What critics see

Hello Moussa. I chose your portfolio of images to review because it's visually interesting. I have taken some time to study your photos, looking for visual clues that communicate how your ideas for your photography manifest in the photos. You are obviously a skilled photographer with a strong sense of vision for how you want your photos to appear. You provided a brief statement but it doesn't talk about these fascinating ideas! Your photos show the viewer where our perceptions either overlap with reality or miss it all together!

I think the photos also, through painterly compositions, create a bridge between what we perceive and the reality our mind imposes on what we see. One of the important parts of your photography has to do with the juxtaposition of elements in the images. They catch the viewer's attention and make them take notice of something — that something unusual is happening, something out of the ordinary.

This collision of realities is important to these photos. Plus, your full color range and richness of the contrast makes this a very mysterious group of images. From what I see you are masterful with your use of color, where you produce dramatic scenarios, most of which are playful and yet disturbing to the norms of our daily reality. The photos show the unpredictability of situations where we rely on defined ways of seeing and thinking. These images break out of the box that our perception likes to put everything into. The viewer can't tell which way is up or down, whether there are two dimensions or three. There is a question about whether we are looking at an actual representation of a scene or the surreal, colorful interpretation of your imagination.

You don't show humans directly, but they are present in the artistry and the scenes. These imaginary worlds remove the viewer from their commonly understood vantage points and you take them into more surreal, enigmatic worlds. By compositionally isolating the subjects in the photos you create compositions that promote feelings of uncertainty and disorder, as though chaos is taking control of man's structured world. By moving and removing the context of the subjects the images become very abstract. You put the viewer in a position to speculate what (or where) it is they are seeing. Because of this, all the images evoke ideas around vantage point, perception, and imagination.

Somehow the photos communicate ideas about our reality and the way it can blend with a different reality of transformation. In this way there is change, danger, and a fluid movement into alternate realities. I think your ideas and your observations are fascinating. For me, the images are powerful in a group, but they are also beautiful as individual photos.

Most of your photos fit within the familiar 35mm photographic frame. The manmade structures appear to be geometric-graphic elements on the page, prompting the viewer to ask questions about purpose and meaning of these creative abstractions. The photos are interesting because they blur the line between photography and compositional, poetic design. These visual abstractions and the invading chaos are clearly important characters in your stories. I think you are also asking that the viewer be sensitive enough to look deeply at your images, to see the details you have included in the frame and to consider the issues you talk about in your statement.

A second observation / suggestion also has to do with presentation. I suggest that the photos would be effective in a book. I think your ideas, combined with the photos, will make a more cohesive presentation. Also with a book, the viewer can hold the images, making the interaction more personal. But it would be helpful and interesting for you to share your ideas along with the images. And you would have to come up with a creative title!

Your images are very dynamic. They are full of observations and questions about life, perception, and beauty in the natural / imaginary world! Your images prove that being observant and creative is very exciting and who knows where it will lead. Also, don't feel like you need to be married to the photography world. I think that your images would do well in an “art” environment. Your photos really do cross a lot of boundaries, which is highly encouraged in the art world.

You say, “When I tried digital manipulation I noticed that I completely change the photograph I'm working with and I bring out a completely different side to it since I'm originally a painter. I don't know of artists that use this method, and so I'm wondering if in your opinion I'm going in the right direction with this?” Yes, I think this direction is interesting and I hope what I have said in my review supports my opinion!

I have enjoyed looking at your photos and it is clear that photography is one of your passions! Your images and your project are very thought-provoking and creative. They are full of stories waiting to be discovered! I would strongly encourage you to keep pursuing your interest in your skillful vision of finding these abstract photos. But keep looking at lots of portfolios and really challenge yourself to keep doing something unique, and look for photographers whose work inspires you. I very much enjoyed looking at your photos and I appreciate the way your images are masterfully considered and carefully designed. I hope this review is helpful and I look forward to seeing what you will do next!

Hello Moussa, and thanks for your submission.

Your images present a captivating exploration of beauty amidst chaos and despair. Each of your paintings exudes a sense of controlled randomness, inviting viewers to experience their unique perspective and delve into the depths of your creative expression.

Your art offers viewers a multitude of interpretations and perspectives. Your intention to express yourself and convey your thoughts is noticeable in each of the images you have submitted. Your ability to strike a balance between randomness and control adds an exciting layer of complexity to your work. The juxtaposition of chaos and order in your paintings reflects the complex dance of life, where beauty often emerges from the most unexpected places.

Your claim that your work can be seen from various angles is undoubtedly accurate. Your art possesses an inherent ambiguity, allowing each viewer to find their own meaning within the swirling strokes and vivid images. Whether one perceives the pursuit of beauty, the manifestation of emotion, or a commentary on the human condition, you successfully cultivate a space for diverse interpretations.

While the term “mixed media photography” may encompass elements of your artistic process, it falls somewhat short of accurately describing the unique fusion you achieve through the combination of photography and digital painting. Your artwork transcends traditional categorizations and creates a distinct visual language that transcends the limitations of a single medium. Your artistic practice involves using photography as a base and then enhancing and transforming it through digital painting techniques. Given the innovative and distinctive nature of your work, it might be more appropriate to describe it as a form of “hybrid art” or “digital mixed media” — terms that recognize the fusion of photography and digital painting while emphasizing the distinctiveness of your practice. Ultimately, choosing how to label your work is personal and should align with your artistic intent.

I don't know if I agree with your decision to submit these images to a street photography contest. Street photography has traditionally focused on capturing unseen, candid moments of everyday life in public spaces. Your work, with its mix of photography and digital painting, offers a departure from those conventional norms. Of course, your submission could be a refreshing addition that challenges the boundaries of street photography — however, I feel it would be judged more fairly in a more appropriate LensCulture competition such as the Art Photography Awards.

In closing, I must emphasize that the particularity of your work allows you to combine the real and the imaginary, the tangible and the abstract, resulting in visually captivating and thought-provoking compositions. This fusion of different elements creates a visual language that is uniquely yours, setting your artwork apart and making it instantly recognizable.

Keep up the good work, and I'll be glad to see more from you in the future.

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”Henry Ward Beecher

Moussa Salman is a Dutch / Egyptian artist. He studied economics in Cairo, Egypt, but never approached the study of artistic education. In fact, he is self-taught and his art is linked to strong episodes that have marked his life. His artistic orientation is definitely autobiographic. Shadows is an abstract work that conveys a strong chromatic game, whose centre metaphorically represents a vortex. The condition of the artist largely involves the stylistic, chromatic and luministic qualities of the painting; the pictorial material is in fact corroded and scratched, and seems to unravel under the eyes of the observer. Meanwhile, the lighting factor holds on dark tones, cold colours that seem to emanate their own brightness.

The artist chooses to imagine completely abstract figures, whose ineluctable putrefaction of matter does not intend to describe the bodies of the figures, but their souls, rendered through sketches of colour; in this way their presence is represented by matter, made of feelings and passions. This bold composition, for the lack of a drawing and chiaroscuro, is the result of a well-defined and internalized choice. His art can be seen from many perspectives, but all represent the search for beauty in chaos and despair. Many have been the artists who in the course of the history of art have marked epochs — like Picasso or Munch, who used pain as the main source of emotions, of concentration, of creativity.

“Love art. Of all lies, it is the least untrue.”Gustave Flaubert

Moussa Salman is a surrealist artist who creates very vibrant and abstract artwork. This contemporary work depicts a lot of emotions; you get lost in the patterns, which have an immersive feel.

The beauty with this work is how you see something different every time you view it. The patterns work well together and move around each other to create a tranquil feeling.

Salman is a Dutch Egyptian and has been a contemporary artist for 20 years based in Amsterdam. Salman creates contemporary art in the form of paintings and mixed media.