LensCulture Review of Aether
On August 1, 2018, my photo series Aether was reviewed by LensCulture:
Dear Marcus, thank you for your submission to LensCulture. It is a pleasure to review your work.
I’m fond of this series. You have a strong sense of movement, color, and aesthetic principles throughout the series. Your statement is clear and well written, and your image titles reinforce your thesis for the project. In short, you have a solid, professional package here.
It’s rare when I have little critical feedback to offer, but I find myself struggling to give advice that will lead to better images. Frankly, you’ve optimized your series in all conceivable ways.
So while I can really only offer accolades and advice on how to continue to build your audience, please don’t read the lack of comments regarding technical or conceptual elements to be a sign that I’m uninterested, or that your work isn’t receiving my full attention.
I notice in your "additional info" section that you are concerned about how inherently "photographic" your work is, considering the heavy edits you employ to yield the final result. While I understand that concern, I don’t think you should worry about it too much.
First, no one will know unless you tell them. Second, image manipulation has been happening since long before digital technology arrived. Your worry about the authenticity of this type of work could have very well been a worry for image-makers like Jerry Uelsmann, who was employing heavy manipulations within the darkroom.
If it starts with light and lenses, it has a link to photography–that can be a scan-o-gram, a digital collage, or print made from sandwiched negatives. The editing software is a tool you have in your toolbox to achieve the type of images you desire, and that’s perfectly legitimate.
Since your work is so highly resolved and refined, I think you should consider participating in professional portfolio review sessions. Typically, these sessions cost a little more than simply entering shows or contests, so I don’t suggest them to every photographer for every project.
However, if the work is refined and at a place where the next step is on the horizon, it makes solid sense to seek out these events and invest in the process. There is a selection process at the beginning, and if you are selected, you have the opportunity to get feedback from industry professionals in person who can view your prints and book.
Their advice will be insightful, and they may be in search of new artists to represent, or new projects to exhibit. These event offer considerable networking opportunities. I’ll give you a list in the resource section below that will point you toward review sessions in the U.S. and Europe. I see you are based in the Netherlands, but it’s clear you (or your work) travel enough that the distance may not be an issue.
Again, I’m impressed with your abstract, sci-fi images. They are indeed "otherworldly", and they are remarkably beautiful. Thanks again for your submission. I wish you well as you look for new opportunities to show and sell your work.
