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Digital technology is transforming many areas of our lives - and
art is no exception. Six Wessex artists, all harnessing digital
technology but all creating dramatically different results, have
recently been invited by Steve Payter of Image Art to form the DGA –
Digital Graphic Artists – group.
Steve Payter wants the group to raise awareness of just how far
digitally based art has evolved in recent times. He’s keen to banish
forever the lessening, but still commonly-held misconception that ‘the
computer does it all’, by demonstrating through a series of
exhibitions that creativity is still at the heart of this art-form,
and that digital technology – the computer, the software and the
printer – are simply tools in the artistic armoury of its
practitioners.
‘Improved technology and increased sophistication in software
development, ink quality and printer specification have of course
improved the physical creation and outputting processes’, he admits.
‘But these developments are only of use if the ground material – the
base image, the creative energy, the imagination and the ability to
visualise – in other words, the human input - form the lifeblood of
the work.’
The group’s inaugural exhibition is being held at Gillingham’s Slade
Centre over the Easter weekend and will feature work by Colin Bell,
Liz Burt, Robin Clare, Ronnie Creswell, Sally Davis, Steve Payter and
John Stevens.
To a lesser or greater extent, but by no means exclusively,
photography plays a vital part in the work of all seven, although its
subject matter and the extent to which it is ‘digitally re-mastered’ –
a phrase whose origins lie in the world of audio, but which equally
well describes the process used by the artist to coax an image to its
final state of readiness – vary beyond comparison.
Colin Bell works with the camera to search for and hold ‘the
extraordinary within the ordinary’ and produces work which echoes his
earlier abstract paintings. Liz Burt’s love of horticultural
photography dominates her work, while Robin Clare produces vibrant
minimal work derived from natural forms.
Ronnie Creswell is interested in processes and uses a variety of
source materials to build up digital mixed media images. A background
in fashion and garden design has given Sally Davis an in-depth
understanding of the form, colour and composition of nature. Calling
strongly on his photographic background, Steve Payter explores how
traditional photographic processes, such as infrared and toning mutate
into the digital age, while John Stevens has moved from macro flower
photography, landscapes, the sea, female figures and faces to his more
recent experiments in abstract form and colour.
‘It’s not easy to find an umbrella under which to shelter such a
diverse range of processes, source material and ideas, but the common
denominator in all our work is the digital means of producing and
outputting and the significant presence of photography as one of the
key starting points,’ explains Steve Payter. ‘The term ‘Digital
Graphics’, therefore, is a neat way of linking these two fundamentals
and conveying an indication to the audience of what they can expect
from the exhibition.’
The exhibition will run from Friday 21 March to Monday 24 March, with
daily opening hours of 10 am to 4 pm.
Further information and links to individual artists’ websites can be
found on the Image Art Website at www.imageart.co.uk. Image Art is run
by Steve Payter and provides a digitally based fine art printing
service for artists and photographers.
Ends.
For further information, please contact:
Steve Payter, Image Art
T: 01747 826633 E: steve@imageart.co.uk W: www.imageart.co.uk |
