Furious Ennui
Furious Ennui Creative Imagery is me, award* winning photographer Peter Ryan. I photograph, and work in other creative fields.
From my beginnings as a sports photojournalist for magazines like “Australian Basketballer Magazine” to my explorations of the psyche and the meaning of what it is to be human in his fine art work, my work has a distinctive style that goes well beyond reportage and simply capturing the moment. For me the image is the catalyst that sparks a dialogue between the viewer and the image maker, the audience and the image, and an internal dialogue within the viewer.
What is reality? How does it feel? What is my role in these things? Why is this happening? The viewer is encouraged to ask questions, and seek answers through interaction with the images. Images that are more than a scene caught on film or in pixels. No matter what my field of endeavor, I like to make people think. I want them to step outside themselves, stop taking things for granted, and really look at the environments they exist in, and participate in. I see us all as participant/observers, both in, and of, the environments we exist in. Affected, and able to affect. Passive and active. Simple and complex beings. Hopefully beings that seek to find meaning in this reality from within themselves and their deeds.
Peter’s first solo exhibition, “Oh-fence-ive Power and Passion” is showing from 28th August until 8th Spetember 2010 at The Highway Gallery, 14 The Highway, Mount Waverley, Vic, Australia.
A new solo show is planned for early 2011, and plans are in the works for a third later next year.
His work has appeared in major publications such as “The Age” newspaper magazines (a major Australian daily broadsheet) and numerous sports, lifestyle & fashion magazines. He has participated in many photographic art exhibitions at the Brunswick St Gallery, CCP, The Highway Gallery, Roar 2, Linden St Gallery, Southgate, City of Kingston Art Gallery and The City of Greater Dandenong Community Art Gallery, has stewarded a major Australian photographic competition (the Royal Melbourne Agricultural Show), judged the Dandenong Agricultural Show’s photographic competition and is an active member of several photography forums. He has been a finalist in Lens Mist 2010, the Williamstown Art Prize & Exhibition 2010 and the St Patrick’s College Art Prize & Exhibition 2009. He also gives talks and presents workshops to photographers, students and lovers of photography on creative photography and the discipline of being an artist.
Peter holds a Certificate of Illustrative Photography (Fine Art) from Photography Studies College, South Melbourne and has a keen interest in the philosophy of fine art photography from both technical and artistic communication perspectives. He is currently working on a series of “how-to” articles on developing and training creativity as a photographer.
His current work is in the genres of architecture/urban life, landscapes, performance arts, portraiture and conceptual works, much of it in a minimalistic and more abstract styles that emphasise emotion over content.
His work is typified by distinctive compositions, spatial tension, juxtapositions and relationships of subjects within the frame, and by extending the reach of the images out of the frame by creating a dialogue between artist and viewer via the agency of the image.
Comments on work by Peter Ryan/FuriousEnnui
“As with many of this author’s work, this work displays strong abstract and ultra-realism over tones. Near solid colour gives the feel of a modern abstract painting and reminds me of Rothko.”
“You do a great job picking out shots many others would simply walk past.”
“Simplicity but impact, beautiful capture of nature.”
“…simplicity at its best…”
“A master artist, in a parable, might be found sitting on the top of a high mountain. In this parable, a young student would have climbed his way up to the mountain to discover the secrets of composition. Wordlessly, the master would only need to flip open his laptop and download the images of Peter Ryan/FuriousEnnui in order to show the student the power of restraint, the grace of silence, and the impact of simplicity.
Few photographers… dare to approach such use of negative space.”
* “Most Powerful Transformative Experience” – Kodak Salon, 2010, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Fitzroy, Vic, Australia
“Australia’s largest open-entry, photo-based exhibition and competition, the 2010 Kodak Salon is an annual event celebrating the latest developments in photo-media practice around the country. Supported by leaders in the photographic industry, the Kodak Salon provides an excellent opportunity to exhibit work in a professional, high-profile context, with over $16,000 worth of prizes awarded. The 2010 Kodak Salon presents an exciting and diverse snapshot of contemporary, Australian photo-media practice.”