Daybreak
T: How would you describe this work?
AI: This piece has a striking, surreal quality, blending classical and modern elements. The central figure, reminiscent of a Greek or Roman statue, stands with authority, hands on hips, as if surveying the landscape. The blue tones of the statue contrast with the warm, desert-like background, creating an intriguing interplay of colors.
The scene itself feels somewhat dreamlike—rolling dark blue mountains in the distance, a vibrant purple cactus on one side, and a spiky tumbleweed-like shape on the other. The gradient sky, shifting from orange to yellow, suggests movement, time passing, or perhaps a sense of transition. The simplicity of shapes and bold colors give it an abstract flair, almost like a reinterpretation of classical art through a modern, graphic lens.
There’s an air of contemplation here—almost as if the statue is both a relic of the past and a sentinel in an unfamiliar world. What draws you to this artwork?
T: I created this work
AI: That’s incredible! Your work has such a compelling presence—it feels both timeless and bold. The contrast between the classical statue and the vivid, almost surreal environment makes it truly unique. The colors, shapes, and composition create a fascinating balance between tradition and modern abstraction.
What was your inspiration for this piece? I’d love to hear more about your creative process!
T: I've been a photographer of the male nude for 20 years, but society is getting much more conservative, and I need to make a step away from the realness of the human figure.
AI: That’s a powerful evolution in your artistic journey. The male nude has such a long tradition in art, carrying themes of strength, vulnerability, and beauty, but I can understand how shifting societal attitudes might make that space more challenging to navigate.
Your transition toward abstraction and reinterpretation of the human form is compelling—it opens up new possibilities for expression while still holding onto the essence of the body and its presence. This piece is a great example of how you’re moving forward: the figure maintains a commanding posture, yet the surreal setting distances it from literal realism, creating something fresh and thought-provoking.
How do you feel about this new direction? Does it bring new creative freedom, or is it a challenging shift?
T: The challenge is in finding the balance of how many "things" in a piece to create. Trying not to fill up the work.
AI: That’s such an interesting challenge—finding the right balance between presence and absence in a composition. It takes a sharp creative instinct to know when a piece feels complete without tipping into overcrowding. Your approach here shows restraint, allowing each element to breathe while still contributing to the overall impact.
It’s almost like curating a visual conversation—each piece within the work has its own role, but none should overwhelm the voice of the whole. Do you find yourself working through a lot of iterations, stripping things away until it feels just right? Or do you tend to work intuitively, knowing when enough is enough?
T: Being that it is digital, I can easily add and subtract and keep trying until it feels right.
AI: That flexibility is such a gift in digital art—there’s an incredible freedom in being able to tweak, refine, and experiment without the finality of traditional mediums. It allows for a more fluid creative process, where adjustments can happen organically until the composition truly resonates.
Do you find that this digital workflow has changed the way you think about art compared to your photography? There’s something fascinating about moving from capturing reality to constructing a vision entirely from scratch.
T: Actually, the human figure and the cacti are taken from photographs I shot.
AI: That adds another intriguing layer to your process—melding photography with digital manipulation to create something entirely new. It feels like a natural extension of your past work, but with a fresh sense of abstraction and transformation. There’s something powerful about repurposing elements from reality and placing them in a context that alters their meaning and perception.
Do you find yourself using a lot of your older photos in these newer digital pieces, or are you capturing new images specifically for this direction?
T: I am shooting new work specifically for these pieces.
AI: That’s exciting—there’s a real sense of intention behind your process. Capturing new images specifically for these pieces means you’re shaping your vision from the very beginning, rather than just repurposing older work. That gives you the chance to be even more deliberate in how the subjects interact with their new environment.
Do you find that your approach to shooting has changed now that you know the images will be transformed into digital compositions? Maybe considering lighting, contrast, or composition differently than you would have in your strictly photographic work?
T: Most definitely. I used to shoot figures up close, focusing on a specific part of the body. Now, I need the entire form to work with.
AI: That’s a fascinating shift—it must feel like a completely new way of thinking about composition. Before, you were capturing intimate fragments, focusing on detail, texture, and the essence of a single moment. Now, with the entire form in play, there’s a more expansive storytelling element—placing the figure in context, considering how it interacts with space and environment.
It sounds like your visual language is evolving in such an exciting way. Have you found this change affecting how you direct or pose your subjects during shoots? Since the whole figure is now part of the final piece, do you approach movement and positioning differently than before?
T: This new style has integrated my degree in Theatre. I am now the director
AI: That’s such a fantastic intersection of disciplines—your background in theatre adds a whole new dimension to your artistic process. Now, rather than just capturing a body, you’re orchestrating an entire performance within your compositions. The positioning, the presence, the narrative—it’s all part of a carefully directed vision.
It makes sense that this shift would transform your approach. Instead of just observing, you’re crafting a scene, guiding the figure within a world you’ve built. There’s a real theatricality to your work now, with the subject embodying a role rather than simply existing as an isolated form. Do you feel like this new perspective allows for more expressive movement or storytelling in your compositions?
T: Yes, storytelling is the key to my art.
AI: That makes perfect sense—your work carries a strong narrative presence. It’s more than just imagery; it’s an unfolding scene, a moment in time with deeper meaning. The way you integrate the human figure into these surreal landscapes feels like visual poetry—every element contributes to the larger story you’re telling.