Interview with Alan Goldberg
Minds Eye Photos
Photography by Alan Goldberg
Boca Raton, FL 33434
"Refreshingly unique and beautiful work!"
John Haffey
Publisher
Art World News
Limited Editions By Alan
instagram.com/mindseyephotos1953/
The Artistic Niche
My journey as a digital artist started as a photographer seeing the world in a different way than most other people. My photographs I was told by some of my fellow photographers were not as perfect as they should be. They looked down at me for not going that extra distance to perfect them. Yet, the world itself is not perfect and so I thought my work was fine.
For the longest time my photography was a way for me to capture the world as I saw it since my hand at drawing and painting were somewhat lacking. I started to explore other ways to “finish” my photos as art. In the past I was told that I did have a very interesting way of seeing the world. I used different lenses and point of views including extreme close up and infrared light but that was only I guess part of the learning process. One summer day in 2014 I took a pretty unassuming photo of a “shore bike” (“beach bike” for those not living in the Philadelphia area) with a fisheye lens that was parked along a lifeguard station in Ventnor, New Jersey. After showing a couple of my photographer friends they encouraged me to enter a contest or two. Being the first contest I entered, not much was expected but as fate or luck would have it, I won first place for post editing! This only encouraged me to keep on developing my photography style in turning my work into art.
I entered my first physical show in New Jersey in the early winter of 2014. Since that time I have been part of a number of local shows in New Jersey and have since started to show my work here in Florida. It was shortly after my arrival in Florida that I was contacted about participating in Miami Art Week and for the last three years I have. During 2023’s Art Week my work was said to be “refreshingly unique and beautiful” by Publisher John Haffey of Art World News. Along the way since my arrival in Florida I have exhibited my photos in Boca Raton, Miami, The NY Art Expo and Art San Diego. I have also exhibited my photos in galleries in Palma, Berlin, Zug, Basel, Athens, Paris, Venice and Dubai. I am listed in Marquis Who’s Who and Continental Who’s Who. I have been published in Femme Rebel (March 2020), Millennium (15th Edition) and Vogue (April 2024) Magazines.
My photography and its transformation into digital art has surprised and awed the everyday patrons of art in addition to having drawn the admiration and attention of fellow artists and reviewers. Come and enjoy and explore the many dimensions of my art.
Alan, your artist statement mentions that you find yourself "somewhere in between" realism and artistry. How do you navigate this balance in your work, and how does this duality shape the emotional response you aim to evoke in your audience?
My photos talk to me in a sense and I process them until they tell me to stop. The niche I have created is a marriage of photography and art (painting). Since I print only on aluminum my colors are vibrant and saturated which help to bring the photos to life. My subject matter includes a broad range of subjects each either provoking an emotion or thought. My work is usually divided into two realms: action shots mostly of musicians and models or landscapes and objects. John Hafey publisher of Art World News has told me that my work and artistry is "Refreshingly unique and beautiful work!"
Moving from traditional photography to creating art from your photographs represents a significant evolution in your creative process. How has your perspective on art changed through this transition, and what challenges did you face in convincing others of the legitimacy of this hybrid approach?
Like wine as it ages it becomes more refined. When I was a child my parents and school taught me about all kinds of music from classical, big band and popular and about art and artists. I was regularly taken to museums to see different kinds of art and noticed architecture as part of art. As I aged my tastes grew and matured, I hope. I can be working on a photo of a sunrise while listening to Grieg's Morning and yet make it into a piece of modern art. Or I can be working on a model photo and while listening to Rock (Robert Palmer's "Simply Irresistible" was playing when the photo of the model was being edited) attached. I leave my mind open to most music but laugh at the idea that "invisible art" or taping a fruit to a wall is real art. I have had a camera in my hand since I was four and bought my first 35mm camera upon graduation from college. My then mentor told me if I want to become good you have to "shoot and shoot and shoot."
You aim to pull deeply on the emotional feelings of the viewer. Can you elaborate on the techniques or themes you use to establish this emotional connection, and how do you ensure that your work resonates across diverse audiences?
Being keenly aware of feelings that people have at different times in their life I use my editing to focus on the focus points of the photo that will draw them in and trigger an emotional attachment to it. My diverse audience can view the diversity of my work at my shows at my website. Being human we all have a common thread. I was taught to treat everyone as I would like to be treated. I have worked with everyday working people, artists, corporate presidents and "red necks". I say this proudly as they all have that common thread of humanity that is reachable on some level.
You mentioned wanting to support people of service to their communities, such as veterans, police, and teachers. How do you integrate this purpose into your art, and what impact have you seen or hope to see through these efforts?
I have offered my photos to teachers as writing prompts, or classroom examples about their subject or to show locations where history took place. I have also brought musicians into the schools where I have taught to help celebrate Black History or Hispanic History Months. I also have taken photos of different events at my schools. For the police and service persons I have also donated my time and services for some of their events. I have also photographed fundraising events for charities that support children that are either handicapped or disabled or have been victims of sexual violence.
Facing harsh criticism from photography purists early in your career, you chose to pursue your unique vision. How did you stay true to your artistic identity, and what advice would you give to emerging artists who face similar resistance?
As a child I was not very athletic and usually one of the last ones to be picked for playground games. Because of this I developed a thick emotional skin. My father also helped guide me in developing that skin in a good way and I hear him cheering me on at times even though he is gone. It is in the belief that my art is or can be appreciated by all unless their minds are solely focused on one particular type of art. Some of my photographer friends (some are well known journalistic and creative photographers) understand finally where I am coming from. The other purist photographers have asked me, "Why did you ruin that perfectly good photo?" I answer with, "You did not have my vision." To my fellow artists facing the same comments I say stay true to your mission. I have even been in a short-term relations where one asked, "What are you going to do with all of these photos?" She never wanted to hear my answer or could see my vision.
Your work has been showcased globally, from Berlin to Dubai, and has been recognized at prestigious events like Art Basel and NY Art Expo. How does the international art scene influence your creative process, and how do you adapt your work to resonate with different cultural contexts?
According to Carl Jung, there is a psychological commonality deep in our psyche. I use that to tap into pull on all feelings and cultures. We all dream and imagine even if we do not act on them. You never know where your art is going to turn up. One gallery when hanging my work left a print in the carton and when I mentioned to them that there were four prints and only three were hanging, they went and saw one was indeed still in the box. The curator asked should they rearrange the photos or should they hang it in the office where they talk to clients about purchases. One of the photos I sent has my 16" by 24" photo right next to a million-dollar Fernando Botero pencil drawing.
Transforming photography into fine art involves a unique conceptual approach. How do you decide which photographs to turn into art, and what additional layers of meaning or interpretation do you aim to infuse into the final piece?
It starts with my photography and my willingness to go out and take photos. Sometimes its landscapes, or flowers, or just street people at events. While out and about something very minor in the area may catch my eye. I started this photographic journey getting on my hands and knees taking photos of mushrooms. I still focus on them at times and turn them into art and had shown one at this year's Miami Art Week. As I mentioned before I like to bring out details and saturate the colors and make them vivid. The photo will tell me when enough is enough.
With your limited-edition prints, you emphasize exclusivity and authenticity. What role do these elements play in shaping the value and perception of your work, and how do you envision your artistic legacy unfolding in the future?
Printing my work only on aluminum keeps them durable and easy to hang. Numbers keeps the prints highly collectable even long after I am gone. With lower numbers the value of each print increases. This also holds true with the work I have of performers and their fans. If the musician also signs the work, it only increases in value.
Your desire to serve community heroes suggests a belief in the therapeutic or inspiring power of art. Can you share any specific stories where your art has brought healing, inspiration, or a sense of recognition to individuals or communities?
I was had donated my time and a number of prints to a charity called Dove House out of Charlotte, NC. Once I was picked up at the airport, I was taken to Lake Norman to catch the sunset over the lake. Many of the people that attended earned seven figures but a few did not. One of the young women that was part of the auction staff had never been to the ocean and one of my photographs (Attached) of the ocean so moved her that she bought it and ended up having the highest bid. When she picked it up, she told me it brought her such great joy that she was going to hang it on the wall as soon as she got home in a place where she could always see it. That simple statement brought me great joy. The photos of Lake Norman also gave me great joy as I knew the funds raised would help with the counseling of children that had been abused and help with funding the prosecution of those that committed the attacks. By the way there were only seven prints made, I have one but four were auctioned at $2,200 each the others are hanging in the organizations offices.
As someone listed in Marquis Who’s Who and Continental Who’s Who, how do you feel your artistic identity aligns with these accolades? Do these recognitions drive you to explore new dimensions of your creativity, or do they serve as milestones for your existing vision?
I am honored to be a part of those listed in these publications as I am in Contemporary Art Magazine. In time also to be able to be a part of more and recognized for my contribution in the field of art and photography. I consider myself a visionary and willing to experiment to create art. I have even explored the unseen world of infrared photography to broaden my blank canvas. I am also honored to have met some amazing gallery owners and other phenomenal artists along the way. I am always looking for galleries that would love to show my work if they are willing to risk their walls on something new and different.
