Artists can be of any age, ranging from youngsters, through teenagers and adults, up to the elderly. Photography is a kind of art, where there are no rules when it comes to the age of a person. However, at different stages of our life, we may find ourselves having more or less artistic freedom.

It is not about how good your photos or ideas are, but mainly about how you feel about your profession or hobby. Every person looks at life from a different angle, therefore the same goal can be achieved in a variety of ways and different periods of time.

We have asked our fans, at what age in their opinion do artists have the most artistic freedom. They were presented with 4 options to choose from:

Young artists have not yet learned to doubt themselves, therefore they are not afraid of trying, even if it means failing. On the other hand, the lack experience at the early ages makes it somewhat harder for them to discover artistic freedom.

Teenage years are characterised by the most intensive emotions, which can be not only inspirational but also motivating. At this age people tend to treat their lives really seriously and if enough passion for photography and art is discovered, it’s likely to result in artistic freedom being granted.

During adulthood, artists tend to have the knowledge, tools and strength to create, however they also have the highest number of responsibilities that can limit their freedom. It may be hard for many to experience the artistic freedom at that stage, especially if your career is not related to art. On the other hand, if following the artistic path, artists are likely to experience artistic freedom during their adulthood.

Finally, there are the elderly artists who don’t see the need to seek inspiration any more, as a lifetime of experience was enough to inspire them. At this age finding artistic freedom requires a lot of motivation, however if you haven’t experienced it by this moment it’s high time to start fulfilling your dreams.

In general, young people dream about the future while older generations live in the world of memories from the past. Artistic freedom, which is so much desired by many of us, is not a choice but rather an opportunity that can present itself when the right time comes.

Some claim that “the artistic freedom isn’t necessarily connected to the age” at all. For them, artistic freedom is related “to a particular mind set up that allows/encourages it”. They claimed that the term artistic freedom “seems a pleonastic expression as art should be free, otherwise it is anything else but art”. Every artist is different and requires different sort of stimulation or inspiration in order to discover artistic freedom at some point in their lives. Always think outside the box, maybe you are in the possession of artistic freedom already!

Today we talk to young photographer Tom Keenan about him and his photography:

Tom, tell us a bit more about you and your work!

“Even though I am only 18, I would really want to do photography as a living. What motivates me is seeing other great photographers around produce stunning work, but then me wanting to create something completely unique but to a standard of theirs.

“The image you see on the top was shot in the roof of a church on my Nikon D700, this was for a beauty project I set myself. I wanted to show how confident my subject was. Though you couldn’t see she is a musician, she is always confident in the way she is on stage and off, so the direction of posing was only what she would feel represented her. So I wanted the beauty in this to be the beauty of honesty.

Philippians 4v13     


“The photograph taken here, taken in a studio on a Canon 60D, was supposed to subtly represent strength shown in the bible verse ‘Philippians 4v13′ I can do anything through him who gives me strength. The lighting choice was chosen to give the subject a fearless, trusting manner.

Moth     


“Taken in another studio on the same Canon 60D, this was a commission with a group of fashion students to try and illustrate moths, with a garment they made to show this too. I had 8 assistants for this shoot, a few of which I asked to throw flour directly behind the subject to try and portray dust on the moths wings.

Fashion     


“Shot on Nikon D700, if I remember rightly. Another fashion student wanted me to produce some photographs including manikins and with the narrative of models on catwalks slowly fading into manikins in this day and age. I recently had researched into some old issues of the Vogue magazines, and had found the new use of colour overlay, and thought I would put this into modern practice.

What will happen in future?

“Though I have chosen not to study a degree at University, I am hoping on gaining experience assisting professional photographers, producing a strong portfolio to submit to agencies and gaining more experience with other commissions in the next few months.”

Tom has an exhibition tonight from 6pm till late at the ‘Astor Theatre’ in Deal Kent. The exhibition will show an eclectic collection of his recent work. The entry is free and the dress code is smart casual. If you want to attend why don’t you drop Tom an email..

The exhibition examines the relationship between still and moving image through the traditional medium of the Zeotrope, or ‘wheel of lie’. Exploring the preoccupation with animation in our modern world these ghostly images are boldly reminiscent of classic horror movies such as Nosferatu.

By choreographing a series of dances similar to the work of legendary Isadora Duncan, the artist takes us on a sentimental journey into the past.

‘In That Sweet Mood Where Pleasant Thoughts Bring Sad Thoughts To The Mind’ will be exhibited from February 9th to 29th at The Hackney Picture House.

The private view of the exhibtion will take place on Thursday February 9th from 7pm to 9.30pm.

For further information and print sales enquiries please contact Anstice Oakeshott.

This week we want to introduce to you Derek Mossop – Derek studied photography at Kingston College of Art & Design, The London College of Fashion and The London College of Printing. He gained a Masters Degree in photography from The London College of Communication.

When did you start taking pictures?
As a child around the age of twelve but I didn’t start to get involved in photography seriously until I was in my early twenties.

What inspired you to do so?
Initially my Grandmother who lent me her Polaroid camera, I liked to see the instant results of my work much like we can do today with digital capture!

What image did you choose to show us today?
A catwalk image taken at Fashion designer Giles Deacon’s ‘Fashion in Motion’ show at the V&A in London.

Most people are familiar with my American work: ‘Landscapes in Transition’ and the ‘Odyssey’ series so I decided to show something completely different.

An new take on landscape photography – Robert Ashby:

“I was interested in photography from childhood, and a “sabbatical” year in 1982 allowed me to develop this during an extended trip to China and Japan. Since then I have also collected and dealt in photographic prints and books, which lead to my being Festival Director of the Hereford International Photography festival for a while.

“This developed my interest in contemporary photography, writing and curating. My photographic interests in my own work now are about reality – the space we occupy, people, their relationships, the patterns and shapes of their living and work spaces, which show what their lives are about. Following Dorothea Lange, I use Francis Bacon’s motto: “The contemplation of things as they are, without substitution or imposture, without error or confusion, is in itself a nobler thing than a whole harvest of invention.”

“The first image of the post shows the effects of the ex-patriot community and other cultural/economic changes on the landscape.

From the “Evidence of Civilisation” series – Swannington, Leicestershire     

“This image shows the landscape in north west Leicestershire. This is an industrial archeology of the area, as defined by the evidence of human economic activity over hundreds of years, including coal mining and quarrying, that survives in the landscape today. It is even now changing again as the National Forest replanting scheme for the area is implemented on all the available land.

From the “No Travellers” series – North West Leicstershire     

“All around north west Leicestershire every little-used lay-by, dead-end road or gateway is blocked with rocks, boulders and lumps of concrete to prevent “travellers” parking their caravans and vans to set up residence. Of course this means nobody else can park in these countryside locations either. So the look of the landscape has been changed, made less accessible, in order to stop the travellers changing the look of the place.

From the “Paisagem Patrimonio Cultural” (World Cutural Heritage Landscape) series – Sintra, Portugal     

“The last image is from a series that contrast the cultural heritage in the UNESCO selected area of Portugal around Sintra, with the current cultural landscape .

“Much of my current work is a series of projects on what I have called “The Evolution of Landscape”. I am currently finishing the “Evidence of Civilisation” series with some more work in the former NW Leicestershire coalfield. I shall then be looking to exhibit the whole series later this year. “No Travellers” is a project that I hope to finish this year as well. I then want to take the same approach into urban areas, looking at various aspects of change or things taken for granted in the urban landscape.”

If you are interested in more of Robert’s projects visit robertashby.net.

“Photography for me is an interesting creature, I’m not sure if I would describe it as a passion or a compulsion. I find that if I don’t get time to shoot it affects my mood, but then my main motivation behind photography is to understand and explore my own experiences and place in the world. I like to look at broader social issues but in a very personal and introspective way.

“I don’t like to be confined by rules, so I like to experiment and explore new ways to approach the photographic image. I think this is one of my main reasons for pushing at the boundaries of more conventional image making and it’s a major driving force behind my interest in shooting, that and it’s a form of personal therapy that I can share with others.

“‘Minute by Minute’ was a very difficult piece of work for me, sometimes images make themselves but I think it was the subject matter itself which made it difficult, but eventual what led to it being so successful. The work is based on my childhood experiences, I grew up in a dysfunctional family that slipped through the net and this is my attempt after years of soul searching to make sense of what happened and why. This series is not about blame, its about finding understanding and resolution in something that has had a major influence on my life and has taken a long time to come to terms with. The issues of dysfunctional families and broken Britain being explored are bigger than me, they’re societal issues, and I would love nothing more than to raise awareness of the long-term effects of growing up in this environment.

“For inspiration I looked to the performance artists of the 1970’s as well as early photographic movements. I recreated the events of my childhood acting as both aggressor and victim. The images are self-portraits, shot in my dining room believe it or not, I acted out the scenes with the camera on a timed trigger so that every 5 seconds or so the camera would take a long exposure over the course of several minutes. The added dimension of time adds the emotive and psychological element to the images. For me the camera is just a tool, a means of getting the image but for those interested it was shot on a Canon 5D II using a 24-105mm lens.

“Normally my practice involves a combination of analogue and digital techniques, merging elements of both to create emotive images. Although this series is purely digital I employed similar post capture techniques. Textures feature heavily in my work so Hahnemuehle German Etching paper was ideal for my printing needs, it enhances and maintains the depth and quality of the textures in these images. The Printspace produced an excellent 2 meter print of the four images which were exhibited at Cube Gallery, Manchester.

“Things are really taking off for me at the moment. ‘Minute by Minute’ has recently been published Eyemazing magazine, I have another 2 series about to be published in early February, and not forgetting Sample 12 exhibition in London!

“I’m working on quite a few things at the moment, I have some really interesting commissions for public instillations which I’ll be collaborating with a sculpture and ceramicist called Jo Jo Gleave. I’m also a part of a photography collective called Shroom, we’re currently working on a body of work based on assumptions and prejudice brought about by how someone looks and dresses. These attitudes are endemic within our culture, and often occur on a subconscious level, we’re trying to produce images that breaks from this. It’s shaping up to be an intriguing body of work.

“On a more personal level I have a couple of projects at various stages of completion. The first is called ‘I thought of leaving’ the basic premise is to tap into the sudden urges and thoughts some people have regarding suicide. I want to get people talking about the topic, but I’m also acutely aware that I don’t want to encourage or sensationalise the act of suicide. I also have another two projects at much earlier stages of development, it’s just too soon to say how these will develop and what I will end up producing.

“I think at the moment I need to ground myself and get back to some straight up photography. I completed my Foundation Degree last summer and I’m continuing with my studies. As soon as I left University I hit the ground running and it has been a lot to take in, being in my mid-thirties has helped. But I have been lucky enough to have two excellent tutors, AJ Wilkinson and Marc Provins both being exceptional photographers in their own right, who are still there for me, offering support and advice when I need it most.”

Want to see more of Casey’s work? Visit his website!

Last blog post of this month is about Kate Hazell and her work:

What is your motivation behind your work?

“I am motivated by the delight fulness of drawing nonsense and amusing myself (and hopefully others). I also like drawing lots of tiny lines.

Please tell us more about your illustrations!

“The illustration ‘Camping in Wales’ is a scene from a camping trip in the Brecon Beacons for a friends surprise birthday party. We cooked everything on a log fire and kept our drinks cold in the river. It was a lot of fun.

“Virgin Atlantic have a limited edition print of this at the Club lounge at Newark Airport, New York.

Naughty Dog     


“This is a drawing of a naughty dog! It is an example of me amusing myself and it goes down well as a gift card.

Hairy Pollocks     


“This is one of 16 fish puns I illustrated for an exhibition currently at The Beach Hut, a fish and chip shop in Highbury.

Do you have any projects in the pipeline?

“I am currently exhibiting as part of Mussell & Skate, at The Beach Hut, a fish and chip shop in Highbury. It’s a collection of 16 fish puns concocted by Russell Weighton and illustrated by myself. ‘Hairy Pollocks’ is an example of the puns on display. There is a limited edition of 10 giclee prints of each fish design.

“I have more projects up my sleeve but you will have to watch this space for more information on those!

Thank you Kate!

The exhibition is admission free so why don’t you see by yourself and pop in quickly during your lunch break or after work. The opening hours are from Monday to Saturday from 11am to 5:30pm.

Get in contact with Underground Gallery for more information or directions.

Today we talk to Deborah about herself and her motivation behind her photography:

“The motivation behind my photography comes from my fascination with memory, childhood and my love of the photographic image. In my photography I have always been drawn to the theme of childhood, whether it has been recreating my own personal memories, or taking pictures of my children and recording their childhood.

“In my latest series ‘Stillness in Time’ I have wanted to capture a more introspective side of childhood by using the Wet Plate Collodion process, which includes children from outside of my family. Using this old Victorian process really slows down the photographic experience for both the sitter and the photographer. With exposure times ranging from around 3 to 30 seconds the child needs to be as still as possible, allowing a brief moment of stillness, something that doesn’t happen too often in our lives.

“The first image is a special portrait for me as Lucy had for years refused to have her photograph taken by anyone. However, seeing the magic of the wet plate process & her siblings getting their photograph taken she decided that she would like to try. She held still, without support for 5 seconds – she was amazing. With my dark tent set up in her garden I was praying that something would come out to show her – thankfully it did.

Dreaming of Mermaid     


“This portrait of my daughter was unusual in the sense it was taken in my studio with UV lights. For this she had to lie down and keep still for 30 seconds, a very long time for a child. As with all the portraits it is the child who tells me what they want to bring to the photo – with my daughter it is usually a flower.

Stillness     


“Taken in my back yard – with the dark tent set up in the dining room my son was lying out in the sun. He is more self conscious about himself than he used to be – so he closes his eyes and pretends I’m not there.

The Daydreamer     


“This again was taken in a garden (not mine). I had my dark tent set up in the garden and ten children eager to take part. We chose a quiet part of the garden. I love this child’s eyes – she is a beautiful, quiet child but also a child that can’t keep still – this was again a rare moment of her stillness.

“All of these are original Tintypes but are reproduced on Kodak Metallic paper as this is the closest I can get to replicate the Tintype and its 3 dimensional feel.

“I am about to have two books published by Galerie Vevais. The books are on my “September is the Cruellest Month” series and this series “Stillness in Time” – both of which will be edited by William Ropp, with an introduction by John Wood. It will include some original prints.

“I will also be having an exhibition in September and I started a project with a Glasgow School last week.”

Her work can be viewed at deborahparkin.com.

Now it is your chance to have your very own exhibition with theprintspace gallery – we have an available exhibition space during spring time.

If you are interested in exhibiting with us and want to have more info about dates, costs and services send us an email with a portfolio of your work attached.