Why Chosen:
I chose Tommy Ingberg due to his extensive professional portfolio of societal criticisms. His black and white mono tonal photographic manipulations are reminiscent of the earlier examples of surrealist artists such as Rene Magritte who has served as an inspiration to me for many years. The two series from which I have gathered the below photographs are from the portfolios entitled 'Journey' and 'Reality Rearranged/ Solitaire'. Personally, the implicit perspectives are vital to surrealism especially within the vein that I wish to follow which delves into an interpretation of the human psyche and identity through means such as mental state and regional identity.
Examples of Work:
Denotation: The chimney sits in the left third of the compositional grid, a face is emerging from within the chimney thus displacing the balance, the image employs a vignette in the corners, the smoke and clouds are captured in motion moving to the right, the eye is taken on a journey through the image due to the fading out landscape in the background and finally the photograph is edited into black and white.
Connotation: The chimney connotes the factory work of past and modern society, the burning of fossil fuels and the idea of society and its workers, as shown through the face appearing from within the chimney, as a machine of production within a capitalist society. Furthermore, the vast expanse of desert could imply an apocalyptic-like world to which we are heading towards if we continue to exploit the natural resources such as oil. The vignette and black and white add to the dramatic and mournful nature of this photograph in the sense of the implied exploitation of both workers and natural resources.
Context: This series is entitled 'Journey' and the individual piece is called 'Chimney'. The series 'Journey' follows the artist post the birth of his son and how his world took a slow shift of path as a result. Because of this Ingberg had less time for his work and more time with his family and so when it came to creating art he decided instead for it not to be riddled with "rules, expectations or judgement" but to become more "fluid and chaotic". The stories for both this image and the rest of the series were created without planning ahead which allowed for "unexpected results".
Denotation: The subject is central so that it is the first point which the viewer sees which stresses its importance, the subject is suspended within the image by a hand, the leading line of the road in the landscape ensures that they eyes follow the path through the image and the photograph is edited into black and white to add to the mono tonal style alongside the heightening of contrast between light and dark.
Connotation: The hand suspending the subject above the landscape is almost like a criticism of an omnipotent god-like character; whether it truly is in relation to religion, the opium of the masses as coined by Karl Marx, or aimed towards other intuitions such as government is for the audience to interpret. If the hand is linked to god then the audience could perceive the formally dressed subject to be embodying the clothes of a funeral as though they have died and as a result the leading line of the road could be an idea about the bright light at the end of a tunnel or the reference to the crossroads of life or death. However, I believe that the hand could resemble the hegemonic people in power physically manipulating the the anonymous masses of suits and ties in the rat race of life. The road could also, in reference to this, symbolise the never ending journey towards the unachievable 'American Dream' or other such ideologies that are flawed due to a capitalist society.
Context: This photograph is called 'Puppet' from within the series 'Reality Rearranged/ Solitaire'. This series occurred over five years, 2010 - 2015, and Ingberg himself said that his own life served as inspiration although the he also wanted "the viewers to produce their own questions and answers when looking at the pictures, my [his] own interpretations are really irrelevant in this context". This particular photograph was featured in the photographer's blog to explain his creative process. Ingberg employs all his own photography and his works are often manipulated in Photoshop as little as possible in relation to composition and the fixing of images. Additionally, Ingberg said "If you do the photography really well you could technically just print your pictures, cut out the parts you want with scissors and paste them onto an empty piece of paper and be done with it. I find that to be a good reference to have in mind when planning my composites". Contextually, Ingberg works on a budget and has to find cost effective ways of creating his work which is good inspiration to amateur photographers like myself. This photo posed many issues for the photographer in respect of creating a montage of the various images. Firstly, the model had to be in the air but systems such as wires would have made the clothes move in a false way and edits would have to be made in Photoshop; eventually, the decision was made for the model to be captured mid jump. The hand in the photograph was captured by someone pinching an object of weight, a phone, to create as realistic hand positing as possible for the final outcome.
Denotation: This image does not employ a direct landscape like the others above but instead focuses more in the medium of portraiture, the subjects are again anonymous whilst the central subject is revealing a manipulated clockwork inside. Finally, the image is edited into black and white as is the style of the photographer/ artist in every series.
Connotation: This image is varied to the ones outlined above in that there are multiple subjects, this creates an army-like atmosphere to the photographic outcome. Of the central subject who is facing the audience a mechanical inside is being shown which could imply that within society we are an army of anonymous masses just cogs in the mechanical system which must all follow the same path for the machine to work. However, the subject facing the opposite direction has become sentient and aware of the society they live in and wishes to instead lead a life different to the others ruled by the institutions of socialisation such as education, religion and government.
Context: The photograph displayed above is called 'Inside' from the series 'Reality Rearranged/ Solitaire'. This series occurred over five years, 2010 - 2015, and Ingberg himself said that his own life served as inspiration although the he also wanted "the viewers to produce their own questions and answers when looking at the pictures, my [his] own interpretations are really irrelevant in this context". Ingberg himself stated that "surrealism is about trying to explain something abstract like a feeling or a thought, expressing the subconscious with a picture. The Reality Rearranged series is my [his] first try at describing reality through surrealism" as this series falls before the ongoing series 'Journey' which began in 2015. This contextual information is vital to me as my interpretation of surrealism is the "unreality of reality" and in contrast the "reality of unreality" as equal and opposite ideologies on life. Life often provides many challenges which we deal with from our own mind which is the unreality of reality. However, a surreal idea draws its inspiration from society and therefore displays the reality of unreality. This is further evidence by Ingberg in that he says he "settled into a safe non-challenging “normal” life" but soon realised "something was missing"; the aspect of life missing was the unreality of surrealism in his photography.
Denotation: This photograph is interesting in composition in that the subject is a diagonal line that cross-sections between the rule of thirds compositional grid. The image also, whether intentional or not, conforms to Leonardo Da Vinci's 'Fibonacci Spiral' with the rock being the base and the detail gathered in the centre spiral where the head of the subject would be. The image features a faceless subject who is being lifted by balloons and held down by a rock above a seascape. The image is also within black and white again linking to the photographers chosen style and the photograph appears to be darkest on the left column then transitioning lighter as the eye moves across right.
Connotation: This photograph has many interpretations but I believe that the idiom "head in the clouds" could be an inspiration for this specific piece. Although, more specifically I believe that the anonymous subject portrays mental health. The balloons replacing the head exemplify a hope for freedom and release from a situation; also, as balloons are often associated with childhood the photograph could symbolise the difficulty of growing up into a world of serious problems rather than a carefree happy childhood. Additionally, the rock and rope holding the subject down could symbolise the weight of depression, often referred to as a weight on the shoulders and mind, therefore not allowing the subject to be free from their situation. The isolation of the individual also continues this idea through the loneliness of mental illness. Furthermore, the black and white again adds to this through the idea of a world without colour being linked to depression and feeling "blue".
Denotation: The chimney sits in the left third of the compositional grid, a face is emerging from within the chimney thus displacing the balance, the image employs a vignette in the corners, the smoke and clouds are captured in motion moving to the right, the eye is taken on a journey through the image due to the fading out landscape in the background and finally the photograph is edited into black and white.
Connotation: The chimney connotes the factory work of past and modern society, the burning of fossil fuels and the idea of society and its workers, as shown through the face appearing from within the chimney, as a machine of production within a capitalist society. Furthermore, the vast expanse of desert could imply an apocalyptic-like world to which we are heading towards if we continue to exploit the natural resources such as oil. The vignette and black and white add to the dramatic and mournful nature of this photograph in the sense of the implied exploitation of both workers and natural resources.
Context: This series is entitled 'Journey' and the individual piece is called 'Chimney'. The series 'Journey' follows the artist post the birth of his son and how his world took a slow shift of path as a result. Because of this Ingberg had less time for his work and more time with his family and so when it came to creating art he decided instead for it not to be riddled with "rules, expectations or judgement" but to become more "fluid and chaotic". The stories for both this image and the rest of the series were created without planning ahead which allowed for "unexpected results".
Denotation: The subject is central so that it is the first point which the viewer sees which stresses its importance, the subject is suspended within the image by a hand, the leading line of the road in the landscape ensures that they eyes follow the path through the image and the photograph is edited into black and white to add to the mono tonal style alongside the heightening of contrast between light and dark.
Connotation: The hand suspending the subject above the landscape is almost like a criticism of an omnipotent god-like character; whether it truly is in relation to religion, the opium of the masses as coined by Karl Marx, or aimed towards other intuitions such as government is for the audience to interpret. If the hand is linked to god then the audience could perceive the formally dressed subject to be embodying the clothes of a funeral as though they have died and as a result the leading line of the road could be an idea about the bright light at the end of a tunnel or the reference to the crossroads of life or death. However, I believe that the hand could resemble the hegemonic people in power physically manipulating the the anonymous masses of suits and ties in the rat race of life. The road could also, in reference to this, symbolise the never ending journey towards the unachievable 'American Dream' or other such ideologies that are flawed due to a capitalist society.
Context: This photograph is called 'Puppet' from within the series 'Reality Rearranged/ Solitaire'. This series occurred over five years, 2010 - 2015, and Ingberg himself said that his own life served as inspiration although the he also wanted "the viewers to produce their own questions and answers when looking at the pictures, my [his] own interpretations are really irrelevant in this context". This particular photograph was featured in the photographer's blog to explain his creative process. Ingberg employs all his own photography and his works are often manipulated in Photoshop as little as possible in relation to composition and the fixing of images. Additionally, Ingberg said "If you do the photography really well you could technically just print your pictures, cut out the parts you want with scissors and paste them onto an empty piece of paper and be done with it. I find that to be a good reference to have in mind when planning my composites". Contextually, Ingberg works on a budget and has to find cost effective ways of creating his work which is good inspiration to amateur photographers like myself. This photo posed many issues for the photographer in respect of creating a montage of the various images. Firstly, the model had to be in the air but systems such as wires would have made the clothes move in a false way and edits would have to be made in Photoshop; eventually, the decision was made for the model to be captured mid jump. The hand in the photograph was captured by someone pinching an object of weight, a phone, to create as realistic hand positing as possible for the final outcome.
Denotation: This image does not employ a direct landscape like the others above but instead focuses more in the medium of portraiture, the subjects are again anonymous whilst the central subject is revealing a manipulated clockwork inside. Finally, the image is edited into black and white as is the style of the photographer/ artist in every series.
Connotation: This image is varied to the ones outlined above in that there are multiple subjects, this creates an army-like atmosphere to the photographic outcome. Of the central subject who is facing the audience a mechanical inside is being shown which could imply that within society we are an army of anonymous masses just cogs in the mechanical system which must all follow the same path for the machine to work. However, the subject facing the opposite direction has become sentient and aware of the society they live in and wishes to instead lead a life different to the others ruled by the institutions of socialisation such as education, religion and government.
Context: The photograph displayed above is called 'Inside' from the series 'Reality Rearranged/ Solitaire'. This series occurred over five years, 2010 - 2015, and Ingberg himself said that his own life served as inspiration although the he also wanted "the viewers to produce their own questions and answers when looking at the pictures, my [his] own interpretations are really irrelevant in this context". Ingberg himself stated that "surrealism is about trying to explain something abstract like a feeling or a thought, expressing the subconscious with a picture. The Reality Rearranged series is my [his] first try at describing reality through surrealism" as this series falls before the ongoing series 'Journey' which began in 2015. This contextual information is vital to me as my interpretation of surrealism is the "unreality of reality" and in contrast the "reality of unreality" as equal and opposite ideologies on life. Life often provides many challenges which we deal with from our own mind which is the unreality of reality. However, a surreal idea draws its inspiration from society and therefore displays the reality of unreality. This is further evidence by Ingberg in that he says he "settled into a safe non-challenging “normal” life" but soon realised "something was missing"; the aspect of life missing was the unreality of surrealism in his photography.
Denotation: This photograph is interesting in composition in that the subject is a diagonal line that cross-sections between the rule of thirds compositional grid. The image also, whether intentional or not, conforms to Leonardo Da Vinci's 'Fibonacci Spiral' with the rock being the base and the detail gathered in the centre spiral where the head of the subject would be. The image features a faceless subject who is being lifted by balloons and held down by a rock above a seascape. The image is also within black and white again linking to the photographers chosen style and the photograph appears to be darkest on the left column then transitioning lighter as the eye moves across right.
Connotation: This photograph has many interpretations but I believe that the idiom "head in the clouds" could be an inspiration for this specific piece. Although, more specifically I believe that the anonymous subject portrays mental health. The balloons replacing the head exemplify a hope for freedom and release from a situation; also, as balloons are often associated with childhood the photograph could symbolise the difficulty of growing up into a world of serious problems rather than a carefree happy childhood. Additionally, the rock and rope holding the subject down could symbolise the weight of depression, often referred to as a weight on the shoulders and mind, therefore not allowing the subject to be free from their situation. The isolation of the individual also continues this idea through the loneliness of mental illness. Furthermore, the black and white again adds to this through the idea of a world without colour being linked to depression and feeling "blue".
Context: The photograph is titled 'Torn' and is part of the series 'Reality Rearranged/ Solitaire'. This series occurred over five years, 2010 - 2015, and Ingberg himself said that his own life served as inspiration although the he also wanted "the viewers to produce their own questions and answers when looking at the pictures, my [his] own interpretations are really irrelevant in this context". Furthermore, I believe this photograph documents the "visual diary" of Ingberg as a response to the time in his life in his late twenties when he "hit some sort of bottom". As a result of this spiralling decline Ingberg focused his life more so on the creative surreal photography and after being "Deep down in my [his] own personal abyss I found what art is to me. As a sort of therapy I started creating pictures" which is how Ingberg became the non-conformist of the art world he is currently and is trying to be at the end of his 'Journey'.
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