Exhibition: Joseph Thomas

About

Emerging artist Joseph Thomas utilises the medium of photography to present abstract visions of nature. Exhibiting at Coastal Gallery Lymington, UK, the images on show are abstracted expressions of nature, they represent a culmination of scenes, or rather an intensification of what was there. Joseph is a graduate of the Arts University in Bournemouth. He has a First Class BA (Hons) degree in photography, and lives near Lymington in Hampshire. The natural environment has always been Joseph's greatest source of inspiration and motivation. His subtle and intriguing images, printed onto a fine aluminium surface, represent a sympathetic link to their subject matter; each subject captured in an abstract and impressionist visual language. 'Striving for a connection to the natural world around me, by means of representation and, in effect, appropriation, I have, in the past, held on to too much control in my approach to photography — always finding comfort in having some idea of the image that will appear on the sheet of film when I process. Using a variety of techniques, I have been consciously attempting to release that sense of control by shooting in a spontaneous manner. The resulting images have an immediacy and ambiguity, making them far more sympathetic to their subject matter.' This visual ambiguity allows the viewer to become more absorbed in the image, allowing thoughts to wander. Whilst the conscious mind attempts to discover what the image is, the subconscious mind fills in the blanks. A unique interpretation of the image is then stored in the memory. Visit Coastal Gallery to view Joseph's images and discuss future projects and exhibitions.