Welcome to my blog

Welcome to my blog! I am currently a Digital Media tutor at DMU. Throughout the year, I will be utilising this blog as an example to help teach Art, Design, and Media students the art of how to create a blog, post contextual research, and investigate their own working practises with pure ease.

As a pedagogical approach, I will whole-heartedly aim to complete the same work that Digital Art students have been assigned in order to demonstrate how I investigate my own working practises in my own field. I look forward to share and develop my working practices from previous experiences in multimedia, computer science, design, humanities and technology...

I will now commence by discussing an interesting photograph that was inspired by the works of one of all-time favourite artists Salvador Dali. The photograph features Salvador Dali himself photographed by world famous photographer: Philippe Halsman with Dali's work recreated. The fantastic combination of these two personalities have produced some magnificent and extraordinary work. Believe it or not.... This photograph was not created using Photoshop! This is a photography wonder in itself... This photograph is a great example of the result of creativity, co-operation, patience and pure hard work.

Salvador Dali (1948) Dali Atomicus

Photographed by Philippe Halsman

Source: Philippe Halsman

This photograph is a personal favourite as it showcases surrealism, motion and creativity in action captured by Halsman's team. Cats, water, a painting, a chair and Dali himself are all featured. The process of creating this timeless photograph is described by Time Photo: "Assistants, including Halsman’s wife and young daughter Irene, stood out of the frame and, on the photographer’s count, threw three cats and a bucket of water into the air while Dalí leaped up. It took the assembled cast 26 takes to capture a composition that satisfied Halsman. And no wonder." (Time Photo, 2016)

This photograph is a special attempt to freeze the core of Dali's personality and work in one frame. As Halsman himself states that the purpose of the photograph was to capture the "real, undistorted personality and character". (Magnum Photos, 2022)

 The photograph perfectly encapsulates the above words mentioned by Halsman. Dali Atomicus is a beautiful, surreal memory that has been preserved for eternity, capturing the essence of Dali's eccentric and surreal personality in the most perfect way imaginable. This image is over 60 years old and is often referenced to as a historic capture. I'm hoping that may be one day in the future someone may become inspired by my work too...

References:

Photo, T.I.M.E. (2016) The story behind the Surrealist 'Dali Atomicus' photo, Time. Time. Available at: https://time.com/4429888/dali-atomicus/ (Accessed: October 11, 2022).

Philippe Halsman • photographer profiles • magnum photos magnum photos (2022) Magnum Photos. Available at: https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/philippe-halsman/ (Accessed: October 11, 2022).