Exercise: Five Images in a Surreal Style.

Exercise: Five Images in a Surreal Style.  (Two aborted attempts and the final submission).

This exercise led to a number false starts, mainly, because I had difficulty finding a subject around which I could base it.  Before I produce the five images that make my final selection I will show five unsuccessful candidates.  I rejected them because I couldn’t link them or match them.

Second abandoned idea.

I thought this exercise might be an excuse to get out my 7-14mm Olympus lens and let it’s power to distort and give a deep depth of field run riot.  The beach front at Deal, with it’s semi derelict beach fishing fleet, was the subject.

The opening image is just a play on words with two signs placed incongruously next to each other.

Dangerous Fish.

The second is of  one of the last working boats.  Taken with the wide lens the boat is nicely distorted.

Moss Rose.

The second is of a newly restored former fishing boat which this lens turns it into a good likeness of a viking long boat.

Lady Irene.

When I saw the boat Genie I new I had to place it in a bottle.  I half filled a bottle with water and held it up in front of Genie.   The deep depth of field did the rest.

Genie in a Bottle.

By framing the anchors against the sky gave them the surreal feel that this exercise called for.

Sky Hooks.

Should I get any comments I will add them to the post in due course.

Final Attempt.

I liked the ideas in the beach scenes but was not happy with the result.  The images were far too weak for the subject.

Every year Deal High Street is closed for the Deal Braderie, a market where all and sundry can sell their wares.  I thought this might be a fruitful place for some surreal images.

The first is a group of wax hands on a wooden table.  I imagine they were, at some time, used to display jewellery but gathered together like this they take on eerie quality.

The second is of two heads, one be-hatted human and one ape.  To me, it is the look of apparent resignation that makes the shot.  No wonder the ape looks amused. 

The third consists of Tin Tin and Captain Haddock dressed in space suits.  The Captain appears to be in pursuit of Tin Tin.

Number four was of a stall specialising in stuffed animals.  Most of the animals were of very poor quality but the chicken in this picture looks almost alive.  The presence of this chicken in amongst all those predators looks so wrong.

The last image is a drunken Micky Mouse slipping from his chair.  Mr Clean in a state of inebriation.

It took three attempts but I think it was worth it.  This series has the theme of The Braderie running through it, and the images are pretty surreal.  All the images were as found. 

Peter Dench.

Peter Dench’s use of surrealism is a powerful tool which he employs to illustrate his message.  He seems to use it less in the more serious series, such as the jabaleen of garbage city, where any use of flippancy would be out of place.

In Alcohol & England he tells the story of alcohol abuse through a series of events, over a period of time, so that one passes from joy, euphoria, and exuberance through drunkenness and stupidity on to  vomit, violence, and injury.  The piece has a superb surreal feel to it throughout.  

Likewise The British Abroad, in which he points out, in graphic detail, why I hate holidaying with my fellow Brits.  Everything from the fake tan to the morning after is again given a light surrealistic touch.

I do not wish to go through all of the Peter Dench pieces but must mention the delightfully filmed War and Peace Show, with it’s collection of thoroughly eccentric warriors.  Never cruel but still pointed out the absurdity of the event.

Peter’s use of surrealism is a fine balance, employing it to highlight the humorous or absurd but holding back when the seriousness of the image does not call for it.