When we started beeseye in 2006, Matt took himself off to a cottage in Cornwall to begin refining a house style for the beeseye gallery.
One of those first images still hangs on our wall at home as a beautiful glossy acrylic. The image has sold all over the world and, in this one picture, Matt discovered exactly the style he wanted to apply in all the galleries and so the ‘Living Art’ collection.

As one customer described it:

“They’re not straightforward or obvious and yet not completely abstract. You see enough to know what it is, but not too much. And, for me, I think it’s because of this that the images bring back happy memories of good feelings - like running on the beach and sniffing flowers.”

Looking through his archives,  Matt worked out that approximately 1 in 2000 images he takes ends up in the collection. It seems that to get the precise balance between seeing enough but not too much is a very fine line.

Less is more - or was that more is less…

Fine Art or Not – Suit Yourself

There’s a lot of kerfuffle about the term ‘fine art photography’. It is generally accepted to mean photography whose intention is purely aesthetic - the process of creating images rather than “taking pictures”.  Conceptualizing an image from the moment of capture to the finished image to evoke emotion. The particular feelings don’t themselves define the image as art. The photographer might deem the image ‘fine art’ – does the viewer need to agree?

“I don’t know anything about art, but I know what I like.”

There have always been people who present the artist’s creations for general viewing. Those who could tell everyone else what was ‘fine art’ and what was not. Perhaps to be deemed a Fine Artist you need validation from those in the industry of Fine Art. To have your portfolio and images critiqued, reviewed by those who might be more qualified to validate your work. While you can’t learn to be a Fine Artist you can certainly hone your skills.

Enjoy art and forget the labels

What if the viewer isn’t trained in the aspects of aesthetics, design, or composition? Does it matter? There are many wonderful photographers with great skill and stunning vision, producing wonderful images. The Internet is certainly bringing us access to a whole new range of artists – some fine some not. Investors aside, I suggest that for most of us, it is more important to enjoy art and forget the labels. Have the courage of our own convictions and choose the images we want to live with.

Personally, I hope you like the images collected here – choose for yourself!

With Matt off to the US this week, I’m already looking forward to the images he’ll bring back.

This has led my non-creative brain to ponder where visually creative people generally find their inspiration. Is it from things they see – or do they draw on their other senses too, or other things entirely –

and does it matter?

Some people believe that different colours represent different emotions and that any “mood” created through music, poems, literature etc

can be translated visually and would influence photographical expressions. I wonder if this is only if the photographer is aware of the theory – or if it still works on a subconscious level if not.

I imagine that past visual experiences probably come to mind when creating an image. And many photographers seem to quote ‘life’ as

their inspiration. Pretty indisputable I guess – Wilde’s “life imitates art far more than art imitates life” springs to mind.

Many arty types are synesthetes to some degree and can cross-reference their senses – sadly the colour orange doesn’t sound like anything to me!

One photographer noted that for her, smells are truly inspiring in her work. Another chap declares that he is inspired by ‘nothing’, which seems crazy before he goes on to explain that he meditates before going out to capture nature photographs and by clearing his mind

he notices more and reacts more spontaneously.

This same person still finds that music goes round in his mind –

this seems to affect us all, maybe some of us just don’t use it for anything!

On a limb here – I think Matt’s inspiration often comes from just being somewhere and soaking it up - getting to know the place or the people he’s with.

I was reading about a photographer recently (Alan Babbit) who has Parkinson’s and found he had ‘lost his muse’ when he was diagnosed. He went on to have a “Eureka!” moment and from then said he used his ‘shakes’ to explore a new and different approach to his art.

So perhaps it doesn’t matter how they are inspired,

just as long as they are.