GUITAR CAMBER

AMY NEWTON-McCONNEL

//Amy is a passionate photographer based in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Having been very creative all her life, she developed an interest in the effects of intentional camera movement. She shared a series of colourful semi-abstract guitar images using her ICM technique.

“I have been highly creative since childhood, making art in various mediums. I have always had a camera and an interest in Photography. In Camera Movement (ICM) photography, which utilizes techniques where the camera is intentionally moved during the exposure to create painterly and abstract artistic effects, allows me to create abstract art with my camera. I am inspired by lines and textures, colors and shapes and create art that inspires emotional response. ICM photography inspires me to see, feel and think differently and interpret my surroundings in a new and unexpected way. It is important to me that my art captures an absolute unique moment in time, not seen by the naked eye or through an ordinary lens. I want my viewer to experience the fluidity, color and emotion of the moment, as it disappears in a blink of an eye.”

“Sometimes the nicest thing to do with a guitar is just look at it.”

Thom Yorke, Radiohead

What draws you to the arts?

“Art brings people together – physically at galleries, museums and theaters; culturally, through telling a community’s shared story, forming connections and inspiring reflection. I once read, when you engage with an artwork, a form of cognitive coupling takes place in which your mind and the art are transformed. Art is a form of healing and good for your wellbeing.”

What do you like best about artistic photography such as these abstract guitar images?

“I particularly enjoy the vibrant colors and bold lines that accentuate the hourglass curvature of the guitar. The use of color emphasizes the sound of the image.”

The primary function of the guitar is to make music. At first sight, one may only focus on seeing the guitar as an instrument. However, the guitar emphasizes art’s elements, such as shape, line and texture. With slick polished texture and feminine curves, the guitar is itself a form of art.

This collection accentuates the elements and stylistic details of the instrument, and inspires the viewer to experience the guitar in a new and unexpected way. “Utilizing techniques where I intentionally move my camera during the exposure, I “paint” with a camera. It is not a random or accidental movement of the camera, but controlled moves in order to create the desired image and atmosphere. In Camera Movement (ICM) photography is a creative process that inspired me to see, feel and think differently about the guitar and creatively reimagine the instrument in a new and unexpected way,” Amy says.

Click on the photos to see a larger image in original size with its title.