Steven Vogel

Steven Vogel is in the process of completing his BFA degree with a concentration in Photography from the University of Colorado, Denver. He also holds a MS degree in Finance and has had a successful career in business. Leaving his birth state of Wisconsin in his late teens, he lived Southern California where he made his home before settling in Colorado in 2002.

The joy of art has been with him throughout his life, but only recently has he pursued a deeper involvement. He spends most of the year photographing landscapes and during the winters he works primarily indoors making tabletop photographs.

My images are about forms and colors, with a heavy emphasis on color. Although the genre of my work may be labeled constructed imagery, I think of my images as “chromatic constructions.” I choose the forms in my compositions based on color. It is this dynamic between form and color, combined in a single composition, which gives meaning to the work.

I try to incorporate tension into these pictures by creating visual ambiguities. This tension is only slight enough to make viewers aware (consciously or unconsciously) that something in the image is not right or is out of place, encouraging them to look just a little harder in order to discover the thing that is visually uncomfortable about the image. It may be a slightly skewed perspective, unusual use of color, or misplaced object. The tension in the various perspectives is forced upon the picture plane. The purpose of creating this tension is to engage the viewer and to add a dimension of complexity into the pictures.

These pictures are serious, but they are also fun. I play with the design elements until I find a dynamic combination for the effect that I’m looking for. I’ve chosen to create my images using digital tabletop photography.I believe this method gives me greater control over the pictorial elements and the environment in which they are produced.

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