Negative Space
Drayson J.
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This photograph was taken late at night, using a tripod and long exposure. It embraces the slowing down of our busy lives. In artwork, you don't want it to be cluttered, so you include negative space to give the eye a rest and not overwhelm the observer. This photograph is a celebration of that aspect in real life. The old phone is situated right between a shopping center, a busy street, a parking lot, and even more heavy traffic areas. It looked out of place, surrounded by cracked concrete with a nicely paved road just a couple hundred feet away. Even in the constant motion of modern life, empty spaces can be found if you look for them. However, it’s impossible to know this just by looking at the photo, which is exactly the point. For the casual observer, it’s not busy and loaded with information. It is a picture of an empty space, totally removed from people and life. However, on further examination, it is thought-provoking; an abandoned space, clearly in an urban area. The photograph invites us to think about what lies beyond the bounds of the image, in the grander composition of life in which this negative space is only a small part.
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I believe that creativity is often subjective. For example, it can be creative to take inspiration from previous artworks and try their style. Ultimately, I believe that anything is or can be "creative" so long as the end product is authentically that of the artist.
