Cameron Gray

Cameron Gray, born in Melbourne 1984, is largely seen as an emerging graphic artist and photographer who currently lives in Launceston, Tasmania. Gray has received qualifications in Contemporary Arts, Graphic Design, Photography and Multimedia Design but also has a keen interest in new media, jewellery making, sculpture, painting, experimental video and audio design.Cameron Gray has received various nationally esteemed awards for his work and his work can be viewed in places like the Museum of Computer Art in Brooklyn, New York, and the preserved National Library of Australia, as one of the countries artists of the 21st century. (Parable Visions – Cameron Gray)

“I wasn’t getting much out of school…so I took a pot shot at LC (Launceston College) and choose all the subjects I had always wanted to do, but never had ” (verbal: Cameron Gray – 2011 – August 24th )

Cameron Gray’s work has been categorized in many different genres over the years, but he brands his art as “life art”. Although Gray’s style of work has changed overtime, within the last few project of digital art, Gray trends to intertwine philosophy and mythology. Gray used the many symbols and stories to cryptically relate the image to the task set by his various employers. Gray’s fetish to use the basic human (anatomy) in his work is very apparent, from his early work to his more recent. This may be because just like his work, a naked body is not culture specific.

In terms of software, Gray predominately uses Photoshop, but also uses other diverse programs for additional desired effects within his work, such as: Poser, Bryce, Vue, Cararra, Daz 3D, Apophysis and Mandelbulb 3d.

But software and ideas alone will not create these images, Gray’s essential technology includes include a 27″ iMac, a Wacom Tablet, Digital Microscope, a Pentax K20D, Infra-red Canon Digital Camera and an Underwater modified HD video camera.

Cameron Gray is currently employed by Warner Music and Sumerian Records for freelance contract work, as well as small creative roles with films and music videos.Over the past few years Gray has had many projects on the go, sometimes as many as eight at one time.

Knowledge of the Celestial Planets - Cameron Gray 2011

A Patient for the Fifth – Cameron Gray (2009)

Your Little Love Song – Cameron Gray 2008

Cameron Gray, Work in Progress, Born of Osiris, viewed 12/04/12, http://parablevisions.com/blog/?page_id=166

Cameron Gray, Work in Progress, Shaman Indian work in progress shot, viewed 12/04/12, http://parablevisions.com/blog/?page_id=166

Cameron Gray 2011 – Photographyhttp://parablevisions.com/blog/?page_id=30

Gray delivers his graphics to the audience in many different forms including: Art Exhibitions (Visionary Art Gallery, Oceanside Museum of Art etc.), Websites (RedBubble, Youtube, Facebook etc.), Magazines (Kultur Magazine, Visions Magazine), Music (Album Art etc.) and Film (Television, Online).Gray, personally has been featured in News segments and his work was nominated for an ARIA in 2010. This publicity also helps Gray deliver his work to an audience.

It can take Cameron Gray a few weeks to a few months to finalise an image from the ideas stage. His design process starts with “a quick flash of an idea for an image which I then sketch down pretty roughly with lots of notes and keywords.” (Cameron Gray 2012 – Facebook) Because this ‘flash’ of an idea could come at an instance Gray keeps “note books all over my house so I have one nearby when I need.” (Cameron Gray 2012 – Facebook) The next step for Gray is to create many more detailed sketches and renders of the idea, either on a computer or in a sketch book. This detailed sketch is then printed out, and more keywords and ideas are scribbled onto the image. It then sits on his ‘idea board’ for usually a couple of weeks before Gray is satisfied. Because Gray now knows what he wants to achieve within the picture and is aware of the images needed to create the artwork, the last large step for Gray is to create the image digitally.

Cameron Gray’s design style and depth of work, featured by Born of Osiris and Dead Letter Circus has influenced various young and old designers. Gray has received various amounts of feedback via letters and internet posts, mostly praising his highly technical, visually pleasing images which gives Cameron Gray a different flavour in the Art community.

“You are an inspiration, Wonderful work.” (Deviantart, Hope For The Sound Awakening comments, Ponti55, Mar 27, 2011)

Hope for the Sound Awakening - Cameron Gray 2011

Cameron Gray’s work, in my opinion, is complex both graphically and conceptually. Although visually it is ‘dark’ art in comparison to mainstream art, it mostly uses these ‘dark’ symbols and emotions to interpret common issues. I really love how Gray incorporates a vast array of programs and images, 3D and 2D, to create his art. This gives the viewer a large visual palate, in which they’ll discover new elements every time they view the artwork. I look up to Gray’s efficiency in creating complex pieces quickly, and how well he can manage multiple projects at a time. Although I don’t completely agree with Gray’s style of art, (as it cannot grasp a large mainstream audience) I believe this deliberate ‘flaw’ has caused Gray success in the music scene; as the art is beautifully different and unusual.

Although the majority of Cameron Gray’s work is pleasing, some of Grays pieces are more popular than his others. Within the online community the overall feedback for Grays work has been astounding, yet some receive more comments and views for particular reasons.

Dreams of Soulmates (2010) by Cameron Gray, is one of his more recent popular pieces. The mystic of the entire image attracts the audience and provokes curiosity. The fiery colours in the centre bring visual warmth from the cold celestial background, which creates a strong focal point. The unity and the asymmetrical balance of the image is strong. Like this image, most of Cameron Gray’s clean celestial images are more popular than his earlier grunge pieces; this is due to the colour scheme, theme, complexity, audience relation and curiosity of the new artwork compared to his old.

Cameron Gray is an award winning, talented young artist who has a large amount of skill and creativity in many art mediums, Gray’s grasp on design goes far beyond his age. Efficiently Gray constantly creates complex pieces which inspire many artists from all over the globe. It is undoubtable that Cameron Gray is one of Australia’s top digital designers.

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Portrait 1, Cameron Gray, Digital Art ,Launceston Tasmania, 2006

The Discovery, Born of Osiris Cameron Gray, Digital Art, 2010

List of References:

Cameron Gray 2011 – Photographyhttp://parablevisions.com/blog/?page_id=30

Cameron Gray, Facebook Message in response to Ben Grant, viewed 13/04/2012

Cameron Gray, Work in Progress, Born of Osiris, viewed 12/04/12, http://parablevisions.com/blog/?page_id=166

Cameron Gray, Work in Progress, Shaman Indian work in progress shot, viewed 12/04/12, http://parablevisions.com/blog/?page_id=166

Knowledge of the Celestial Planets - Cameron Gray 2011

Hope for the Sound Awakening - Cameron Gray 2011

Portrait 1, Cameron Gray, Digital Art ,Launceston Tasmania, 2006

Your Little Love Song – Cameron Gray 2008

Bibliography:

Parable Visions, Cameron Gray, Blog, viewed on 12/04/2012http://parablevisions.com/main.html

Parablev, Cameron Gray, Devianart, viewed on 11/04/2012http://parablev.deviantart.com/

Cameron Gray, People, Redbubble, viewed 14/04/2012http://www.redbubble.com/people/camerongray

Spirit Whisperer, Parablev on Deviantart is Cameron Gray, Hubpages, Viewed 12/04/2012http://spiritwhisperer.hubpages.com/hub/Parablev-on-Deviantart-is-Cameron-Gray

Cameron Gray, Facebook Message in response to Ben Grant, viewed 13/04/2012

Parable Visions, Cameron Gray, YouTube, viewed 15/04/2012http://www.youtube.com/user/Parablevisions?feature=watch

Parable Visions, Cameron Gray, Artist, viewed 16/04/2012http://www.parablevisions.com/methods/about.html

FACEBOOK MESSAGE 16/04/2012

o

Friday

Cameron Gray

o Ben brother!! 

haha of course man, always happy to help out!

Who is your current employer?

Well, I'm a McSlave by day at the moment but do freelance contract work for Warner Music and Sumerian Records, as well as small creative roles with films and music videos.

All the computer programs you use within your work?

I use quite a few, but not all at once. They include Photoshop, Poser, Bryce, Vue, Cararra, Daz 3D, Apophysis, Mandelbulb 3d

Explanation of the way you work - what sort of design process' and workflow do you follow? 

They usually begin with a quick flash of an idea for an image which I then sketch down pretty roughly with lots of notes and keywords. Sometimes I can't actually visualise the piece at first but I can "feel" it so I may just write pages of notes and keywords which helps me to begin seeing the image.The starting process is very rough and raw, lots of scribbles, I have note books all over my house so I have one near by when I need.The next step is to create a more detailed sketch render on the computer, this becomes more detailed than the paper sketch but stays still quite raw. It helps to get a more detailed realisation of the piece. I also print this out and put more notes and keywords all over it. The print out then sits on my ideas board, usually for a couple of weeks, I'll continually add thoughts to it and let the ideas float around in my mind for a couple weeks until I get to the stage where I'm ready to actually get started on the piece itself.Then I get to work with all the tools I use to create the artwork, the process from the initial idea to completion of the image can take anywhere from around 2 weeks to 2 months, really just depends on how much time I can put into working on it and the detail of the artwork 

Hope that helps man!

peace and love!