Roger Smith is a full time professional artist and photographer based on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, United Kingdom. Visit Roger's website at www.jurassiccoastgallery.co.uk
"...I have been shooting macro, close up photography solely for the past three years. This was an area I touched upon around ten years ago and found interesting but my main area at the time was portraiture. When I moved over to a digital SLR I wanted to try something new so invested in a dedicated macro lens and turned my attention to flowers and botanicals as I felt they had so much scope.
"Originally my interest was in the flower for its colour, shape, form and texture until I noticed that the close up magnification was giving me an insight into the barely visible, minute details. Therefore I started to compose my images differently, got closer to the subject and moved away from the image of a flower as a document.
"I am fascinated by how different things appear at the macro level. It feels like I am an explorer discovering a new dimension - as I am taking something so small that is hardly visible and enlarging it to reveal the natural beauty and detail that is often missed by the naked eye. Even at one to one magnification the subject retains it's identity, yet takes on a new visual perspective, as it cannot be seen in that form at it's original size; therefore taking on an abstract appearance. I see a link with my abstract Optical Art paintings, as they are highly geometric and ordered with strong colours. I feel I am now creating similar images with the camera as I am progressively drawn to this type of subject as nature has an inextricable link between order and chaos.
"A proportion of my images seem to hover on the cusp of reality and abstraction; the subject is still recognisable but bridges the gap between the photograph as a visual representation and an abstracted piece of artwork.
"As it is not total abstraction, the image is subject to the viewer's perception and individual interpretation and will take on a different meaning due to the observers personality.
"Making complete abstracts is enjoyable as I have a chance to take my work in a different direction with control over the relationship and juxtaposition of colours..."
This first edition of the Atlantic Basin Project has been made possible by the efforts of members of the Independent Artists Cooperative and its in house collective Rock Can Roll Independent and through the generous support of the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council.