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Introducing ISSUE 1 of Abstract State
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artists publication

Stories through art

contemporary art magazine

Photo by Olga Gorodilina

Omur is a professional photographer based in the United Kingdom, with a global reach in providing editorial and editorial-style photography services to diverse media industries.Her work encompasses features, portraits, case studies, and documentary-style work. With academic credentials including a Master of Science (MSc) in Physician Associate Studies, as well as earlier degrees such as a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Master of Arts (MA).She brings a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to continuous learning to both healthcare and multimedia endeavors.

Light, shadow, color, and contrast are highlighted as elements you're fascinated by in your work. Can you discuss how you use these elements to evoke emotions and provoke thoughts in your photographs?

Light, shadow, color, and contrast are powerful tools for evoking mood and atmosphere in photography. I often seek out scenes where these elements are particularly dramatic or dynamic, as they can add depth and visual interest to an image.

Given your extensive background in both healthcare and multimedia, how do these fields influence each other in your work?

My background in healthcare has profoundly influenced my photographic practice by heightening my sensitivity to human experiences and stories. The empathy and observational skills developed in healthcare enable me to connect more deeply with my subjects, especially in documentary and portrait work. Conversely, my work in multimedia enriches my approach to healthcare, fostering creativity and innovative thinking in patient care and education. The interplay between these fields allows me to bring a unique perspective to each, enhancing my ability to communicate complex narratives effectively.

Can you share a specific project or photograph that had a significant impact on you and why?

One project that stands out is a documentary series I worked on about the lives of refugees in Europe. This project was emotionally challenging yet incredibly rewarding. I spent time with families, listening to their stories of hardship and resilience, and capturing moments of both sorrow and hope. One particular photograph of a young child playing amidst the ruins of a refugee camp profoundly impacted me. It encapsulated the stark contrast between innocence and the harsh realities of displacement. This project reinforced my belief in the power of photography to raise awareness and evoke empathy, motivating me to continue using my craft for social impact.

What advice would you give to aspiring photographers who are looking to develop their own style and voice in the field?

To aspiring photographers, I would say: immerse yourself in the world around you and remain curious. Developing your style and voice takes time and experimentation. Don’t be afraid to explore different genres and techniques to discover what resonates with you. Study the work of photographers you admire, but also look for inspiration outside of photography in literature, art, nature, and everyday life. Most importantly, practice regularly and be open to feedback. Your unique perspective is your greatest asset, so embrace it and let it shine through your work. Remember, authenticity and passion are key to creating compelling and meaningful photographs.

Can you tell us about your journey as a visual artist and how you got to photography?

Until 2012, I painted in my studio and worked as an art teacher at a school for pre-teens. For years, I explored freedom through the plastic effect of pictorial materials, chance, and the body in fluid gestures. It was an elixir for my happiness. However, in 2012, my personal life changed, and I decided to change everything that could be changed. I stopped working and started dedicating myself to art full-time. I returned to university to update and expand my knowledge and to get involved in new experiences, though photography wasn't yet part of my journey.One day, I came across a collective mentoring program in photography entitled “She.” I felt simultaneously attracted to the title and uneasy about the photography aspect due to some preconceived notions. Nevertheless, I embraced the experience. Why not paint with light instead of paint? Today, my work has evolved. While the element of freedom remains, it has expanded in its purpose.

Does your background in painting influence your photography?

My background in painting is deeply influenced by my knowledge of art history. Regardless of the technology I use, I draw inspiration from it. For example, Pablo Picasso used his work to highlight the realities of his time and draw attention to existing problems. Similarly, I aim for my research to be committed to today's social realities, evoking what affects me and others within it.

What inspired you to address the marginalization of older people through your art?

As I am experiencing the aging process myself, I realize what it means to grow older. I see that a woman's aging process is different from a man's. Society often views aging as unacceptable, leading many older people, especially women, to become slaves to a forced youth in order to fit into the always-young pattern. This fear of aging stems from society's perception of older people as being incapacitated. We must be able to choose, without coercion, how to react and continue with the natural process of aging. After all, with luck, we will all grow old one day, right?

How do body, heat, ice, and time symbolize aging in your work?

Initially, I thought of these elements as natural signs of transformation, as basic as the thirst we all feel within ourselves. These elements are metaphorically strong for my work. I transitioned from depicting the mouth to depicting the hand, as signs of waiting. The title "Warming the Ice with the Body" remained, but the project is still ongoing.

How can art influence societal views on aging?

Art can play a crucial role as an agent of awareness and transformation in society. The artist's unique perspective can influence and change deep-rooted perceptions about our elders and other issues affecting us. People often feel distant from problems that don't directly impact their lives, such as the marginalization of older people. However, when these issues are highlighted artistically, they become more tangible and impactful, leading to reflection on the importance of combating this reality. This is my hope.

Jemima Charrett-Dykes is an artist whose output is primarily autobiographical, drawing from experiences in childhood and the aftermaths of psychosis as a result of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Using art-making as a therapeutic outlet, Jemima’s work often references her past and the traumas linked to her body both physically and mentally. She operates across multiple mediums, all of which are thematically linked through visions of childhood, the female body an exploration of “the self” and psyche as the main subject. It might also be interesting to talk about my work that is being launched as part of a book collection at MACBA, Barcelona this winter. Jemima has exhibited and sold paintings, photographs and books in a range of galleries across Europe, including London, Glasgow and Paris.

In what ways has your experience with CPTSD shaped your artwork?

Naturally, sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I didn’t have Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. My experiences in childhood that led to my diagnosis have certainly shaped a lot of how I see and experience the world around me. Similarly, I don’t know what my art would look like had I not experienced such things. My observation of trauma thematically links everything I make and influences my artwork so directly that I think my output would be completely different if I did not have those experiences. At first, I didn’t consciously realize that I was creating work about my conversance with C-PTSD and psychosis. Rather, I was just making art as a way of expressing emotions that I couldn’t put into words. As I became more acquainted with my diagnosis and have been in therapy, I’ve realized that it really is my trauma that is influencing all of my decisions when art-making. It is what shapes every idea and series that I create, as my output is an autobiographical narrative on my experience in childhood and post-adolescence, where I began to deal with the repercussions of being traumatized. As I initially began making art simply by way of therapy and not for the purposes of becoming an artist, I don’t know that I would have ever picked up a paintbrush had I not been unwell, which is very strange to think about.

What is your process for transforming personal and painful experiences into art?

When I am creating work, I am dialed into my unconscious mind and less focused on linear thought. I find that I best create when there is a memory or feeling that I find is taking up a lot of space in my head. When I allow space for this particular emotion or experience whilst art-making, I have a springboard that forms the central theme for the piece I am starting. From here, tangents and connotations form and more memories or emotions come to light. This is helpful especially when I’m painting, as the different emotions that emerge from my unconscious blend together to form one piece, which is why my work is so abstract—it’s basically the coming together of a handful of ideas and emotions relating to one overarching theme. I’m quite a private person, but I find that when I’m painting or taking photographs it becomes very easy to address topics that are very personal to me. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that I am creating imagery out of more metaphysical, conceptual ideas that I would struggle to put into cohesive words in normal conversation. Creating a vision from painful experiences is a process I find really helpful. It can be a lot less intimidating to be focused both on what I’m creating as well as these distressing emotions, rather than to simply sit with difficult thoughts and memories.

How do you decide which medium best suits your creative vision?

Typically, the two mediums I use the most are mixed media painting or photography.

I think I’m drawn to photography when I have a more specific idea that I’m considering; painting is a medium I turn to when I’m expressing more fluid, less elusive chains of emotions. Often, the ideas for my mixed media images are born from archival imagery, like when I look at old photographs or letters that evoke certain feelings. I’m currently creating a book that includes a bit of everything self-portraiture, poetry, and found imagery and it’s proving useful to combine different mediums in order to tell different parts of my story. Photography and found imagery can be harnessed to illustrate particular memories and moments in my life, whereas, when the vision is leaning toward the metaphysical, concepts are more easily explored through poetry and painting.

What inspires your focus on themes of childhood and the female body?

When I first started art-making, I was focused solely on my childhood and was harnessing art as a form of therapy. Whilst I was studying my undergrad in photography I was really interested in artists like Jenny Saville and Louise Bourgeois, whose work follows similar narratives to my own. When I studied art psychotherapy in Edinburgh, I read a book called ‘The Body Keeps the Score’ by Bessel van der Kolk, where the central themes are surrounding how the physical body contains and is affected by trauma. I think that, in relating to this, it was a combination of taking inspiration from feminist artists and my personal interest in “The Self” that led to my exploring the female body in my output. Although I had previously explored nudity within self-portraiture, the first painting I ever made was actually created in response to a long time spent waiting for a diagnosis in regards to my own reproductive organs, so this was the first time I really explicitly explored that theme. Since then, both the ideas of childhood, trauma, and the female body have started to merge and become more fluid topics within my work.

Can you discuss the role of the self and psyche in your work?

The self is a central theme across my whole output, and something I am continuously working on addressing and improving. I’m very invested in Carl Jung’s theory regarding the self, how it is an archetype embedded in all of us where the conscious and unconscious come together in unison. Since being in therapy myself, I’ve definitely become a lot more aware of my own individuation and the importance of addressing every aspect of my personality and experiences, however difficult. Exploring the self within my artwork aids me in constantly remaining conscious of my ever-changing psyche, and the role of this when art-making proves essential to how I reflect on certain memories, especially when I am faced with trauma.

How have audiences in different European cities responded to your work?

I’ve been quite lucky in that I feel my work is transferable between different types of audiences from varying walks of life. I think the fact that my artwork lends itself to the abstract plays an essential part in this translation. I think my work resonates most with an English-speaking viewer, as a lot of the narrative within my work is referred to within the poetry and words harnessed alongside the imagery. In saying that, I think it is my paintings that don’t include locution that are most consistently appreciated throughout Europe, which is something that has certainly boosted my confidence in my ability to paint over time.

What role has art played in your healing process, and what advice do you have for artists using art as therapy?

I can’t honestly say that I know I would be as healed from past traumas as I am today had I not begun to create work about my experiences and mental health. I feel that, no matter your ability as an artist, channelling your creativity and unconsciousness can play a vital role in healing from both physical and mental trauma.

I would advise anyone interested in using art as a form of therapy to become acquainted with the core ideas that are weaved through the subject. I first familiarized myself with art psychotherapy by reading books from writers like Alain de Botton (his book "Art as Therapy" is beautiful and one of my favourite comfort reads) and looking at work by pioneers of the Art Brut and Naïve Art movement like Jean Dubuffet. Interacting with art that isn’t necessarily created by artists with formal training is something I found really helpful as someone with no official education in painting as I found both the imagery and themes being discussed relatable, and it definitely provided me with some reassurance, feeling less alone and less fearful of judgment in my endeavour to create.

Dotan Negrin is an experiential designer and multimedia artist based in NYC. He is the Founder/CEO of LUME Studios, a leading experiential agency with a multi-level venue in TriBeCa. Founded in 2016, LUME Studios serves as a hub for international brands, celebrities, and artists to create unforgettable experiences and video productions. Through the use of high-end visual software, projection mapping, and spatial audio, the venue and creative services are tailored to enable his clients to tell visually dynamic and engaging stories that resonate with audiences.Over the past few years, LUME has also become the premier destination for new media art exhibitions through its SUBJECTIVE programming, which connects the digital and physical realms by providing a platform for artists, collectors, and communities to celebrate art and internet culture in NYC.

Dotan is also known for his global travels around the world with a full-size piano, playing music in more than 24 countries and 500 cities between 2010-2016. His travels took him on an adventure of living in a van, meeting thousands of people who joined him in public jam sessions in the streets. Dotan documented his travels on his YouTube channel, Piano Around the World.

Dotan, if I were to sum up your roles, you're a musician, a CEO, and a curator who brings digital and physical art together in unique ways at LUME Studios. But, who do you feel you are the most: musician, CEO, or curator?

Ten years ago, I was a full-time musician doing gigs and making YouTube videos. Now, after launching LUME, I've evolved into a founder/producer. I spend a lot more time managing the team, designing new installations, and maintaining the space. I really enjoy producing our own experiences, events, and art shows. As of now, because so much of my time is spent developing LUME Studios, I would consider myself more of a founder/CEO.

Based on your choice, how does that primary identity shape your approach to your other responsibilities?"

Being a founder, I am forced to wear a lot of hats, and I find myself shifting, using my brain in a variety of ways throughout the workdays. My management style is creative and experimental, constantly trying new things to see what works. This makes my approach more freestyle and less organized compared to others. I’m more of a "let's try this, let's try that, let's see what works" kind of person. As an artist, I was not always the most organized, but my work as a founder has forced me to spend more time planning and organizing before I take actions

Can you share a memorable experience from your global travels with the piano that had a significant impact on you?

Sure. After over five years of traveling around the world and living out of my van, I learned that we all have friends we haven't met yet. Everywhere I went, people wanted to connect, live in peace, and be happy. I saw that there are more good people in the world than bad people. In Zurich, I met a guy who introduced me to local artists and musicians. The next day, I played on the streets, and had 50 strangers join in to participate in co-creating live music and fun.Another time in 2011, I posted on Couchsurfing.com that I was going to Madison, WI but didn't have anyone to celebrate my birthday with. One of the people on the platform saw my message and invited me to join him and 8 friends for a birthday dinner. I spent my birthday eating dinner with complete strangers who celebrated with me and even got me a cake. These experiences showed me the universal desire for connection.

What do you enjoy most about hosting new media art exhibitions at LUME Studios, and how do you select the artists and projects featured in the SUBJECTIVE programming?

I love people. I enjoy meeting interesting people from around the world and discovering how they use technology and art in unique ways. My goal is to create exhibitions that encourage connections and collaborations. I want to inspire people to create, I want to give them the ability to do so, and I want them to walk out in awe of their experience. We select artists and projects by seeking out innovative and unique work, often tapping into various communities and galleries to find fresh talent.

What inspired you to start LUME Studios, and how has it evolved since its founding in 2016?

LUME Studios, originally called 393 NYC, was rebranded in 2019. The inspiration behind it stems from my lifelong journey of creativity and exploration. From playing with Legos as a child to pursuing acting, music, and various forms of art throughout my life, each experience contributed to the foundation of LUME Studios. After college, I delved into video production and traveled the world with my piano, merging different skills and passions along the way into a YouTube channel called Piano Around the World.

LUME Studios represents the culmination of these experiences—years of learning and practicing lighting, sound, video, projection mapping, curation, and business management. In 2016, I saw an opportunity to take over a space previously occupied by another business. With low rent and a vision for hosting events, particularly for brands, I seized the opportunity and embarked on the journey of building LUME Studios.

What has been the most challenging project you've worked on at LUME Studios, and how did you overcome those challenges?

The most challenging period was in the beginning when I was handling everything solo, working 16-hour days consistently. While there wasn't one specific project that stood out as the most difficult, there was a stretch in 2017 where I worked 20 consecutive days, 12 to 16 hours each day, which was incredibly demanding. Dealing with the impact of COVID-19 was also extremely challenging, particularly having to let go of staff and taking on the responsibility of managing the entire space by myself. While I can't pinpoint one specific event, there were definitely moments of being overworked and exhausted. Each challenge required perseverance and determination to overcome.

If you could collaborate with any artist, living or deceased, on a project at LUME Studios, who would it be and why?

If I could collaborate with one artist, it would be Bobby McFerrin. I’ve always been excited by his work as a musician and his ability to bring the entire audience together in song. I have seen him perform many times and even met him. He has the ability to use his body and voice as the instrument itself. He is also famous for bringing musicians on stage from the audience, and it's such a good time. I would love to do an audio-reactive experience with him, combining sound, light, and color together in the space.

Oliviero Leonardi (1921 - 2019) was an Italian painter and sculptor based in Rome. He was largely recognized in the 1970/80s as one of the leader in painting with experimental materials on steel plates baked in oven at high fire (at 900 degrees Celsius). His artistic research focused, among others, on the subject of cosmogony. He was partially influenced by futurism, surrealism, cubism and art informel.

In the 1970/80s, he had more than 25 collective and solo exhibitions in major art galleries in Italy, France, Spain, Monaco, Germany and Luxembourg. He exhibited with a collective of artists including Giorgio De Chirico, Salvador Dalí and Joan Miró during the 1975 Contemporary Art Exhibition in Fiuggi, Italy. His work was also exhibited at the Maschio Angioino, the Centro di Cultura Italiana, the Saarland Museum, the Van Gogh House Museum and the Limoges Biennale, and commissioned for public spaces including the metro in the city of Rome and the Pan-American headquarters in New York.

Following two decades of successful exhibitions, Oliviero Leonardi detached from the world of art on his own, and slowly started creating art for himself from the 1990s until his passing few years ago. His efforts, art, beliefs, innovative art techniques, numerous exhibitions, ideas, friends, and critics, namely his work and art as a whole, were almost completely forgotten.

During his exploration phase on the island of Capri, Oliviero Leonardi discovered the potential of steel as an artistic medium. After Capri, he travelled to Florence, Venice, Palermo, Rovereto and Ravenna to perfect his knowledge of the artistic forms.In a post-WWII context, he became passionate about studying the origin of our universe and, in the broader sense, human existence and condition.

Oliviero Leonardi became one of the leader in paintings with experimental materials on steel baked in oven at high fire. He believed that art and its message should not be limited by the degrading physical attributes of its medium. He wanted to crystallize his artistic message ad vitam aeternam.

His work captures the great scene of the world where the artist’s vision evolves to the heart of known and unknown spaces. The art of Oliviero Leonardi tells a sacred story, the origin, a primordial event that is created by the colors and the letters in baked ovens at high temperature.
Time is not a continuous concept in Oliviero Leonardi’s art.

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