SURRATIONAL(sm) — A Website

SURRATIONAL(sm) — A Website

 

SURRATIONAL SM

The Online Home of Scott Mutter, Creator of Surrational Images®

 

Thanks for visiting me online. I’ve developed this web page to provide some information about myself and my work. We’ll start off with answering a few quick questions, and hope to add more information as time goes on.

Q. What do you mean by “Surrational”?

A. Over the years, many people came to call my photomontages “surreal.” This has less to do with their similarity to artworks produced by the Surrealists and more to do with the general feeling that the photomontages do not represent material reality. I created the word “Surrational” because an important quality of my work is its rationality — its feeling of “rightness,” a quality that is not usually found in the discordant world of surrealism. The elements of the montages seem to fit together so appropriately — in both a structural and a conceptual way– that they suggest a larger truth.

 

Q. Isn’t this pretty easy to do with a computer and a good graphics program like Photoshop®?

A. While I am currently experimenting with making images digitally, all of my published photomontages have been created entirely in the darkroom and without the aid of computers. This method is very labor-intensive… even exhausting, and I am looking forward to completing the transition to digital. As for how easy it is to do… why not try it and see? I think you’ll find that the techniques are not difficult… but coming up with the creative ideas behind pictures like these is anything but easy.

 

Q. Where can I see your work?

A. My work has been exhibited and published internationally, but the only permanent exhibition is one you can view by clicking here. You’ll reach the exhibit “Scott Mutter: A More Perfect World,” presented by the American Museum of Photography. This is the ONLY authorized exhibit of my work online.

The largest collection of my photomontages is the book, Surrational Images published by the University of Illinois Press. You can purchase the book (or just get more information) by clicking here.

 

Q. Do you sell prints?

A. Yes, as a full-time artist I rely on sales of my work. You can purchase signed poster prints of my images from the American Museum of Photography (click here for more information); some unsigned posters are also available. Portal Press publishes a calendar with my images.

If you are a collector, you’re welcome to inquire about the availability of signed and numbered original prints. There are a few vintage silver prints available, and I’m working on a new series of archival digital master prints. Please email [email protected] and please specify the images that you’re inquiring about.

 

Thanks for visiting!

Scott Mutter

 

Surrational is a Service Mark and Surrational Images is a Registered Trademark of Scott Mutter

Photograph Courtesy: Chicago Tribune ………. Photoshop® is a Registered Trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc.
Copyright © 2004 Scott Mutter All Rights Reserved