Armen John

Photography has always been a passion of mine. Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, André Kertész, Sebastião Salgado and Aaron Siskind are among the photographers who inspire me to see everything with new eyes, through the same visionary lens they trained on the most ordinary objects.

After graduating from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, I was diligently taking photographs with old masters composition in mind but rediscovered modern art, especially Expressionism. Gradually my style evolved. I learned to observe the ordinary and appreciate beauty everywhere. I developed what I can only call a “visual curiosity” that allowed me to see my surroundings in a more personal way. Every landscape, patterns of light, color, texture and still life simultaneously morphed into an abstract image. It was as if the whole world had exploded into form, color and design that all began with a photograph.

I start with my own photographs (or in some cases a collage of my photos) through an alternative process using inkjet emulsion transfers and paint over the final image with different media such as soft pastels, color pencils, markers, and acrylic paint. This is where color and design work together to lift up the ordinary to a bolder, more playful, ...

BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY