toby oggenfuss

Featured artist, Toby Oggenfuss, brought us some work all the way from space – er, I mean from Los Angeles, California. But that doesn’t mean his stuff doesn’t look like it came straight from some other universe. A universe where city landscapes are curly and swirly and… does this sound up our alley or what?! Toby is clearly not your typical photographer, having created an entirely unexplored technique that defies everything we once thought it meant to take photos. These fascinating and abstract pieces will not only spike your curiosity, but also set your mind wandering, questioning the realms in which you once upon a time saw your own city. Straight lines? Ha! What are those? Yeah, we don’t know either, anymore. If you wanna trip on these surreal scenes too, you know what to do! – Madelyn Olson

(untitled) — Toby Oggenfuss

(untitled) — Toby Oggenfuss

(untitled) — Toby Oggenfuss

(untitled) — Toby Oggenfuss

(untitled) — Toby Oggenfuss

(untitled) — Toby Oggenfuss

(untitled) — Toby Oggenfuss

(untitled) — Toby Oggenfuss

The primary intent of these images has always been to address that we live and interact in a universe that is of much greater complexity than the testimony of what our senses can pick up on. it takes techniques and inventions for man to see the things that were always there but not detectable by our abilities to sense it. just like the electron microscope uncovered a new world for science , this process of applied kinetics uncovers a new perspective for the world of the visual arts.

With in each and everyday, I am continuing to broaden my photographic awareness by taking 300-400 photos a day, using applied kinetics uncover new areas of "Perspectives in Motion''. I believe that the greatest injustice that I could inflict upon myself, is thinking that I have mastered this photographic process, applied kinetics is here to stay, however it will adapt, and shift with situations and circumstance.

This photographic process was initially a byproduct from the early stages of developing a new lens technology, and even though both my invention and my photography each have their own identity there is a common denominator that will always link them together. Despite the fact that my lens system has patent pending status, I have to hold back on the details of how it works until I sign with a manufacturer. What i can say is that the premise is almost paradoxical; example sure most have heard of the expression of having to use fire to fight fire, well my lens uses motion to get rid of motion, it still fascinates me 5 years into it.

Photography is for the eyes, not for the mind, but the mind tries to reason with the eyes by thinking, thinking it knows best, answering questions with questions, its not easy to separate the two but its so worth it.

The idea that most of the universe, our solar system, or planet, our immediate surroundings, our biological construction, our molecules atoms, our DNA, our RNA will pass through time with us, around us, in us and the fact that over 99% this will occur outside of what our senses can testify to.

Seeing is believing, but i was believing more than i was seeing, I pondered this for sometime, then one day I took my camera and began moving it while taking photos, even though the images were primitive they showed me something that my eyes alone couldn't possibly see. elapsed motion. This fascinated me and I set out with a camera in hand, curiosity in mind, and creativity in my soul.

I utilized my understanding of the laws of gravity and applied it to my photography and over time I created and developed a technique and a style of photography of my own.

See more works from Toby here!