Tim
I randomly came across Tim in a magazine article talking about his art and working up here in the Central Coast. Tim Travers is an illustrator and multidisciplinary designer. His quirky illustrations perfectly match the vibe of the Coast and his affinity for beer and burgers formed an instant connection with me. I have always had this idea brewing in my mind to start a project on local artists, specifically showcasing their connection to their place of work. To me, an artist is not just defined by their talent and creativity, but also by the environment in which they create. The artist and their studio work in harmony, each contributing to the final artistic masterpiece. It's a symbiotic relationship that cannot be easily severed.
But then I discovered that Tim doesn't have a traditional studio. In fact, he works wherever he can, armed with just an iPad and a pencil. No dedicated space or fancy materials. Just a seat or a patch of grass. At first, I was a bit disheartened, thinking that my project idea had gone down the old Bondi tunnel. However, I decided to roll with it.
Look at me being all creative without crayons.
With a video call to Tim to share my idea and a plan in my pocket, I started scouring the streets for random pieces of furniture that could be turned into an office-like setup. I collected bits and pieces from a retirement village - a chair (that an old lady died in - not really) and a table from a renovation. I stumbled upon a sideboard during a random clean-out and even a large set of stacked skulls from a Halloween sale my partner bought to brighten up the bathroom. These eclectic items would come together to create a makeshift workspace befitting Tim's unconventional style.
After a couple of weeks, I again reached out to that random man from the internet and convinced him to come to my house to let me take photos of him…
The first image was carefully composed to be viewed in two different frames. The inner frame showcases the artist and his final creation, while the expanded crop reveals the chaos of the creative process - chewed up pencils, worn down stationery, and crumpled up pieces of paper that goes into making a simple looking final product. It's a visual diptych representation of the two faces : the focused creator and the messy process. Im still working on the best way to show this idea of two frames in one :P
The final beach shot was showing Tim in a office studio that is literally anywhere he wants it to be. We had a random dog walk into the shoot which was added bit of happy accident.
Thank you Tim Travers for being a great subject.
Check out his work at:
https://www.instagram.com/tim_travers/
BTS
My son and I used two big boxes of pencils to create te pile of pencils in the first images. Turns out pencils dont like to be piled up and generally just roll off the table. We tried to create a sticky tape pile and drape the pencils over it to give the impression of a big pile of them but it just did not work. Plan B was to to create more of a sea of pencils. We ended up cutting each pencil into 2 or 3 pieces and individually sharpening them. Ash chewed them to give them an authentic ‘used’ look'. The shavings were used on the right hand side of the images and I even sneakily used some AI to fill in one part to bulk them up.
My son as officially banned me from picking up tables from the side of the road. So many to choose from but to create an office scene that can be easily transported in the back of a Subaru requires a specific type of desk. So I changed track and created a lounge scene instead. Smaller furniture and more random pieces around. Lol.
Me trying to pre-pose Tim before the shoot. Shot by my son.
