MikE FELdMan FrPs Faded Love PhotograPhic abstractions Mike Feldman aims to use photography as an art form and is always on the lookout for subjects which lend themselves to total abstraction or to abstraction with some element of reality and visual harmony. recently, he revisited a motor museum in cape town and discovered a graveyard of cars there. the colours, the composition and the implied depiction of industrial decay attracted him. in his article, he discusses his work and presents some of the images he produced there. having exhibited more conventional pictorial photographs on the international salon circuit for many years, i have nevertheless always been attracted to non-representational photography. i was influenced in my own photographic work by my interest in modern art, which was stimulated by my many visits to art galleries in south africa, Europe and america. in the 1960s i revelled in solarisation, high contrast, tone separation, etc. My aim was to produce pictures that were more in accordance with my subjective way of seeing. i wanted to be different, not merely for the sake of difference, but in rps Visual art Magazine autumn 2012 order to express my individual vision. the elements of colour, line, tone and composition in abstract art and photography held an emotional appeal for me. abstraction has been around in photography for a long time. it was soon after the 1913 armory Exhibition in new York that abstract art was taken up seriously by photographers in the Usa. this landmark exhibition exposed americans for the first time to modern art movements such as cubism and Expressionism. there were also experiments in this direction by photographers such as William Langdon coburn in 1917, Man ray and László Moholy-nagy around 1920, where the subject matter of their images was either obscure or difficult to decipher. in this new vision Moholy-nagy of the bauhaus institute, in particular, championed unusual vantage points and combinations. sir herbert read, in the Meaning of art (1931), speaks of abstract art as tending towards a purely aesthetic experience without direct associations or connections to recognizable subject matter. and indeed an abstract photograph exploits purely formal relationships - the rhythms of line and 5
MIke FeldMAn FRPS I was struck by the contrast of the rough paintwork and the metallic reflective surface of the chrome detail. space, the play of tonal values, the interaction of texture and colour - in order to form a composition designed to engage the aesthetic sensibility. Real objects or light effects are photographed in such a way that their identity in the real world is either partially or entirely lost or transformed by the composition of the image. The graphic design and rust come together to create a strong image. As a result of my deepening interest in abstraction, in 1980 I developed a technique of blurred impressionistic pictures using Vaseline and cylinder. The cylinder was an astigmatic spectacle lens plano / minus 1.00 which, when attached to a zoom lens, created sharp images in one direction and blurred at right angles. My exhibition of these photographs in 1980 was favourably received by the newspaper critics. I have always aimed at using photography as an art form and it has been my good fortune to be a member of the Camera Club of Johannesburg which was formed in 1935. This club is very progressive and has a long tradition of pushing the boundaries, welcoming the creativity of its members and encouraging them to pursue innovative techniques. We have a number of members who produce abstract pictures both digitally and on film, using a variety of techniques such as macrochromatic reflection on glass, multiple exposures, photo montage and many others which, individually, they have developed. In this atmosphere, I am always on the lookout for subjects which will allow me to create another dimension and will lend themselves to total abstraction, or preferably to abstraction with some element of reality and visual harmony. Recently, while in Cape Town, I 6 RPS Visual Art Magazine Autumn 2012
The dynamic line together with the muted colours of bronze and blue harmonize and create a sense of dynamic movement. made a return visit to an automobile museum which I had visited a few years previously. It contains a variety of old cars under cover, which are loaned out for movies, weddings and other functions. In the open there is a graveyard of cars which have been exposed to the elements for some sixty to seventy years. The paintwork has disintegrated, creating interesting abstract compositions with some vestiges of recognizable elements remaining. I was attracted by the colours and composition and also by the implied depiction of industrial decay. The first visit was in the early morning, and produced photographs with softer colours and shadows. The recent visit was at midday, producing photographs with harsher vertical shadows and less saturated colours. This meant that I had to be highly selective in my approach. The most successful pictures were mostly closeups of the weathering and patina of the deteriorating paint and metal work rather than large sections. The photographs reproduced here are a selection of the most interesting from both visits. The advent of digital photography has advanced the marriage of art and photography. The wide variety of techniques available has opened up the possibility of individual approaches and made experimentation much easier. I hope this creative approach will appeal and be of interest to members of the Visual Art Group. Throughout my photographic career, I -The handle identifies the source of this abstraction. have not been wedded to one style or one technique. In my 88th year, I still find photography challenging, absorbing and exciting. Mike Feldman is the chairman of the advisory board of The Bensusan Museum of Photography RPS Visual Art Magazine Autumn 2012 7
Mike FeldMAn FRPS The pristine condition of the chrome suggests a bygone era of luxury The contrasting warm and cool colours, rich textures and powerful curved lines make an exciting composition. 8 RPS Visual Art Magazine Autumn 2012
The pure abstraction is based on a richly patterned and textured surface, the source is not identifiable. The rear light identifies the source of this interesting colour abstraction and reinforces the impact of the image. RPS Visual Art Magazine Autumn 2012 9
Mike FeldMAn FRPS The lifting paint gives this abstraction a three-dimensional element. A combination of lifting paint and rusting metal makes for an intriguing image. 10 RPS Visual Art Magazine Autumn 2012
Here there is an unusual colour spectrum created by years of weathering and decay. The combination of two images emphasizes the decaying rust and the weathering of the metal, creating a strong visual image. RPS Visual Art Magazine Autumn 2012 11
Mike FeldMAn FRPS I was attracted by the vivid, red and bubbling textures. The dissecting lines and curves create a formal division between the harmonious and contrasting colours. 12 RPS Visual Art Magazine Autumn 2012