allier, à la recherche de soi

allier, à la recherche de soi

“Allier, à la recherche de soi” [Allier, in search of self], is a fine art photography project created in the Allier region of France in 2015.

The body of work is a self-reflection, a time of deep internal turmoil and soul-searching, at a crossroads in life, decisions that will change the course of life forever.

The artworks in this series are collectible original 1/1 giclée prints available to BUY through Saatchi Art. There are no editions. The artist’s final proof becomes the final signed artwork if I approve it. All other works leading up to the final artwork are destroyed.

The body of work is a self-reflection, a time of deep internal turmoil and soul-searching, at a crossroads in life, decisions that will change the course of life forever.

Sometimes the loneliest road is the road we travel surrounded by people, oblivious.

The landscapes were created alone. Whilst wandering and wondering alone. An attempt to capture and portray the inner turmoil I felt whilst at the same time paying homage to Allier, a region of great beauty.

The intention is for the viewer to question, both the medium and the expression. The medium is chosen to confuse and delight, with the appearance of a water colour painting but the realism of a photograph.

There is a 7cm white border surrounding the print that means that the actual image size is 87.6cm high x 131.4cm wide with the total artwork size being 101.6cm high x 145.4cm wide. I title and sign the final original approved print in this border.

There is only one original 1 of 1 artwork per scene, Giclée print on Museum grade 310 g.s.m. 100% cotton fine art and photo paper, with beautifully warm off-white tones and extreme texture. One final collectible original artwork is created, printed to archival standards.

I reserve the right to use copies of the artworks for self promotional purposes, editorial and publishing use but guarantee not to print another fine art copy of the work. Should you choose to buy an artwork you are buying the artwork itself, not the intellectual property to the artwork. The copyright remains mine, my Human Right, for the sake of humanity. Should the artwork be damaged, lost or destroyed it will remain just so.

coming home

coming home

'Coming Home - Returning White Storks to the Land' is a short film about the relationship between Dorette, her...

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50point5

50point5

50point5 is a fine art photography project that examines the barriers that divide the people of South Africa as a result of apartheid. It is a project of love and loathing that I have been working on for over seven years.Love for the people of South Africa and the art of photography. Loathing for apartheid and what it did to the people.

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The images were created along the 50.5km route from my former home in Vredehoek, Cape Town, South Africa, to a private university in Stellenbosch, one of the wealthiest towns in South Africa, where I lectured in photography on a part time basis for five years. The route took approximately 45 minutes to drive, depending on traffic, giving me time to observe and think. The reality of post apartheid South Africa is blatantly clear along this route with the route running from affluent areas, overlooking the former District Six leaving Cape Town, townships, past the Cape Town International Airport, more townships, farmlands in the wine route, finally arriving at the office park where the university is based that overlooks an access controlled private residential golf estate surrounded by electrified fencing and patrolled by armed guards.

The gap between the haves and the have nots is extreme with the poor living in abject poverty in shacks, entire families sharing a shack, whole communities sharing rows of prefabricated toilets and communal water stand pipes. Serious crimes like rape and murder occur daily, seldom, if ever, featured in the news. The police are so overworked that criminals literally get away with murder. Shack fires occur frequently often destroying hundreds of shacks per fire, the people losing everything they own in the fires. Education at the majority of township schools is poor with teachers often not arriving for work, teen pregnancies high and violence commonplace. The government’s answer to the education crisis in South Africa was to lower the pass rate required to finish high school so that more pupils matriculate.

The wealthy live in luxury protected by private security companies, often in access controlled electrified fenced private estates patrolled by armed guards. Domestic servants (gardeners and maids) come from the surrounding townships to work for the wealthy, often for minimum wage, returning to the townships in the evenings. The extreme in this daily journey from township to private luxury back to township must be mind bending, driving home the inequality as a result of apartheid.

The project comprises of a BOOK of 50 and a half images as well as limited edition fine art gicleé prints, available in a series of a maximum of five prints per image.

Read more about the project here.

coming home

coming home

'Coming Home - Returning White Storks to the Land' is a short film about the relationship between Dorette, her...

read more