Why So Senior?

Hungry?

One of the advantages of being in the art world is that my work need not be spoon fed to it's audience. I expect you to put as much as you can on your plate, and chew the content on your own. If you can't swallow it, not my problem :)

I would sincerely appreciate comments, advice, critiques, hate mails, compliments, remarks, observations, reflections, opinions, reactions etc. I stay in my own head alot and some outside perspective is always welcome.

Now, because I don't need to spoonfeed you art enthusiasts, instead of going on and on trying to explain conceptual basis and visual expression, I would much rather barrage you with a bunch of images. Let it be known that I am on a hardcore experimental streak as I felt that my work might end up being a bit repetitive ( or in culinary terms 'sour' ) I have decided to take drastic steps to show you what I have up my sleeve. No titles, just images. Tell me what you like. Tell me what you don't. What would you buy? What makes sense to you? What makes you feel? What makes you want to close this window and watch south park for a while? Which images inspires you ? What do you think my work is expressing? What narratives do you see ? These are some questions. Make up your own ! Go mad ! I'm hungry ! I want your aesthetic and synthetic sense to feed me.

____________________________









ha. ha. ha. ha. ho. he. ha. ha. ho.

More updates coming soon.
Im travelling for an assistant photojob to Kuwait and Jordan and Abu Dhabi and Dubai from the 26th to the 15th, so im going to be off the radar for a bit.

If any of you want to buy my prints, do not hesitate to contact me.

Im finished !

Introduction of my body of work.

I have over past 3 years developed a visual language in my photography using my shrouded figures and I am planning to comment on my current thoughts and feelings concerning various topics that seem to cloud my mind and thought utilizing that language.

As an introduction, here are a few examples of my previous work, to give you a feel of where I started, how the work has progressed so far and to give you an inkling as to which direction it's going towards.
Isolation series, Darkroom Fibre Print.
The project was born in the darkroom when I was working on a project that expressed isolation of the self and I found myself thinking that if I really want to feel lonely I should not be able to see anyone properly. I covered myself up with my blanket and thats where the project started. I took images in public spaces with myself wrapped in my blankets. And then the project grew from there and as the visuals developed so did the concept. The inspiration was simply striving to find a way to express myself and the concepts of isolated beings.




StudioShoots Experimentation for stop motion video.

I moved into color eventually and even though still revert back to black and white, I have not returned to the darkroom after my project and concept developed, as I need color in my images.

s
Eventually I started to collaborate with a dancer/performer ( Joyce Amile ) and the image above and the series below are the results of those collaborations. The initial idea was to express the emotion triggered when one is faced the with concept of an afterlife. The project further developed into an expression of the soul. We often hide ourselves in layers to protect ourselves, but our inner being is honest and always expresses itself. My photographs are a visualization of the expression of the soul.
After our collaboration ended, I was haunted by alot of the directions I chose not to take, and decided to revisit the project on my own time to see if it could lead to one more attempt at finding another destination through the same dialogue of body language and fabrics.

DarkNightSoul

Finally, after giving it much thought, I decided not to think anymore, and DO. I have started shooting again, and I have decided to taken a very different approach to my work, pulling it from the spotlight where it has recieved alot of recognition and popularity and looking at it from a very new perspective. I am proud of how far this project has come, and now it is time to see it go places where no blankets have ever gone before ! ((ha)

Expect to see alot of new enviroments. forget the crisp clarity that my studioshots got me acclaim for. This is not a revamp of a project. This is not plastic surgery. This is a change of religion. It's a leap of faith into the unknown.

Oh, and on a (possible) side note, eat, drink and be merry, for tommorow we'll die. (Dave Mathews).

Welcome !

Hello everyone!

This blog is for the sole purpose of showing my progress for my senior project work in preperation for one of the most important exhibitions of my life, my last exhibition as a student. I have already started my work, as I am developing a project based on my blanket series work that I've been developing for the past three years. I shall first give you a re-cap of alot of the work I've already done, and then as I figure out how to use this blogger, I shall start updating you all with the project development as it comes along.

The purpose of this is so that I get feedback from my friends and peers. I am looking for constructive criticism so please don't hold back. Express yourself and let me know what you think ! The more comments I get, the more attention I shall give this blog. So it's up to you to help me out :)

Until I start uploading images, please take some time and check out my website : http://www.altamashurooj.com and also my deviant art account : http://altamashu.deviantart.com

Be good now,
Altamash.