Unseen’ with a new device: a water tank around which the various tableaux of life are centered. Each photograph is thus divided into the surface above water and the space below the water level.
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As we look at the images, the line between appearances and truth gets blurred at times, as I believe this line gets blurred in reality too. The state of truth is to be found just under the water’s surface. As we look at the images, the line between appearances and truth gets blurred at times, as I believe this line gets blurred in reality too. This double-faced reality theme was inspired by an accumulation of real life experiences that affected me deeply. The idea and assimilation to iceberg effect was born intuitively, with the “frennemies” vision as an introduction to the remaining images. It took me a couple of months to come up with the technique. It felt like a necessity to execute those visions, and my obsession about them led me to find my way through research and contacts.
My imagery often approaches the surreal because my concepts reflect the absurd truth of the mind. All the photographs are essentially ‘true to life’, as I did not employ any digital manipulation in my works. The editing process consisted of color treatment mainly. My aim is to make advances in set design and challenge the boundaries of staged photography by finding new techniques and organizing complex and challenging sets.
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My aim is to make advances in set design and challenge the boundaries of staged photography by finding new techniques and organizing complex and challenging sets. Creating this series was a big step out of my comfort zone, as I was trying a new system that I wasn’t perfectly sure would give the desired results. However the reward has been greater than expected. This project has taught me not to be afraid to try new techniques, and to invest time, money and effort on calculated risks. There is still a lot to be achieved in fine arts photography and the possibilities of creations are endless.
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It is our responsibility as photographers to shake the industry, to make it grow and inspire. It is our responsibility as photographers to shake the industry, to make it grow and inspire. Experimentation is key to develop, and going into action is necessary. Better soon than perfect. The longer you wait for inspiration and the longer you wait to execute ideas, the longer you wait for success. Try to beat the doubt you might feel in the middle of a project and keep going confidently. © All images courtesy of Lara Zankoul www.LaraZankoul.com
2015 | Volume 2 31
Photography | Andreas Franke
Andreas Franke
A Sinking World
Andreas Franke has been in the business for 24 years, specializing in creating still life photographs. He studied at the Austrian Academy for photography and graphic design in Vienna. Franke worked as assistant photographer in Austria and Germany, conducted workshops in California, and held exhibitions worldwide, all while acquiring several international awards.
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The moment I start the photo shoot, everything becomes clear: the concept, the realization, even the post-production. Franke is a traveler. He travels through the world and between the worlds. His job frequently leads him to several countries on several continents. So does his passion for scuba diving. In his pictures, Franke crosses the borders between fantasy and real life.
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Illusionistic Worlds In my photography I try to construct illusionistic worlds far beyond the often shallow and eye-catching ad business. This is why my works are always based on a strict concept, which is perfectly implemented photographically and technically. Every little detail is part of a precisely arranged production. The moment I start the photo shoot, everything becomes clear: the concept, the realization, even the post-production. It is only the interpretation that I leave to the spectators.
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With my photographs of sunken shipwrecks, I want to pull the spectators into unreal and strange worlds.
To me, it is important to exploit the technical advances of photography in order to reach the borders of photographic visualization. Today, we have new options that we may not have had a few years ago. This opens the way for imagination and creativity. With my photographs of sunken shipwrecks, I want to pull the spectators into unreal and strange worlds. Mystical scenes of the past play within a fictional space, dream worlds you can get lost in or that you can identify with. This creates a new and unexpected atmosphere. This work shows very much of myself, since I am always on the lookout for stunning themes to create new images never been seen before.
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Photography | Andreas Franke
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2015 | Volume 2  35
Photography | Andreas Franke
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2015 | Volume 2  37
Photography | Andreas Franke
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The Stavornikita Project From the strange soldier to the extravagant Greek. It began with a war ship, the USS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg. Here is the sequel - the freighter SS Stavronikita. The renowned Austrian photographer and passionate diver Andreas Franke finds sunken worlds, worlds threatening to fade from our recollection and to further descend into oblivion. Through his work he breathes new life into them. Once again he awakens the dead.
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Andreas Franke finds sunken worlds, worlds threatening to fade from our recollection and to further descend into oblivion.
The SS Stavronikita lies at the bottom of the ocean at 13.8 N, 59.38 W, right off the Caribbean island of Barbados. It is the spot Franke has discovered and chosen to stage a game full of overflowing decadence and exuberance. A traveling salesman, the Stavronikita fell victim to a devastating fire over 20 years ago and with no hope for recovery it was lowered into the silent depths to lie there - fossilized into an artificial reef which one thought would sleep for all eternity. But life clawed at the ship. For decades the sea enwrapped it with strange and splendid furnishings. A blinding submarine magnificence moved in, assumed command of the desolate freighter and made it vibrate with life. Innumerable shimmering corals, sponges and shells rampantly started clinging onto the stern, the masts and the walls and swarms of fish of the most varied natures began twitching restlessly round and about the scorched freighter.
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The wreck of the sunken Stavronikita is a stunning symbol of life’s irrepressible avidity. Life cannot be drained. It cannot be exhausted.
The wreck of the sunken Stavronikita is a stunning symbol of life’s irrepressible avidity. Life cannot be drained. It cannot be exhausted. It unfolds, it thrives; it proliferates, burgeons and multiplies.
Right off the coast of Barbados it celebrates its expansive power, substantiating itself like a glimmering monster that devours and engulfs its victims. This swarming, decadent parade of life conquered the mind of Franke when diving on the premises of the SS Stavronikita. The well-known Viennese artist, who is famous for his meticulously construed photographic stagings, became possessed with the desire to make the Greek freighter into his next stage and thus the successor to the USS Vandenberg. He would create surprising, bizarre and equally bewitching images by combining photographs of the wreck with sceneries produced in a studio. The sight of the ship was like a landscape that had dropped its veil, vain and flirtatious. And it was almost as if the Stavronikita craved a mirror for the ever progressing, flickering life it displayed. The Viennese artist determined that the European era of Rococo, this age of decadence with all its intoxicating extravagance, its vanity and disdain would sign-on to the Stavronikita. Out of algae, sponges and shells on the Stavronikita scenes seemed to emerge by themselves - scenes of provocative and voluptuous abandon. Three young ladies court gossip during a lavish picnic, accompanied by eminently trimmed and trained poodles. A woman in a blue dress obliviously indulges in a piece of cake, surrounded by an extravagant amount of over-elaborate pastries and confectionaries. It is a typical image of Rococo: disgraceful, self-indulgent and immoderate.
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It is a typical image of Rococo: disgraceful, self-indulgent and immoderate. Franke presents you with one of the most flashing and flamboyant epochs of European style and cultural history in the midst of a scenery, in which nature displays all of its own abundance and prodigality. Those who search for life at its fullest on land will search in vain. They will have to dive to a depth of 24 meters. © All images courtesy of Andreas Franke www.TheSinkingWorld.com
2015 | Volume 2 39
Photography | Benjamin Von Wong
Benjamin Von Wong
A Visual Engineer
Twenty-eight year-old Benjamin Von Wong bought his first camera, a point-and-shoot in 2007. In 2008, Wong got his first photography gig shooting a prom. Creative and intellectual, his art surpasses the limits of the real world thanks to his love for the digital medium.
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Pictures are not just meant to be pretty; they have to be capable of making the viewer feel something, to connect with something to be a work of art. A perfectionist and workaholic, Wong quit his full-time engineering job in 2012 to dedicate his time to his passion: photography. He creates unique and original concepts for each shoot, and spends considerable time and thought researching and analyzing the symbolism of each shoot. His philosophy is, “Pictures are not just meant to be pretty; they have to be capable of making the viewer feel something, to connect with something to be a work of art.” Wong is inspired by people like Elon Musk who are keen on effecting change on the world.
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2015 | Volume 2  41
Photography | Benjamin Von Wong
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2015 | Volume 2  43
Photography | Benjamin Von Wong
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No Photoshop Required They may look like fitness models, but they aren’t. They’re everyday people — office workers, programmers and mothers who took the chance to try something they had never done before. People often look up to the superstars in magazines, marveling at how amazing they look without realizing that they too can look the same.
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Armed with $20,000 of lighting equipment and a $20 homemade rain machine, I wanted to prove to them how amazing they looked, straight out of camera. Armed with $20,000 of lighting equipment and a $20 homemade rain machine, I anted to prove to them how amazing they looked, straight out of camera. Hollywood-level lighting makes a huge difference. Once set up properly, anyone can look absolutely phenomenal straight out of camera. Muscles beautifully defined, faces perfectly lit. No tummy tucking or Photoshop funny business needed, only the small tweaks: light, contrast & color. We took 2000 shots in a single day in order to produce fewer than 20 final photographs. Each person had to try out a variety of different poses before even beginning to perfect the one that worked.
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We took 2000 shots in a single day in order to produce fewer than 20 final photographs. Good lighting and great equipment is only a small part of making people look their best. Getting them to believe how amazing they looked was the true magic ingredient behind the creation of these shots.
© All images courtesy of Benjamin Von Wong www.VonWong.com
2015 | Volume 2 45
Photography | Henry Hargreaves and Caitlin Levin
Henry Hargreaves and Caitlin Levin
Beauty and the Far-Fetched Henry Hargreaves and Caitlin Levin met over several glasses of rosé and quickly recognized their shared passion for all things food, photography, travel, and art. Their collaborations have spanned a decade, and they continue to push the boundaries always attempting to find a balance between beauty and the far-fetched. With food as their favored medium, the duo always manages to turn the mundane into works of art.
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They continue to push the boundaries always attempting to find a balance between beauty and the far-fetched
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Photography | Henry Hargreaves and Caitlin Levin
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Photography | Henry Hargreaves and Caitlin Levin
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Band Rider Art A rider is a series of special requests a band or a musician makes when playing a show. It typically outlines how they want their equipment to be set up, how they want their dressing room organized, and in this case what food and drink they require. These requests range from the mundane to the outrageous. What attracted us to do this photo series is what the food requests say about the performers’ personalities that words struggle to. We also loved the way we were able identify with these mega stars through the common denominator of what they chose to eat and drink.
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What attracted us to do this photo series is what the food requests say about the performers’ personalities that words struggle to. The catering riders alone are very comprehensive. We initially thought we would try and shoot the whole list of items, but quickly realized it would be more interesting to edit down and focus on the quirky and unique requests and how some of these things may be juxtaposed.
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To challenge ourselves, and to make something beautiful we decided to compose these images in the manner of Flemish still life, and the Vanitas of the 16th and 17th centuries. To challenge ourselves, and to make something beautiful we decided to compose these images in the manner of Flemish still life, and the Vanitas of the 16th and 17th centuries. Also interesting to note is the correlation between these paintings, which were meant to “remind one of the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death.” The mortality of the musicians themselves and the fading spotlight. © All images courtesy of Henry Hargreaves and Caitlin Levin www.HenryHargreavesl.com
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Photography | Henry Hargreaves and Caitlin Levin
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2015 | Volume 2  53
Special Feature | HIPA
Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award
The 4th Season of HIPA Marks an Unprecedented Number of Participants
A Grand Prize and a $120,000 gift awarded to Anurag Kumar from India for his incredible capture taken during Holi, the festival of colors.
The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA), was established in March 2011 by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, with the presence and blessings of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
season, is indeed an event that surpasses the typical closing and launching ceremonies, as it aims to inspire talented photographers and unleash exceptional creativity in a way that will reveal more extraordinary achievements for the following seasons.”
Since its’ inception, HIPA set out on a journey to “build man” by “developing and honing his skills and pushing his ambitions to new horizons where excellence and distinction in the field of photography have no limits.” What began with just over 4,000 award contestants in 2011, soared to 30,878 contestants from 166 countries entering the 2014 competition with 60,162 photographs submitted.
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At the awards ceremony held at Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), H.E. Ali Bin Thalith, Secretary General of HIPA gave a word in which he said, “Our ceremony to celebrate the fourth season of HIPA and to announce the launch of the fifth
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The theme of the 4th season of HIPA (2014-2015) was ‘Life in Colour’, with four photography categories: ‘Life in Colour’, ‘General/Entrants’ Choice’, ‘Faces’, and ‘Night Photography’ categories.
HIPA hosted a series of photography lectures and workshops by some of the most innovative and prominent names in the industry. During the Awards Ceremony week, HIPA hosted a series of photography lectures and workshops by some of the most innovative and prominent names in the industry. HIPA is committed to developing the skills of local photographers in Dubai and the UAE, and to make Dubai an integral photography hub for photographers worldwide.
1st to 5th place prizes were awarded in all categories with a Grand Prize and a $120,000 gift awarded to Anurag Kumar from India for his incredible capture taken during Holi, the festival of colors. The highly distinguished Photographic Research-Report Award was given to Scott Kelby in recognition of his project The Digital Photography Book series. Kelby has undisputedly become the best-selling author in the field of photography and one of the most successful in all genres. His book has been translated into several languages, benefitting generations of photographers around the world.
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A Grand Prize and a $120,000 gift awarded to Anurag Kumar from India for his incredible capture taken during Holi, the festival of colors. HIPA’s Photography Appreciation Award was given to Sebastião Salgado. With an almost 40-year photography career under his belt, Salgado is perhaps best known for the Genesis project, which he began in 2004. Genesis consists of a series of landscape and wildlife photographs, as well as photographs of human communities that continue to
live in accordance with their ancestral traditions and cultures. This body of work was conceived as a potential path to humanity’s rediscovery of itself in nature.
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The theme of the award’s 5th season will revolve around the universal search for ‘Happiness’.
Aruna Bhat (india)1st Place in 'Life in Colour' Category
Since the 1990’s, Salgado and his wife Lélia have also worked on the restoration of a part of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. They succeeded in turning the area into a nature reserve in 1998 and created the Instituto Terra an environmental NGO dedicated to a mission of reforestation, conservation and education. During the ceremony, the theme of HIPA’s upcoming 5th season was announced, “The theme of the award’s 5th season will revolve around the universal search for ‘Happiness’,” said H.E. Ali Bin Thalith, the Secretary General of HIPA. The four categories of the 20152016 season of HIPA are Happiness, General, Father and Son, and Wildlife.
Harish Chavda (United Kingdom)1st Place in ‘General/Entrants’ Choice’ Category
For more on the upcoming season of HIPA, and how to participate, please go to www.hipa.ae. Rudoi Vladimirovich (Russian Federation) 1st Place in Black & White Category
Peng Li (China) 1st Place in Life in Night Photography Category
2015 | Volume 2 55
Interview | Nick Veasey
The artist’s work can be seen as a project that harnesses and exploits modern technology to advance the boundaries of perception and of art. But what sets him apart from other artists is not only the technique. Instead of creating or transforming things, he is exposing something that always existed, objects we think we know but we don’t. Not from the inside out.
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The artist’s work can be seen as a project that harnesses and exploits modern technology to advance the boundaries of perception and of art.
Creating art with radiation is complex and dangerous but the results continually inspire Veasey to keep experimenting. His x-rays penetrate the surface and take us on a journey into a world otherwise hidden and unseen. The inner life of objects and organisms is revealed, the surface replaced with transparency, the inside becomes the outside – what is left is the form the aesthetics of form the inner beauty.
Highlighting Inner Beauty We live in a world obsessed with image. What we look like, what our clothes look like, houses, cars… I like to counter this obsession with superficial appearance by using x-rays to strip back the layers and show what it is like under the surface.
Nick Veasey
A Fusion of Art and Science
A man with x-ray vision, Nick Veasey creates art that shows what it is really like inside. Veasey’s work with radiographic imaging equipment takes the x-ray to another level. Everyday objects are transformed from the banal to the beguiling and the layers and make-up of natural items are shown in fantastic detail.
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Everyday objects are transformed from the banal to the beguiling and the layers and makeup of natural items are shown in fantastic detail. These works are a classic example of the fusion between art and science. The results transcend classification as photographs, having the gravitas to motivate science institutions and art galleries to acquire the artworks. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London have recently added his work to the British National Collection of Photography. Veasey regularly exhibits at fine art galleries the world over. The ethereal and fascinating works have collected a host of International awards. In today’s world that is obsessed with ‘image’, superficiality and artifice, Veasey counters such insubstantial diversions by delving inside and discovering what things are really made of. Metaphors for the images are many and varied. Their context is very relevant in today’s society with the prevalence of surveillance and the use of x-ray technology for security.
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Often the integral beauty adds intrigue to the familiar. We all make assumptions based on the external visual aspects of what surrounds us and we are attracted to people and forms that are aesthetically pleasing. I like to challenge this automatic way that we react to just physical appearance by highlighting the, often surprising, inner beauty.
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I like to challenge this automatic way that we react to just physical appearance by highlighting the, often surprising, inner beauty.
This society of ours, consumed as it is by image, is also becoming increasingly controlled by security and surveillance. Take a flight, or go into a high profile courtroom and your belongings will be x-rayed. The post arriving in corporations and government departments has often been x-rayed. Security cameras track our every move. Mobile phone receptions place us at any given time. Information is key to the fight against whatever we are meant to be fighting against. To create art with equipment and technology designed to help big brother delve deeper, to use some of that fancy complicated gadgetry that helps remove the freedom and individuality in our lives, to use that apparatus to create beauty brings a smile to my face.
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This society of ours, consumed as it is by image, is also becoming increasingly controlled by security and surveillance.
To mix my metaphors, we all know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, that beauty is more than skin deep. By revealing the inside, the quintessential element of my art speculates upon what the manufactured and natural world really consists of.
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Interview | Nick Veasey
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Interview | Nick Veasey
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Interview | Nick Veasey
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2015 | Volume 2  63
Interview | Nick Veasey
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2015 | Volume 2  65
Interview | Nick Veasey
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Nick Veasey on X-rays, Cadavers and Hamburgers Tell us about how the journey into the world of x-rays began. It was a lucky break really. I was struggling as an arty abstract type photographer when I got a call from a TV show that wanted an x-ray of a soda can. I had no idea of how to carry out an x-ray but had been collecting x-ray images. I’m a tenacious individual and after many, many blind alleys eventually found the road to x-ray heaven. I knew on that first dalliance with radiation that I had found my perfect partner. You’ve x-rayed the most bizarre things, from airplanes to cadavers. What is the experience of working with cadavers like? People are fascinated by my use of cadavers. I guess it is the freak show element of my process. Well, it is not particularly pleasant. It does affect me but I’d rather they were dead than alive, as I’m not going to expose a living person to x-rays. Obtaining permission is complex; so I just go and dig up graves then fly back to my coffin before daybreak. How did you manage to x-ray a Boeing airplane? Technically it was the most challenging thing I’ve done and is the largest x-ray in the world. It took a year to complete and consists of around 1,000 separate x-rays. The whole project was pretty extreme. Just getting permission to do it was a bureaucratic headache. Having seen it printed life-size at 185 feet wide the detail is pretty good. I’d do it differently if I did another, but I’m proud of that picture. What are some of the strangest things you’ve x-rayed? Over the years I’ve x-rayed some pretty weird things but one memory stands out. I x-rayed a Big Mac hamburger. It looked disgusting, as the brightest parts of an x-ray are the densest part of the subject. And a Big Mac had some strange looking bright spots in the Pattie. One thing that does surprise me is how my works can appear otherworldly. X-Rays can be slightly sinister and elevate the everyday to the extraordinary. What is the ultimate goal of your work? I want to connect with as many people as I can so I like my work to be immediate. I’m not a fan of overly complex ideas. The best ideas are simple ones. If I can reach out and make people appreciate the beauty and intrigue in the world then I am happy. My overriding message is of substance and reality. I like things that have substance and I love to reveal the inner workings. Too much importance is made of superficial issues – what you wear, what you drive, where you live. Then there is this facile obsession with celebrities. It freaks me out that people seem to hold celebrities in esteem yet all they may have done is fucked a pop-star or two. What matters in life is finding inner contentment, or love not inconsequential trivia. I try to delve deeper than superficial issues by stripping back the layers and revealing what’s inside. I hope to leave a legacy of the greatest collection of x-rays. My immediate ambition is to get my work in as many museums and galleries as possible. © All images courtesy of Nick Veasey www.NickVeasey.com
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Project | Patrick Rochon
Patrick Rochon
Inspired Light - The Infiniti Motors Project Rochon created the Light Painting Kata, which he practices with on a regular basis and experimented with the 360-degree bullet time technique using 24 cameras, light painting in 100% darkness with live models to make the video Lift-off. The collaboration with RedBull and Snap! allowed him to mix arttechnology and wake boarding, a great opportunity for him to explore new grounds.
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Throughout his career, Rochon has worked on some unexpected and unusual creative projects.
His work drew a lot of attention from major blogs such as WIRED, Peta Pixel, Laughing Squid, This is Colossal, DAZED, Iso1200, Trend Hunter, Photogy, NOTCOT, UFUNK, FStopper, POP PHOTO MAG, The Phoblograper, Huffington Post, Get Addicted To, My Modern Met, The Cool List and GIZMODO. His work also appeared on the covers of 6629 and the New Scientist Magazine. Rochon also collaborated with magazines such as Rolk & Folk, WIRED, TechMAG, Resource, Foto & Video, Studio Voice, IdN, PAGE, Professional Lighting Design, Salon Mag., Popular Photography, and Vie des Arts. A Light Painter is Born Patrick Rochon began light painting in Montreal in 1992. It was while living in NYC (1995-96) and collaborating with artists from the Village that Rochon’s art took form. One key partner was Aurora Crowley, who at the time was a hair stylist. Crowley was sparked by Rochon’s light and started light painting soon after. In 1997 while on a flight for Tokyo, Rochon came to the realization that light painting was the key to his art and photography it’s support. From that moment on Rochon has defined himself as a light painter and totally set aside any other type of traditional photography. Throughout his career, Rochon has worked on some unexpected and unusual creative projects collaborating with Butoh dancers in Japan, fashion magazines, moviemakers, hair salons, musicians and skin care products companies.
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In 1997 while on a flight for Tokyo, Rochon came to the realization that light painting was the key to his art and photography it’s support.
Rochon worked with several famous American musicians like Michael Buble’s live tour. He created live shows for Adobe in Vegas, for Zein Telecommunications in Kuwait, for the Car Festival in collaboration with Infiniti in Dubai and created a live performance for TD Bank at a fundraiser for AIDS.
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Working in the Dark To me light painting is an expression of our true selves. It’s about the trace we create and leave behind. Through science, we now know that our bodies are emitting light. So in a way, we’ve been and are constantly light painting by living. Light painting is an amazing form of art. It enhances your imagination, wakes up your intuition and reflects who you are and where you are at, it’s like a mirror of the soul.
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To me light painting is an expression of our true selves. It’s about the trace we create and leave behind.
When I started to light paint, I discovered a way to make magic happen by taking the picture of something that, in a way, doesn’t exist. As a light painter, I work in the dark, not really seeing what I do. Intuition and imagination are my main senses. By practicing this art passionately, I’ve heard the inner self-whispering hints and guidance towards new ideas and explorations. To me light painting is a place where the conscious meets the unconscious. It is a creative doorway to learning and discovering the higher self. It is a journey. My admiration for light is ongoing, nourishing my curiosity for life and its great wonders.
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Project | Patrick Rochon
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Project | Patrick Rochon
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Project | Patrick Rochon
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Project | Patrick Rochon
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Behind the Scenes of The Infiniti Motors Project We transformed three cars into moving light painting brushes to create a new kind of image. The real inspiration for light painting comes when you discover that light is a medium of infinite qualities; when you paint with it you create real surprises, some genuine ‘Wows’.
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The real inspiration for light painting comes when you discover that light is a medium of infinite qualities. From dream to reality, from mind to matter, we had an array of technical and creative challenges, this was an upward battle all the way but, as soon as we saw the results in camera, the wows were being heard surpassing our initial expectations. We worked in collaboration with three professional precision drivers, great video artists, a cameraman, an engineer plus a local Dubai team composed of thirteen different nations. All of this became possible because an amazing team from all over the world, great hearts, great minds came together to nourish and create this vision. That’s my kind of playground.
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This was a first for all of us, a true adventure, a journey to be more precise. Infiniti and TBWA dared to do something different with us. This was a first for all of us, a true adventure, a journey to be more precise. Infiniti and TBWA dared to do something different with us. Especially in this industry, it is rare to see this kind of initiative that challenges the status quo with this straight out of the box mindset. Congrats to the client for opening this up. It took over four months of intense work to get here and now we offer you the result of our experience. Hope you enjoy it! Cool Facts about Inspired Light All images, still or moving, were created in front of a camera lens. Even post-processed light trails in the video use only actual information recorded in shot-footage. No CGI was used.
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All images, still or moving, were created in front of a camera lens. No CGI was used. After weeks of measuring, mapping, planning, trial & error, each car took four experienced technicians four hours to rig, while the prototype took several days. There are no light bulbs on the rigs. Each QX70 has 59 feet, or 18 meters, of LED strips, carefully fixed in place. Each vehicle has a total of 2,520 LEDs with output exceeding 30,000 lumens (the amount of visible light emitted). Designing and assembling the light rigs took a team of six specialists several weeks. The specially made LED strip lighting is a proprietary product manufactured in China under U.S. specification.
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Each vehicle has a total of 2,520 LEDs with output exceeding 30,000 lumens (the amount of visible light emitted). This project was truly multinational, combining Canadian, Egyptian, Italian, British, Lebanese, American, Indian, Filipino, Zimbabwean, French, Australian, Syrian and Russian talent. © All images courtesy of Patrick Rochon www.PatrickRochon.com 2015 | Volume 2 77
Advertising | Ars Thanea
DuPont Nutrition & Health: It’s What’s Inside Ars Thanea partnered up with Ogilvy & Mather New York for the launch of the global positioning and the creative platform It’s What’s Inside. The creative platform for DuPont Nutrition & Health highlights the tangible and intangible “ingredients” that go inside the foods, drinks and supplements. DuPont Nutrition & Health provides solutions that improve the quality and safety of food, while making it more affordable and healthier.
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The creative platform for DuPont Nutrition & Health highlights the tangible and intangible “ingredients” that go inside the foods, drinks and supplements. There are 150,000 more people in the world today than yesterday. Another 150,000 will arrive tomorrow, and the day after. The United Nations projects that the world population could reach more than 9 billion by 2050. Unquestionably, we have to feed everyone, but even that is not enough. The food challenge of today demands that we provide not just more food but healthier, more nutritious food.
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This campaign takes a creative look at food in a visually appealing manner, thanks to Ars Thanea photographers, CG artists and art-directors. It’s not just the physical ingredients that make food taste better and last longer, it’s the science, solver mindset, insights and knowledge that delivers value to DuPont customers, and consequently for everyday consumers. This creative platform expresses each one of these ingredients and serves as an invitation to look inside. This campaign takes a creative look at food in a visually appealing manner, thanks to Ars Thanea photographers, CG artists and art-directors.
Ars Thanea Ars Thanea is an Advertising Agency and Production Studio founded in 2007, home to over 60 talented people who make work that matters. The company is a part of SYZYGY Group (WPP) and specializes in marketing, advertising, production, CGI and animation. Ars Thanea received numerous international and domestic awards including Cannes Lion, Effie Award, One Show, AdFest, PromaxBDA, DMMA On-line Star, World Luxury Festival to name a few. The company was also listed on a TOP 10 Talent list created by Adweek. © All images courtesy of Ars Thanea www.ArsThanea.com
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Advertising | Ars Thanea
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Art | Derrick Lin
Derrick Lin
Miniature State of Mind
Derrick Lin was born in Taiwan, a curious and observant person. His fascination with detail led him to a career in semiconductor engineering where he helped design computer chips with circuits so tiny that you can’t see them with the naked eye. His curiosity for the world took him on a long journey through Taiwan, Japan, America, and eventually landed him an MBA degree in marketing and strategy from Ohio State University and an exciting career in advertising at Resource/Ammirati in Columbus, Ohio.
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With a specialty in mobile marketing, Lin helps his clients navigate through the increasingly complex world of digital marketing.
As a senior brand and mobile strategist, Lin advises his clients on national and international retail, consumer goods, and marketing strategy. With a specialty in mobile marketing, Lin helps his clients navigate through the increasingly complex world of digital marketing. His notable clients include P&G, Nestle,
Victoria’s Secret, Staples, SherwinWilliams, and Smucker’s. Lin is regularly featured on digital marketing and advertising websites such as Mobile Marketer and Mobile Commerce Daily for his professional expertise in mobile marketing.Through word
We think permanent markers should be banned from meetings with white boards.
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Through word of mouth, Lin’s iPhone photography series resonated with many viewers on the Internet and very quickly attracted worldwide media attention.
of mouth, Lin’s iPhone photography series resonated with many viewers on the Internet and very quickly attracted worldwide media attention. The series “Figuratively Speaking” has been featured on major media including Daily Mail, The Telegraph, The Independent, Der Spiegel, Apple Daily, Tumblr Radar 3 times and Tumblr Featured blog, Ad Week, CLIO Awards, Bored Panda, The Verge, Daily Dot, This Isn’t Happiness, Yahoo! Taiwan, TVBS, Laughing Squid, Lost At E Minor, New York Times Square among others It takes a lot of effort to get the word out about our upcoming time off.
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A day trip to see a client is practically a night trip when you have to get up at 4am.
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Art | Derrick Lin
Sometimes it pays to recycle good ideas.
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Waiting to see if we won a pitch makes time go by so slowly.
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Art | Derrick Lin
Sometimes it seems all we do at work is kill trees.
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It’s always a hit to morale when we have to abandon our hard work.
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Art | Derrick Lin
Sometimes people need to be reminded that good work takes time.
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People never seem to understand the true level of effort.
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Art | Derrick Lin
At the end of the each week, it’s time to track all the work we did.
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It is frustrating when we have to bring our money-making machine back to the shop.
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Art | Derrick Lin
Our work stops when the lunch line starts.
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Figuratively Speaking
In the era of Internet and social media, we sure share a lot about ourselves online. All too often we share about our exotic vacations, festive parties, our pets and our fancy meals and so much more. There is as much struggle as enjoyment in our lives, and yet all we see from our friends online is the glamorous and positive side. We tend to keep our stress and struggles all to ourselves.
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Instead of portraying the disgruntled employees, I chose to focus on those honest and frustrated thoughts and emotions and give them life of their own.
We’re thankful our clients are spending quality time with their families.
Working in advertising, where the work schedule is constantly chaotic and unpredictable, I often experience stressful situations that I want to find an outlet to vent. I noticed that most people generally avoid complaining about work on social media since it is widely considered inappropriate to do so. Seeing the social norm, I decided to challenge it and myself and tell visual stories about those mundane, minor, and often frustrating moments that I encounter 9 to 5, Monday through Friday. I wanted to add a twist and use a more humorous tone and shine a positive light on those situations. Instead of portraying the disgruntled employees, I chose to focus on those honest and frustrated thoughts and emotions and give them life of their own. By personifying emotions, I strip the negative connotation and social taboo from the stressful work scenarios. I use my large collection of miniature figures as the heroes of my series. With their surreal scale and intricate detail, miniatures are the most ideal medium to be the manifestation of those emotions. Juxtaposing miniature figures with real life objects, I aim to create what I call the “believable illusion”, as if those tiny people actually exist and they lively act out the thoughts in my head. I pair each of my photos with a carefully crafted caption when I publish on my Instagram and Tumblr feeds. My goal is, within the first 3 seconds, my viewers can first register the ordinary (the typical work environment), and quickly notice the not-so-ordinary (the surreal miniature figures), and finally make the connection between the photo and the caption.
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With their surreal scale and intricate detail, miniatures are the most ideal medium to be the manifestation of those emotions. At my job at a busy advertising agency, everything is an inspiration for my series. Long hours, approaching deadlines, struggling for ideas, communicating with clients, business trips, and endless meetings. Whether they are universal in every office or unique to the advertising industry, I turn them into quirky and light hearted visuals for the whole world to see.
© All images courtesy of Derrick Lin www.instagram.com/marsder When the boss is away.
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