Elegant shapes in formless smoke

The photographs in Belgian artist Philip Van Avermaet’s show “Smoke Art” resemble images of hazy faces and figures or abstract, amorphous forms. But these are actually pictures of incense smoke. By capturing these ephemeral forms and moments, the Switzerland-based artist invites us to contemplate the beauty, fragility and transience of our existence, and to use our imagination to look afresh at the world around us.

“As a photographer, my eyes are constantly scanning my surroundings, looking for simple things that are around us, yet go unnoticed by most people. I was really intrigued by the forms and the elegance of these wisps of smoke and hence I decided to photograph them. I have not done any digital manipulation of the unique forms that appeared naturally, but I gave them my personal touch by adding colours,” the artist says.

“Knowing that incense is a part of the local culture here, I could not dream of a better place to exhibit my work. I have specially made an image of the UAE flag in smoke art for this show,” he adds.

The exhibition is the 19th edition of “Crossroads”, a series of art shows organised by Swiss Art Gate UAE in collaboration with Yas Viceroy, Abu Dhabi, with the aim of showcasing the work of local and international artists and making art accessible to all. We spoke to Van Avermaet about his inspirations and techniques. Excerpts:

What inspired you to experiment with “smoke art”?

During winter in Switzerland, I burn incense in my home almost every day. One day I suddenly noticed the unique forms in the smoke, and tried to get some pictures of them. It was exciting to look for different shapes and to wait for the perfect form. I was intrigued by the elegant forms and decided to explore the creative possibilities of “smoke art”.

Did you use traditional Arabian incense burners for this project?

I was inspired by the idea of the smoke coming out of Aladdin’s lamp and by the Arabian tradition of burning incense, so I began by burning “bukhoor” in a traditional “mabkhara”; but this did not give me the fine smoke forms I wanted for this project, hence I finally used incense sticks.

Did you take a lot of random pictures or wait for forms that inspired you before clicking?

I took the pictures in a photo studio with a black background. The incense sticks were placed in different orientations and the light and flash set up were very important to capture the fine forms of the smoke. I took a lot of pictures, and then selected the ones with forms that I liked.

The form that the smoke takes is influenced by many factors, such as the temperature in the studio, the humidity and the airflow. That is the unpredictable and exciting part of the shoot. After selecting the pictures, I viewed each one on my computer to check the quality of the image and to look for shapes that inspired me or that viewers would recognise as forms.

Sometimes I could spot the form immediately, but often I could discern it only after looking at the pictures for weeks or months.

How did you choose the colours?

This was the most difficult part of the process. The choice of colours was inspired by that moment and how I was feeling at that time. An artist expresses his feelings and emotions through the language of colour, so I have to feel good about the colours I add and be convinced that they are in harmony with the form of the smoke.

The black background is important because the colours reflect better on it and it gives depth to the work. When all these factors come together the work is finished, after which I print it and frame it. I frame my works in Diasec, which results in more brilliant colours and a sharper image.

Each work is unique because the form of smoke and the colours can never be replicated. Every framed artwork in this show represents several hundred pictures and countless hours of work.

Why did you leave the works untitled?

I did not give titles to the works firstly because the forms that I see in the same image differ from day to day. But the main reason I avoid giving titles is that I do not want to influence what others see in these images. I call this the “art of imagination” because what each viewer sees in these images is so personal and depends on their imagination and what the forms and colours mean to them.

At my exhibitions people often start discussing what they see in the works. I feel happy that in today’s world where technology has reduced direct interaction between people, my work encourages them to communicate and share their feelings with each other.

Why did you not use digital manipulation to produce these images?

I feel that Photoshop is great software and very useful for many professionals; but you can change so much with it that you lose the original picture. It is akin to cheating with reality.

You can start with a bad picture and make it perfect with Photoshop; but I prefer to take a good picture that needs no correction. The smoke is so original, so elegant and so beautiful. I do not want to change that. I use software to colour it but without touching the original form of the smoke.

Jyoti Kalsi is an arts enthusiast based in Dubai.

“Smoke Art” will run at Light Box Gallery in Yas Viceroy, Abu Dhabi, until September 13.