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A Coastal Endeavour
12 March 2020
4walls recently discovered international photographer Janice Alamanou and got in touch to find out more about her unique coastal art.
From Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk, Janice was born and bred by the seaside. With her father in the Royal Navy, and her grandmother working in their local beach shop, she states she has always been naturally drawn to the sea.
She began working alongside her grandmother at eight years old, and it was this heightened exposure to her surroundings as a child that she believes developed her keen eye for detail. She expanded on her experiences, telling us: “I had to be constantly attentive, almost like a human CCTV system, watching customers in the shop to make sure nothing was stolen. I incorporated this skill into my photography by observing in great detail the clouds in the sky and the people on the streets.”
Janice began photographing at a very early age, depicting her local area by focusing on the shoreline and flooding, using a small film camera that needed winding after every image. She says: “My first experience of art making is hard to explain, only to say that as a passion, self-taught from a child, it has always been a necessity to do.”
By adulthood, photography had become a way of life for her. She went on to specialise in landscape and portraiture both home and abroad, living on the Greek island of Corfu for a little while. All her work is photographed and created by herself, no filters or images from the internet are used, which she claims makes each piece individual and unique to her art.
In terms of where she finds her inspiration, she describes creating artwork as being pure instinct for her. She bases all her work on a gut feeling that manifests as a ‘ping’ within her mind, drawing from the world around her, the people she meets and the experiences she has.
She defines herself as being positively inquisitive of life and its meaning. This leads her to question, reason and debate her understanding of all that surrounds her, which she believes is reflected in her work through a mixture of actual and perception. She states: “I never create an artwork to sell, it is something inside that has to come out. 100% personal”.
Within her art, Janice aims to create beauty with a meaning. Every piece of art has a certain significance, with some of her images having “a slight complexity to them, simplicity with detail.” She is proud of these nuances within her work, telling us that: “I want the viewer to look and look again, to feel, debate and discover - to love it and be intrigued.”
Once she has an idea for her work, it can take a considerable amount of time to photograph the images she has in mind. This is because she chooses not to alter skies or add reflections, so to ensure her landscapes are the true scenes whilst relying on the perfect weather and lighting conditions, it can take months for her to capture her vision. It is a lengthy process, but if she does not find the right images, she will not release her work.
4walls was keen to hear about Janice’s view on framing: “Framing is very important and is the final touch in any piece, and not having a good frame can ruin the entire picture. In my precious metals collection, each piece is hand gilded with materials such as 24 carat gold, palladium and copper. The copper will turn verdigris over time, and unique pieces like this require framing with high quality glass and UV protection.”
Janice has had many recent successes, including being chosen for the MUSA ‘10 Art Must Haves’ award for the third year running in Prague, and being presented with the ARTYA award for artists that incorporate the environment and human rights within their work by ATIM at the Manhattan Studios.
To see more of Janice Alamanou’s work, visit her website or Instagram page @janicealamanou
coastalphotography.co.uk
From Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk, Janice was born and bred by the seaside. With her father in the Royal Navy, and her grandmother working in their local beach shop, she states she has always been naturally drawn to the sea.
She began working alongside her grandmother at eight years old, and it was this heightened exposure to her surroundings as a child that she believes developed her keen eye for detail. She expanded on her experiences, telling us: “I had to be constantly attentive, almost like a human CCTV system, watching customers in the shop to make sure nothing was stolen. I incorporated this skill into my photography by observing in great detail the clouds in the sky and the people on the streets.”
Janice began photographing at a very early age, depicting her local area by focusing on the shoreline and flooding, using a small film camera that needed winding after every image. She says: “My first experience of art making is hard to explain, only to say that as a passion, self-taught from a child, it has always been a necessity to do.”
By adulthood, photography had become a way of life for her. She went on to specialise in landscape and portraiture both home and abroad, living on the Greek island of Corfu for a little while. All her work is photographed and created by herself, no filters or images from the internet are used, which she claims makes each piece individual and unique to her art.
In terms of where she finds her inspiration, she describes creating artwork as being pure instinct for her. She bases all her work on a gut feeling that manifests as a ‘ping’ within her mind, drawing from the world around her, the people she meets and the experiences she has.
She defines herself as being positively inquisitive of life and its meaning. This leads her to question, reason and debate her understanding of all that surrounds her, which she believes is reflected in her work through a mixture of actual and perception. She states: “I never create an artwork to sell, it is something inside that has to come out. 100% personal”.
Within her art, Janice aims to create beauty with a meaning. Every piece of art has a certain significance, with some of her images having “a slight complexity to them, simplicity with detail.” She is proud of these nuances within her work, telling us that: “I want the viewer to look and look again, to feel, debate and discover - to love it and be intrigued.”
Once she has an idea for her work, it can take a considerable amount of time to photograph the images she has in mind. This is because she chooses not to alter skies or add reflections, so to ensure her landscapes are the true scenes whilst relying on the perfect weather and lighting conditions, it can take months for her to capture her vision. It is a lengthy process, but if she does not find the right images, she will not release her work.
4walls was keen to hear about Janice’s view on framing: “Framing is very important and is the final touch in any piece, and not having a good frame can ruin the entire picture. In my precious metals collection, each piece is hand gilded with materials such as 24 carat gold, palladium and copper. The copper will turn verdigris over time, and unique pieces like this require framing with high quality glass and UV protection.”
Janice has had many recent successes, including being chosen for the MUSA ‘10 Art Must Haves’ award for the third year running in Prague, and being presented with the ARTYA award for artists that incorporate the environment and human rights within their work by ATIM at the Manhattan Studios.
To see more of Janice Alamanou’s work, visit her website or Instagram page @janicealamanou
coastalphotography.co.uk
