Daniel Abraham

My photos are about the intersection of man-made environment and nature: nature reclaiming the space appropriated by man.

This is not "abstract art". This is nature photography: Close-ups from the urban environment.

The art of small things - things you have to get close to - bend or kneel down to observe, because small things require extra effort from the viewer.

My photos are about time: Take the time to look around. All things must pass. Watch the slow decay from the elements. Beauty is hiding everywhere.

(Re)discovering the psychedelic nature of reality. Notice the tiny, insignificant details that are part of the daily environment. Tune into the background noise your mind has learned to cancel out to become more efficient. Discover the hidden universes hiding in plain sight all around us.

"What is it?" is not the question - what matters is what you see.

More

These are not paintings, although the photo lab technician still thinks that that's what these are.

There are no deserts, mountains, landscapes, seascapes, maps or satellite photos - just things you see in any city.

The photos are not staged - they are snapshots taken in the streets, in natural light

To show the effect of the organic - sun, fire, rain, dirt, dust + time over the man-made: concrete, metal, asphalt, paint, glue, plaster and glass.

All photos on this site were taken in Manhattan and in Brooklyn.

Tags/Bits & Pieces

Snapshots from the Blissed-Out World

Tone-poems from the Blissed-Out World:

Trash Art / Destruction Art / Decay Art

Man-made objects slowly reverting back to the organic state

Nature photography from the urban decay

Ambient Photography

Capture the background noise

Transience/Disintegration/Transformation

Dreamscapes from the disintegrating world

Zen Reality Snapshots

Inspiration

Music

John Cale & Terry Riley: Church of Anthrax - Fripp & Eno: Evening Star: Wind on Water - Nico: Desert Shore, Marble Index: Evening of Light - The VU: The Nothing Song/Melody Laughter. And everything else - Electric Miles Davis - Robert Wyatt - Angus McLise - Tony Conrad - Soft Machine - Spacemen3 - Neu - John Hassell/Brian Eno: Possible Musics - T Heads: Fear of Music - Lou Reed: Metal Machine Music - Jimi Hendrix: Nine to the Universe/Electric Ladyland: 1983 - Ornette Coleman - Ravi Shankar - Erik Satie - Archie Shepp - Steve Reich - Dub - Random sounds and the radio inside my head - Repetition - The rhythm of the rain - And many other examples of abstract music...

Thoughts/Quotes

I aim for Zen Minimalism but can't overcome my romantic impulses.

I wish for impulsive creation but can't let go of my desire for perfection.

Gear

Photos starting around 2006/2007 were taken with a Bronica SQ-ai medium format camera, using Fuji Pro 400, 160C and 160S film. Lenses include: Zenzanon-S 1:2.8 f=80mm, Zenzanon PS 110mm f/4 1:4 Macro and Zenzanon PS 110mm f/4.5 1:1 Macro.

Older photos were taken with a Nikon F3 camera, using lenses: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4, Micro-NIKKOR 55mm f/2.8, and NIKKOR 105mm f/2.5 Lens

Earliest photos (2001/2003) were taken with a Minolta X700 35 mm SRL with stock 50mm lens.

Prints

Limited series giclee prints are produced on hand-coated paper. Papers include Rives BFK and various Japanese handmade kozo papers: Unryu, Kochi, Okawara, and Iyo.

The precoating is a manual process which, together with the choice of hand-made papers, adds a unique quality to each print.

Presentation

Although the photographs are meant to work as individual pieces, many photos are part of a series and are meant to be seen as such. The series can exist as several juxtaposed prints or as small books.

Ideally, the photographs should be seen as an installation with music environment. See the Inspiration: Music list above for suggestions.