This week we will be looking at one of the many beautiful series’ that belong to Liverpool based Matthew Thomas. He is a creative photographer and digital artist, has used his talent in a variety of genres in the industry, working with Orchestras, Arts Festivals, Dance Initiatives and has had commissions and work show in multiple exhibitions and magazines. His more experimental and conceptive work has a profound significance and a transcendent ambience, so I will be looking at his Spectra work, which is described as “Abstract Transparent Solid Colour “.
As the colour blossoms from within the image and expands out it is almost as if the frame restricts the blast and restrains its liquid, silky flow. It is captivating and somewhat tactile because of the multiple surface layers, you almost want to go further into the material and follow its glide, let it twist you around and submerge you in colour.
I found the series at first look quite ambiguous and enjoyed the thought of each piece being open, be it open to interpretation or open in terms of freedom- to let yourself be drawn into the image’s sweeping form to explore it’s imaginative space, without trying to grasp direct meaning. Here’s what the artist himself said:
“I try and not use the same methods for each project, this brings a fresh impetuous to truly explore all the possibilities.I use photography and digital imaging technologies to create visceral layers that question historical and cultural concepts of time”
More from Matthew Thomas to explain the process:
Images made from ‘solid liquid light’ – fused glass. Only existing in the mind and realised with aid of computer software, this represents a solid dream. Transparent paint that floats in abstract form. 2D Sculpture that looks real (from real fused glass). This gives an unreality which meditation mixes with imagination. The reality of abstraction. From the real to the unreal. Reach out and you can touch the subjects is the photos, except you know they are not real. This holds a mirror up to our society, the ephemeral nature of our existence and the role we all have to play in the transparent
Backlit Lenticular
100cmx100cm
These slideshows are an approximation of the lenticular effect.
See more of his work on behance.net and mattomica.com
