kristin hatland

What is the fundamental Romantic viewpoint towards art? If some artist were to quarry a block of stone, is that art? Yet, if that block of stone were then to be reshaped by the artist, we would call it art. Why? It is because the sculptor or artist has communicated a meaning to the viewer. Since only aspects of objective reality can be communicated to a viewer, this means that art is the reshaping or re-presentation of reality. An artist cannot reproduce reality in totality, he can only communicate a small part of reality. To do so necessitates that a choice be made. The artist select some aspect of reality and in doing so the artist will exercise a choice, which will represent some standard by which he will judge his work. A function of art, or its central purpose, is to elicit and induce an emotional response in the observer. Emotions are responses that mirror values held by the viewer. Kristin Hatland, based in New Zealand, and John Kiely (http://www.blurb.com/b/8436449-echoes-of-ritual-portfolio), in the United Kingdom, took this conceptual block of stone and guided each other through a collaborative carving. The two photographers, one abstract/abstract expressionism the other figurative, started a photographic conversation, each exploring the others practice, inspiring and evaluating, developing a body of work that is united by its diversity. Each photographer has approached different aspects of the same subject, endeavouring to communicate and promote an emotional response from the viewer. The resultant images represent a twelve month creative process that represents the sharing of diverse cultural and academic influences brought together through the shared passions for the medium.