STEVEN LOPEZ: Analogue Dreams

STEVEN LOPEZ: Analogue Dreams

STEVEN LOPEZ

“Analogue Dreams”

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

My work simultaneously glimpses into the past, present and future.

By using film photography, alternative and traditional photographic printing methods, I aim to achieve a feeling of timelessness in my images.

My methods and choice of subject matter are a practice in sharpening the focus on what makes its home in my peripheral vision.

 

WHY I LOVE IT, by Aurélie

I met Steven Lopez when he interned at Resource Magazine, a photo magazine I had started with a friend. I was struck by his love and knowledge of film photography and antiquated techniques. No cell phone photography for him! He chose hard-to-find film and hours spent in the darkroom instead.

We stayed in touch over the years. We lived in the same neighborhood, the Lower East Side in downtown Manhattan, and would get together for coffee every once in a while. He would tell me about his travels and photographic experiments.

I love his dedication to film photography and his focus on old techniques. His images are carefully constructed; he puts a lot of time and care into them. You don’t get a gazillion frames of the same landscape – there is only a handful at best. Film is in limited supply and printing is time-consuming so Steven thinks long and hard before pressing that shutter.

The resulting images are beautiful and unique, timeless and moving, arching back to a time when we had time.

 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Steven Lopez is a multimedia photographer based in NYC with a focus on alternative photographic processes and film photography.

He studied at LaGuardia College in commercial photography and applied science. He currently independently teaches alternative photographic printing in his residence in Astoria, Queens, NY.

Portrait of Steven Lopez
SINDEN COLLIER: Le Réinventé

SINDEN COLLIER: Le Réinventé

SINDEN COLLIER

“Le Réinventé” (The Reinvented)

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

The journey of my art springs from the desire to experience what lies beneath the surface of images and to engage a wide range of emotions. In particular, my intention overall is to create interesting, visual narrative experiences utilizing a cinematic approach, like stills from film noir movies. I also like to capture the magic that light and shadow communicate.

Another thread that runs through my photos includes psychological, emotional, and even spiritual expressions; at times encompassing the Past, the Present and the Future.

My art is inspired by the exploration of going beyond the literal representation of a scene or subject. In that regard, most times I implement multiple layers, which include a vintage, overlay to produce ethereal imagery.

I invite the viewer “To truly see, instead of merely looking.”

 

WHY I LOVE IT, by Aurélie

When a friend of mine showed me Sinden Collier’s work, I was immediately hooked. Her images were poetic and dreamy, with a tactile quality we rarely get to see in photography. It arched back to the early days of the medium, when film was used and effects were added in the darkroom.

I love the title she chose for the show, “Le Réinventé” (The Reinvented). It perfectly fits her work, how she reinvents her images. She first experimented with film and darkroom techniques to create her multi-layered images; she now uses digital manipulations. The tools may have changed, but her artistic intent has not – her vision remains throughout. The world she creates is both romantic and nostalgic, with a bit of surrealism thrown in.

 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Sinden Collier became a photographer after a successful career as a singer, songwriter and musician. Recording under the Motown label gave her the opportunity to see the world.

She was always interested in photography and learned it on her own. Her unique and at time surrealist viewpoint quickly garnered her recognition and support.

Working at first with film and experimenting in the dark room, she now uses digital manipulation to create beautiful and poetic dreamscapes.

In 2001, she became the first Black female photographer to be signed by Getty Images.

In 2017, her book “Trains of Thought – Welcome Aboard” received an honorable mention in Elizabeth Avedon’s “2017 Best Photography Books.” In it, her fine art images accompany aphorisms written by her twin sister, Rhett Collier.

Her work has appeared in magazines and advertising campaigns, and received numerous awards, including “YourDailyPhotograph.com Hot 100 Photographers of 2021.”

Sinden often contributes her talent to the youth community to strengthen their self-esteem and better prepare them for the world.

Portrait of photographer Sinden Collier

ANDREI DUMAN

ANDREI DUMAN

ANDREI DUMAN 

“From Above”

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

In the most basic terms, I click a button to capture a split second in time, especially during aerial photography trips.

In a more complex way, I am a highly detail-oriented and technical photographer with a fanatical approach to composition, color, execution and technique.

One of my favorite forms of photography is aerial photography as the environment is constantly changing. It is incredibly liberating to be in a plane or helicopter with the doors off, corkscrewing around your subject with all the G-forces and blood rushing to your head. You have to adapt quickly to changing conditions and become reactive to your settings and compositions.

These aerial images showcase the beauty of the world we live in, with strong colors and abstract lines. Shot on a Phase One camera, the world’s most expensive camera system, and on the highest pixel count available (151 megapixels), these images are best shown on large-scale prints to showcase the incredible details that were captured.

 

WHY I LOVE IT, by Aurélie

I love aerial photography’s abstract nature. At first glance (and even at the tenth one), you’re not sure what you’re looking at. It’s hard to decipher a landscape in these strange lines and surrealist (yet true) colors.

Coming closer you sometimes notice small details – a power line, a house – which give you a clue to what you’re looking at. But too often there’s nothing to cling to: most of the images remain mysterious, defying conventions and expectations of what a landscape should look like.

These photographs are striking, with an incredible level of detail. Some are also unsettling as they show the devastating effect pollution has on our environment. Human activity created these strange lines and surrealist colors…

Andrei’s aerial photography shows us beauty in unexpected places.

 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Romanian Born + British Educated + Ex-Professional Tennis Player + 12 Years in Investment Banking + 85 Countries Traveled + Los Angeles Based

When not on a client shoot, Andrei Duman can be found in his studio working on multiple projects, all in different stages of production and experimentation. Creatively envisioning concepts for a shoot and problem-solving real-time issues to successfully achieve his vision are some of his favorite things to do.

Andrei lives in Los Angeles with his wife Susan and their 2 cats, Foo and Smash. He is a Field Instructor and Ambassador for Phase One Cameras, SanDisk Professional, Broncolor US, Eizo Monitors and f-stop for which he hosts their webinars, “Knowledge Labs.”

AWARDS: 

2021 INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS (Professional Division)

1st Place: Advertising Product (iWatch 6 Conceptual)

2nd Place: Automotive (McLaren P1 GTR)

2nd Place: Macro (ExoSkeleton)

Honorable Mentions in following categories: Advertising Product – Advertising Food & Beverage – Automotive – Nature/Landscape

2019 INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS (Professional Division)

Honorable Mentions in following categories: Architecture – Fine Art Portrait – Aerial – Macro

Portrait of Andrei Duman

KOUROSH SOTOODEH

KOUROSH SOTOODEH

KOUROSH SOTOODEH 

“Moments”

ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Taking portraits of my family and friends was the first step in my photography. I haven’t stopped ever since.

 

WHY I LOVE IT, by Aurélie

I’ve known Kourosh Sotoodeh for a few years and always admired his work. It has been interesting to witness his recent move toward more personal series.

I’ve always been a firm believer that it’s important for photographers to work on personal projects throughout their careers. If you’re only shooting for jobs (even editorial ones), you’re never free – there are always expectations and requests you need to worry about. Personal projects allow you to truly express yourself. Which can be daunting for some. It’s the fear of the white page for a writer!

I titled his exhibit “Moments” as the images presented here are a mix of past and present works, editorial images and personal projects. They are all very different – from hyper glamourous beauty shots to views of a starry sky, but they all spoke to me.

 

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Kourosh Sotoodeh is a Photographer and Director who lives and works in Los Angeles and New York City. Originally from Iran, he studied Industrial Design and Cinema before focusing on photography.

He shoots for several well-known commercial clients and prestigious fashion magazines, among them Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle

His education in art and design shapes his approach to his subjects. Both his photography and video work capture beautiful moments using a strong and minimalist aesthetic.

Portrait of Kourosh Sotoodeh on set

SINDEN COLLIER: Le Réinventé

KIRITIN BEYER: Reappropriation

KIRITIN BEYER & PARRIS JARU 

“Reappropriation”

ARTIST’S STATEMENT, by Kiritin Beyer

“Reappropriation” is the continuation of an earlier conceptual photography series I did in 2010 on the Salvation Islands in French Guiana. Between 1852 and 1953, the islands were part of a notorious penal colony for the worst criminals in France. Ruins are now all that is left of it. While the landscape was stunning, I felt the weight of what once existed. I also saw how nature had cleansed the past.

In 2012, I worked with my partner, Parris Jaru, to create “Reappropriation.” As a painter, he often uses natural elements in his practice and his Jamaican and American-Indian origins shape his creative process.

We drew inspiration from my time in Guiana and from Parris’ heritage. “Reappropriation” explores the constant battle between man-made structures, artificial landscapes and consumption – the battle between ownership and preservation, short-term use and long-term benefice. We aim to show through photographs the relationship between these conflicting forces and the effect one has on the others.

In traditional societies, masks and costumes are both a representation of the spirits and a way to connect with them. The transformation of the mask wearer into a spiritual entity requires rituals, such as specific music and dances, which we echoed in how Parris moved in the space.

In contrast to the natural and spiritual world, we chose as location former striving industrial complex, now abandoned and forgotten.

 

WHY I LOVE IT, by Aurélie

“Reappropriation” is an apt title for this conceptual photography series. Abandoned spaces are reappropriated and turned into private playgrounds, while ancient customs from Africa and the Caribbean are reinvented.

The photographs are a collaborative effort between Kiritin Beyer, a French & Dutch photographer, and Parris Jaru, a Jamaica-born painter. The creative pair (and couple in real life) worked together to find desolate locations, source masks, create costumes and research movements and poses to reenact.

The resulting images are striking and filled with unanswered questions. A mysterious character inhabits a no-man’s land of empty buildings that have been reclaimed by nature. He changes appearances and his face is always hidden by a mask. We know nothing of him or where he is; he simply stands before us, caught in the middle of rituals and dances he alone knows the meaning of.

I love art that makes you wonder and takes you on a journey.

 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

KIRITIN BEYER: Kiritin Beyer was born in Copenhagen to a French mother and a Danish father. After spending some of her childhood in the French Pyrénées mountains, she moved to Paris to join the National Circus School. There she was exposed to the plasticity of the human body, an experience that later influenced her work.

The five years Kiritin spent in Paris working as a model ultimately convinced her that she enjoyed being behind the lens rather than in front of it. She came to New York to pursue photography in 2004 and began assisting fashion photographers. She made her way up working as a gaffer and a camera operator on film sets. Kiritin got to work with some of the biggest names in entertainment like Beyonce & Jay Z, Alicia Keys, Metallica or Lady Gaga.

Portraits of Kiritin Beyer and Parris Jaru

In 2012, she won a Film fellowship from BRIC (a Brooklyn-based art foundation). Later that year Kiritin traveled to East Africa with artist Parris Jaru to film “Imagination is Creation.” The short film was nominated in the Arts Category at the Emmy Awards. When she went to India to document natural colors and pigments used in textiles, arts and Ayurveda practice, the resulting film, “A Trail of Pigment,” received the B Free Award in the “Artistic and Health categories” from BRIC.

In 2016, Kiritin created a short film based on Parris Jaru’s paintings for the musical band Les Nubians. The video was projected during some of their performances in the US. Kiritin also directed their music video, Liberation. Since then, she directed and edited numerous videos, including Steel Lovin’ by Red Sahara, and is in pre-production for the artist Oddisee.

Kiritin Beyer also works as a photographer and videographer for interior magazines and designers in New York.

PARRIS JARU: Growing up in the Caribbean, Parris Jaru began creating art using natural elements at an early age. Carving wood from fallen trees to make masks, flutes and drums was his earliest creative experimentation.

Arriving in New York in the mid-eighties, he was entranced by the art scene and began to paint. While working at Marvel Comics he met some of the pioneers of comic art, which influenced his work. To gain exposure, Parris began selling his paintings on the streets of Soho and the East Village, which had vibrant art communities then. He befriended and collaborated with some of the most talented painters of the underground art scene at the time.

Parris now resides in Brooklyn, NY, and displays and sells his paintings at art fairs in New York, Miami and abroad. He also works on commissioned artworks in collaboration with the Arco Gallery in Soho.

Parris states: “The more I give to artistic expression the more it has given me. Painting and poetry have become my instrument of survival as well as my greatest love in this life. When I show my works my only expectation is to speak to those who have a desire to hear my words outside of normal conversation. Then my job for the moment is done.”