The Impressionist movement in the late 19th century inspired a range of reactions among creatives and artists across the world, and its after waves are still being felt throughout the art world. Taking inspiration from light and the spirituality of nature, Impressionists like Monet and Renoir chose to change the pace of painting through their ideals of painting with emotion. Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine art without emotional ties. Sydney native Tim Laffey has taken his inspiration with Impressionist work and implemented it into his own creative process. Using their light observations and interpretive techniques, Laffey photographs landscapes out of focus in order to create an untraditional images to trigger an emotional response. With this technique, he hopes to “transcend the image as a photo into something broader” by exploring different times of day and atmosphere conditions. Laffey’s trade of representation for interpretation allows for the viewer see as they wish at their own will. “For me, it is to think without words and unlock the images within me.” Taking a large amount of inspiration from the historic impressionist painters that came over a century before him, Laffey uses photography to react in an emotional response to what is before his lens, just as the painter’s before him did with a paintbrush in hand. The point of exposure as his tool, Laffey’s images create a compelling take on Impressionistic work. As the Impressionist’s were largely acting out at the technological advancement of a camera, this interpretation of the famously large-brush stroked and picturesque paintings with a modern-day advanced medium generates an ironic dynamic between the two sets of artwork.
All images by © Tim Laffey
