experimental | solidvoid

Kuta, Bali - January 2021

Times are rough. We've all been through the Corona pandemic, and if that weren't enough, a series of unprecedented disasters that many survived safely, while many were less fortunate. And we are still not out of the woods because we are not yet free from the misery that awaits us. All we can do is pray that the pandemic will soon be over and that the future will be bright and disaster-free. Hard times indeed. Nevertheless, I wish everyone - for what it is worth - a prosperous but above all safe and healthy 2021.

I am Ferry R. Tan, photographer of Dutch-Indonesian descent, born in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1956. I started with photography in the Netherlands in the mid-1970s and left for Indonesia in 1995 to settle. I see myself as a visual storyteller who prefers showing my artwork over telling stories about my experiences.

My New Year resolution may sound ambitious, as it implies that I want to restore public interest in art photography. I admit there is truth to it. And, while the intention is sincere, it may be hard to achieve, but it's worth a try. More important is not losing my creative mind and passion for the arts of photography.

Since the pandemic took hold of us, everyone - myself included - suddenly has enough time. To combat boredom, we naturally look for an activity. Some people kill time with online activities, like playing games or shopping. Me, I fought boredom by creating something I've always wanted but never had made time for, a book. I carefully curated the content intended to represent me and my work as a signature project I hope everyone will appreciate. Now I am relieved to have finally made it, with no experience in creating or publishing books. So, I want to dedicate it to those who have suffered losses in the recent years and to everyone passionate about art photography.

Tales of the Eye of the Mind is synonymous with the Third Eye in the Buddha and Hindu faith. In a way is my lens, my third eye, a magic eye to share what I see with the rest of the world. My book is not about the technique of photography but about the interpretation of the Third Eye through a visual story to connect with readers to stimulate emotions and motivation for fine art photography. It's a project I always wanted to realize. Therefore, I proudly present the result that I hope you appreciate and enjoy as much as I enjoyed making the book. My thanks go to the artists, architects, and philosophers for their inspirational quotes and sayings.

If you are also passionate about art photography and would like to know more about me and my work, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Let's talk.

Thank you