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Press Release

DesignNewswire · COMO, Italy ·

Eons Exhibition Photography Series by Chris Slabber Is Granted the Golden A' Design Award in Photography and Photo Manipulation Design

Chris Slabber acknowledged for photography and photo manipulation design by the international grand jury of the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 23, 2021 /DesignNewswire/ Eons Exhibition Photography Series by Chris Slabber has been granted the Golden A' Design Award in the Photography and Photo Manipulation Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The result belongs to the 2020 - 2021 A' Design Award & Competition and was reached through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who evaluated anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

About the Golden A' Design Award

The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.

Regarding Eons Exhibition Photography Series

Eons is a black and white photography series that explores rock and stone textures. The images show a sandstone cliff found during a hike, where the rock has been shaped by the elements over a very long period. Each composition was framed closely so that the rock faces read as abstract works of art. Natural light was used, and strong contrasts of light and shadow replace the yellow tone of the stone. The series is intended for interior decoration and branding, and the prints can be produced in various sizes and finishes.

About Chris Slabber

Growing up in the South Africa, I was influenced from an early age by humble surroundings. It was here where I developed my imagination that would eventually fuel my Surrealistic style. Mostly known for my Photography and manipulation techniques, I like to focus on the subconscious. I want the viewer too finish each piece inside his/her mind. This results in an individualistic experience. It should be an inward journey, manifested as an emotional experience.

Award Record

Chris Slabber is a winner of 8 A' Design Awards, including this recognition. The awards span the editions from 2013 - 2014 to 2020 - 2021 of the A' Design Award & Competition.

About the A' Photography and Photo Manipulation Design Award

The A' Photography Design Award is an international photography competition recognizing good photographic creations by best photographers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to photographers, photojournalists, advertising agencies and digital artists from all countries. Entries typically include portraits, landscapes, still lifes, photojournalism, fashion shots and architectural images. Awarded photography designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/photography

About A' Design Award & Competition

A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

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Fact Sheet

The Work

Project
Eons Exhibition Photography Series
Function
Exhibition Photography Series
Category
Photography and Photo Manipulation Design
Discipline
Communication Design
Industry
Arts and Entertainment
Colors
Dark Slate Gray, Gray, Dim Gray, Black and Dark Gray
Images
5

The Recognition

Laureate
Chris Slabber
Country
South Africa
Recognition
Golden A' Design Award
Edition
2020 - 2021
Design ID
#123321

Credits

Image Credits
Photographer Chris Slabber, Retoucher Chris Slabber, 2021

Design Details

Unique Properties
The series was dedicated to exploring rock and stone textures. Living next to a nature reserve allows for many photographic opportunities. Discovered while hiking, the sandstone cliff has been carved by the elements for years. What wisdom do they possess? What have they seen over eons. By framing each image strategically, the textures become abstract works of art.
Inspiration
Inspiration came from the very hard contrasts created by the sunlight falling on the rock textures. The lines, the light and dark areas, the angles of the rock formations. When captured in the right composition, these elements create the art.
Research
The research happened while photographing the subject. The objective was to exclude the sandstone's yellow hue and focus only on contrast and texture. The methodology was to study the rocks until each composition was visible in the frame. Data collection happened while documenting the cliffs. The entire series was an experiment. The end results were a collection of abstract compositions. Research shows that beauty can be found anywhere and can be connected to the material world in a philosophical way.
Challenge
The biggest creative challenge, or in this case decision, was to not use the yellow tone of the rock face, but to only use black and white exposure. Initially the natural colour palette made it tempting to exploit, but at the end the of the day the abstract nature of these natural sculptures inspired the idea to process the images as black and white. The next challenge was to balance the natural light. The images were taken at almost mid day. Therefore the contrasts were very strong.
Realization and Technology
The rock formations were transformed into abstract art works by means of choosing the right composition, accompanied by the right balance of light in order to create dramatic shadow and light contrasts. Each rock face had its own personality and unique characteristics that had to be studied in order to extract the beauty from such an eroded piece of rock that would otherwise be seen as just a rock. The images were captured using natural light and a Canon 5DsR and a 24mm - 70mm 2.8 lens. The post production was done using photoshop and a camera raw plugin.
Operation and Interaction
This series is aimed at interior decoration and branding. Because of their abstract nature, these images are versatile in their use. The strong black and white contrasts have a calming effect. This will translate well into the interior of a contemporary office building interior as well as for branding purposes for such industries like mining, insurance and investments or even music artists album art work. The abstract quality that is produced by a natural phenomenon will ensure that each viewer will have an individual experience. Therefore the images are not a collection of rocks, but a symphony of emotions.
Project Duration and Location
The project was born after a hike in February 2021 and was completed in February 2021.
Specifications
These images were shot using a Canon 5DsR that has a medium format sensor. This enables me to enlarge the print size to a billboard size. These images are aimed at interior decoration. Therefore the size of the images will depend on the client's needs. The photographs can also be produced in various finishes such as C-Type Fuji Metallic Gloss, Black & White Ilford Fibre-Based, Diasec (an archival mounting and framing method) and White Metal prints.
Keywords
black and white, photography, nature, rock formations, canon photography, abstract, contours, contrasts,

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