Welcome to our latest blog series 'In the Studio', where we explore the creative spaces and minds of contemporary artists. In this edition, we delve into the world of Daniel Remer, a photographer whose unique technique of "Light-Painting" blurs the line between photography and painting. Join us as we uncover his inspirations, his meticulous process, and the journey that rekindled his passion for still images during the Covid pandemic.
Tell us about your studio.
My studio is a small functional space. I don’t need a larger space for the kind of work that I am making, so it suits me very well. The room is square with a small square window which is easily blacked out because my technique requires the room to be free from any natural or stray light whilst I am photographing. I also keep the studio free from clutter and only bring in the props that I actually need for the project I am working on at the time. Once the work is finished, I move the props out of the studio and into storage. I never re-use props that have already appeared in one of my images. In the studio I have my photographic equipment, a desk, computer and a bookshelf where I keep a very eclectic, but specific selection of books that inspire me the most.
What’s your background?
I was drawn to photography at a very early age. I got my first camera at the age of ten. It was a simple Boots instamatic film camera. When I was sixteen, I got my first 35mm SLR camera and began to process my own film and print my own photographs. Everything was in black and white as colour was too expensive back then. By the time I was eighteen I had quite a good portfolio of work, but instead of becoming a photographer I went to study at The London Film School and learnt all aspects of film production as well as photography. After graduating with honors, I secured employment with entertainment genius Jim Henson and worked on several high-profile movies and television shows, both in the UK and the USA. But it was many years later, during the Covid pandemic, that my passion for the still image was rekindled and I returned to my first love - photography.
How do you find motivation?
I don’t feel like I need to find motivation, I think motivation finds me. When I get an idea that I feel is meaningful and has a purpose, then it is difficult for me not to do it. I think my ideas are self-motivating.
What drives your work?
This is a good question. Probably the thing that drives my work has its origins in that place that drives us all to do what we do. I think it’s a mixture of my specific mental disposition, which I believe is made up partly by genetics and partly from my past experiences. I am very self-disciplined in my work and immerse myself fully in each project. I set very high standards for myself and if I am not completely satisfied with the work I go back to the beginning and start it over again. I can’t call a work finished until I am certain that it is the very best I can do both technically and artistically. The satisfaction I feel when I get to this stage is immense and drives me forwards to the next project.
If you could choose one song from one album to reflect your work, what would it be, and why?
I can’t answer this question, because although music is important to me, I don’t see any connection between my work and specific music. I can’t rule out an unconscious connection, but I am not aware of a specific album that reflects my work. However, I have always been, and remain, inspired and moved by the music of David Bowie and Leonard Cohen. This is something that hasn’t changed over the years and I am still not used to living in a world that they no longer inhabit.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
My inspiration mostly comes from my own personal experiences along with 20th Century art. I am especially drawn to the metaphysical painters and the early surrealists. I am an avid reader and find inspiration in non-fiction books and allegorical stories.
Which three colours could you not do without?
Red, green and blue.
How has your style or subject matter changed or developed?
Each one of my images stands as a single entity, I don’t make a series of pictures. But because I am dealing with a specific range of subject matter, and working in a unique style, there is a visible consistency and unity throughout all my work. So, I can’t pinpoint specific changes in my style because I have fully adopted a unique photographic technique called “Light-Painting”, that produces rich colours and strong textures. Often the work gets mistaken for painting rather than photography. I use this technique exclusively in all my work, and that is why I don’t see any changes in my style. But because I am constantly honing my skills and striving for higher levels of technical excellence in the actual photographic process, I could say that in this I can detect growth.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
I have received excellent advice at different times and stages in my life, but I think it was the ‘best’ advice for that particular time and place. I feel it would be out of context and would make little sense to repeat it now. But I can share some wise words of Voltaire that have been on my mind for many years...
“Anyone who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities”
Therefore, I think scepticism is important because as humans we have a natural proclivity to believe what we are told. I think it is important to always fact check the significant things in life, and then fact check the sources of those facts as well.
Who inspires you?
The artist Georgio de Chirico (1888 – 1978) has been my greatest source of inspiration. He was a painter, writer and poet. In 1910 he founded the Metaphysical School of painting. Although this genre was very short-lived, it became the main source of inspiration for the surrealists and had a profound impact on 20th Century art. I take inspiration not just from his painting, but also from his writing. From today’s generation, I am very inspired by the writings of neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris and the work he has done relating to consciousness.
If you could own one piece of artwork what would it be?
Henry Moore’s, ‘Crowd Looking at a Tied-Up Object’, painted in 1942. I saw this picture in an exhibition when I was a child and fell in love with it. I managed to get a photograph of it and kept it on my bedroom wall for many years. The painting fascinated me because the main object is concealed, and I always wondered what it was. A degree of concealment is quite prevalent in my own work. ‘Crowd Looking at a Tied-Up Object’ was owned by Lord Kenneth Clark and is now kept in the British Museum.
Alongside yourself, who would be in your ideal group exhibition (from any period of time) … and what’s the title?
Giorgio de Chirico, Giorgio Morandi, Rene Magritte and Edvard Munch. I wouldn’t give the exhibition a title since the works speak so loudly for themselves.
What are you currently working on and what’s next?
Right now, I am about to begin a project that was inspired by a story I read in the autobiography of Alan Watts. Upon reading it, I immediately saw it in my mind as an image. That was several months ago, and it has taken time for me to get the right props together. Most of my work begins as an idea in my mind together with its title. I write this all down and then begin to source the props needed in flea markets or on eBay. Rarely, but occasionally I find an object by chance that can inspire an image. But the inspiration comes from the symbolic meaning of the object and not from its beauty or any kind of physical characteristic.
There is nothing experimental in my process. So, from the time that I have the initial idea, it can take several months before I am ready to photograph the composition. I measure success by the capacity by which I am able to turn my inner visualisation into a physical image.
We have greatly valued the opportunity to delve into Daniel Remer's fine art photography practice and trust that you have found it equally enlightening! Whether you choose to continue exploring his work online or visit us in the gallery, you will have the chance to closely examine Daniel's pieces and admire the meticulous techniques he utilises.
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