TOMAAS: Bridging Realms of Surrealism and Post-Humanism

Focus Magazine — Sat, 04 Nov 2023 18:42:17 +0000

In the evocative realm of contemporary digital art, TOMAAS emerges as a luminary whose creative prowess defies traditional boundaries. Hailing from Hamburg, Germany, this visionary artist’s journey has been a global odyssey. For 18 transformative years, TOMAAS was a prominent figure in the dynamic artistic landscape of New York City before making a profound shift to the artistic mecca of Paris in 2014, where he currently resides.

TOMAAS’s artistic oeuvre is a compelling fusion of photography, Crypto Art, animation, and various digital processes. The result is an arresting body of work that resounds with emotional intensity and visceral impact. His creations are profound commentaries on the zeitgeist of a post-human society increasingly entangled in the embrace of artificial intelligence and the pervasive influence of networked cultures.

Drawing inspiration from the surrealists of yesteryear, such as Salvador Dali, Giorgio De Chirico, and Eugène Delacroix, TOMAAS crafts a visual language that both pays homage to the iconic past and propels it into an audacious future. His art is simultaneously ethereal and dystopian, offering an intriguing duality of aesthetic references. Hollywood pin-ups and haute couture fashion find themselves entwined with the imagery of science fiction, where the human and the machine coexist harmoniously, and sometimes discordantly.

TOMAAS masterfully introduces us to a world where traditional notions of beauty and eroticism are questioned and redefined. His portraits, while being visually alluring, simultaneously invoke reflections on post-internet philosophical ideals and experimental concepts. In the process, the artist seamlessly navigates through the blurred lines of the real and the surreal.

The profound impact of TOMAAS’s work is affirmed by its inclusion in prestigious collections around the globe. Notably, it finds a home in the private collection of Higgin Kim in Korea, a figure of eminent repute on the Global Patrons Council (GPC) of Art Basel and an illustrious collector of contemporary art.

In a testament to the ever-evolving and multifaceted nature of TOMAAS’s artistic endeavors, 2022 marked a significant milestone. He participated in a Crypto Art group exhibition in Downtown Dubai, where he shared the stage with none other than the legendary Banksy. The year was also graced with an invitation to exhibit his Crypto Art at The Crypt Gallery in New York City, hosted by The Dream Hotel Group—a space celebrated for showcasing renowned contemporary artists. This venture solidified TOMAAS’s position as a trailblazer in the burgeoning realm of digital art.

In the annals of acclaimed exhibitions, TOMAAS’s name is etched alongside luminaries such as David LaChapelle and Liu Bolin. The Royal Monceau Gallery in Paris, France, bore witness to his work in 2017, and the prestigious Venice Biennale extended an invitation in the same year. Furthermore, TOMAAS’s portfolio graces galleries in New York City and is celebrated in a multitude of international publications, including but not limited to Vogue Italia, W Magazine, VS, Marie Claire, Elle, and Schoen, each of which bears testimony to his meteoric rise in the world of contemporary art.

TOMAAS’s artistic journey is an exploration of the surreal and the post-human, where beauty and philosophy converge to challenge the boundaries of visual art. His work serves as a captivating bridge between the legacy of surrealism and the dawn of a new era, where the human spirit and technology coalesce, creating an enduring and provocative narrative.

For more information, please visit https://www.tomaas.com/

Yigal Pardo: A Visionary Alchemist Redefining Photography with Surreal Enchantment

Focus Magazine — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 18:50:00 +0000

Born in the ancient city of Jerusalem, Yigal Pardo has become a photographic virtuoso who transcends the conventional boundaries of the medium. His artistic journey began with the foundation of an Academy graduate degree in professional photography studies, which subsequently paved the way for his remarkable career. Today, he finds creative solace in the vibrant cities of Tel-Aviv and Hertzeliya, Israel, where he masterfully navigates the ethereal realms between reality and the surreal. As a freelance photographer, Pardo’s exploration into the depths of artistry delves into the profound and the philosophical.

In a world where photography is often seen as a mere instrument to capture reality, Yigal Pardo stands as a visionary who celebrates the transformative capabilities of the medium. His body of work is a mesmerizing odyssey that transports us from the realms of the known to the enigmatic territories of the unknown. Pardo’s artistry is characterized by a relentless quest to unravel the fundamental characteristics that distinguish various subjects, both on the visual and philosophical planes.

Pardo’s approach to photography is nothing short of alchemical. With an artist’s eye and a magician’s touch, he takes real-life scenes and, with mesmerizing alchemy, transmutes them into surreal landscapes. His transformation is underpinned by a unique perspective, one that seeks to infuse each composition with a novel, enigmatic narrative. Pardo’s artistry beckons the viewer to embark on a profound journey of contemplation, to explore the boundless and to marvel at the mysterious.

This transformative process is where Pardo’s photography truly shines. By extracting scenes from their familiar contexts and, at times, harnessing intricate computer techniques, he transcends the ordinary and embarks on a journey to the extraordinary. It’s within this realm of artistry that he invites the audience to traverse the threshold of the surreal, where the boundaries of imagination blur and conventional limitations dissolve.

Yigal Pardo’s art is an ode to the uncanny, an exploration of the liminal spaces between the tangible and the ethereal. His work is a unique fusion of photography and a surreal dreamscape. Pardo’s artistic vision invites us to engage with the deeper questions of existence, to challenge the established norms of visual representation, and to revel in the immense creative potential of humanity.

What sets Pardo apart is his capacity to infuse his art with mystery and intrigue. His work defies easy classification, lingering in the liminal space between photography and the surreal, between the familiar and the unfamiliar. The artist encourages us to contemplate the profound questions of our existence, to question the boundaries of our visual realities, and to celebrate the vast potential of human imagination.

Yigal Pardo’s photographic journey stands as a testament to the transformative power of art. He pushes the boundaries of the medium, inviting us to see the world through a different lens. In his enigmatic and surreal creations, we encounter an opportunity to journey into the limitless landscapes of our own imagination, and to ponder the profound question: What exists beyond the boundaries of our perceived reality?

For more information, please visit https://www.pardo-art.com/

Artistic Boundaries – Focus Magazine

TOMAAS: Bridging Realms of Surrealism and Post-Humanism

Yigal Pardo: A Visionary Alchemist Redefining Photography with Surreal Enchantment