TA9 - Limited Edition 1 of 50 Photograph

My method of working has changed from the conception of the completed ‘piece’ at the beginning of the creation process, to a more open and experimental approach. I have always enjoyed the challenge of working in different mediums and have utilised sculpture, printing, laser cutting, photography and time-based media in work, allowing the exploration of techniques to guide ideas for 'completed' pieces. More recently, I have aimed to widen my creativity in the realization that my Fine Art training has often entailed unconscious self-censorship. I have consciously tried to be more open and pursue more fleeting interests, and to see where this may lead. This area is documented in my blog; Deborah’s Creative Capers. It was through taking digital photographs during my everyday travels that I developed an interest in London architecture, particularly atrium roofs. So often when we are out and about we miss a lot of interesting things by not looking up or around us, by not taking a little time to notice. I found that I was drawn towards the construction elements; the geometry of the support beams and the light and reflections from the glass. Light always seems magical to me – as the source of illumination materially and metaphorically. Although I was happy with a few of the photographs as finished pieces, the majority were not, so I played around with them by cropping them, repeating, mirroring and flipping them. Doing this, I stumbled across this techniques' (digital photo-montage) pattern-making qualities. I must say that I am often astounded at the pieces this process creates – it is always a surprise, as I can never predict what source photo will produce more effective results. However, I have learnt that it is often the more abstract ones that work best. The montage process accentuates different elements through repetition, the colour / shading, the light, and particularly geometric lines. Sometimes 'objects' are formed, sometimes patterns with a multitude of disorienting symmetry. And sometimes there is a mixture of both these elements. There is often an other-worldly quality to many of these pieces; some could be interiors or exteriors of space ships or strange mechanical planets in space. It is true to say that they all contain their own identity and beauty, with some having a quality of stillness, silence and power.