honorable mention
Richard Smith united states
Photo © Richard Smith
title
Forest For The Trees
ARTIST'S STATEMENT: I call my art “Handcrafted Surrealism,” as I photograph and compose exclusively via smartphone. I believe this medium enhances the personal element of connection between artist and audience, because with a smartphone as medium — your fingers become the brushes; your movements become the brush strokes, and you literally cradle a creation as it comes into existence — all with an object you keep on your person and interact with likely hundreds of times a day. Not all smartphone art has these craftsmanship-like qualities, but in the case of my work, every final creation taken in by viewers is something I have stared at, in hand, physically maneuvering, and repeatedly refining as the elements come into place.
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entry description
This seemingly started with the compelling texture of peeling paint on a lamppost in a grocery store parking lot. I knew it would make for a great blend with a leafless winter treetop, so I snapped a tall one in my neighborhood. After blending these base elements, It became immediately clear that this needed a dramatic focal point; hence the flower snapped a few months back, which turned out to be the original element all along, but was something impossible to see without being revealed through a forest of cracks and just the right tree. All photography and editing via iPhone.about the photographer
Richard J. Smith explores unexpected interrelationships between everyday images through surrealist photomontage. Working with elements from nature, pedestrian objects, specially-commissioned photos, and scenes from his travels and neighborhood, he fuses these components into ethereal yet cohesive views that transcend their origins. A self-taught graphic artist with 20+ years of professional experience, Smith incorporates assimilated photographic techniques and modern photomanipulation approaches into his handcrafted compositions. He calls his work “Handcrafted Surrealism” because all photography and editing are done via smartphone.ARTIST'S STATEMENT: I call my art “Handcrafted Surrealism,” as I photograph and compose exclusively via smartphone. I believe this medium enhances the personal element of connection between artist and audience, because with a smartphone as medium — your fingers become the brushes; your movements become the brush strokes, and you literally cradle a creation as it comes into existence — all with an object you keep on your person and interact with likely hundreds of times a day. Not all smartphone art has these craftsmanship-like qualities, but in the case of my work, every final creation taken in by viewers is something I have stared at, in hand, physically maneuvering, and repeatedly refining as the elements come into place.
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