Victor Pugatschew
My high school passion in Adelaide was photography – winning numerous schools competitions and running our Adelaide Boys High School Photo Lab. But an IT career in Melbourne with Fosters Brewing ( back then it was CUB) only postponed the inevitable. Now my wine consulting business gives me numerous opportunities to travel to France and capture unique images.The passion to capture the unusual and quirky image has returned. The style emphasises light and shade, hard versus soft with bold , contrasting themes and colours. Contrast and sharpening can be enhanced or subdued. An artist who paints with a brush has the advantage of incorporating style, perception, emotion, detail, blur – so as to convey their ‘vision’. My photography attempts the same.
I first saw some lovely photos in Apte Cafe in 2007 and then some superb canvas prints in New North Gallery back in early 2008. The canvas medium inspired me, so much so that New North Gallery were happy to host my first exhibition of large works at the end of 2008. It was here that editor of Australian Photography Magazine – Robert Keeley first saw my works – and published a six page article about me in the April 2009 issue. Exhibitions at New North Gallery were shown again in 2009 and 2010, and a large volume of French and Paris images were exhibited at Chez Olivier Restaurant in Prahran. Also a large range of French images are on show at Champagne Darling? Bistro in Malvern.
My artistic style can be described as ‘minimalist naive’.
Landscapes appear to be something I do a lot of but not by design. I just like the subtle changes in light across a valley or a sea. Architecture is also of interest with HDR images starting to take my interest.The printing media of preference is canvas. I find that traditional inkjet paper framed behind glass has too many reflections both internally and externally. Canvas is a pure medium – available directly to view – with no barriers. The Canvas is poly/cotton blend – and then sprayed with two coatings of a satin UV protecting coating. Recently I have become more impressed with the newer inkjet papers – Silver Rag and Baryta – which when flat mounted on dibond, thick foamcore etc. can produce a stunning effect – but again – no glass is involved.