Vlad Constantinescu is a Romanian photographer who invites us to embark on a journey of self-discovery and introspection through a relentless attempt to push boundaries and bypass challenges as they come.
The photographer’s collection is a rollercoaster of tryouts and experiments, ranging from street photography, monochrome, and architecture photography to abstracts, still life, and portraits. Elements of visual and conceptual contrast are held in high regard, decisiveness and clarity being at times overridden by moments of haze and quietude.
The common denominator and the keyword that functions as a backbone for the entire creative process is the idea of “story.” In a way, journeys and stories are interchangeable, and they both lead us to find answers. Every photo can be used as a piece of a narrative that one tells or a stepping stone in a pilgrimage to find oneself.
The healing aspect of photography is what Constantinescu aims at conveying the most, and this can be clearly seen in many of his works. “I made these when I didn’t know what else to do,” he says. “They spoke to me and made me feel something real; I hope they will do the same for someone else who needs it.”
The experimental side of the photographer’s approach goes hand in hand with ideas of resilience and acceptance towards the world but withdrawal towards the viewers. Stoicism and the removal of ego from the artistic process give little chance for the viewer to dive into the artist’s own personality.
The artist takes things as they come and presents them as they are, allowing us to witness the creative process and even participate and draw our own opinions. The photographer’s emotions are, however, intentionally behind a veil. Perhaps it’s what builds up the mystery and contributes to our soul-searching, as without a mirror the viewer can bounce ideas off of, they are forced to look inward.
As he explains very clearly and realistically, “My stories are always intentional; I tend to let the art speak first and build my story around it. I find humility in this reversal, which is a rare gem nowadays.”
Read our “Focus” issue in full
Our August issue features 17 visual artists, photographers, and poets whose work taught us about relentlessness, resilience, and clarity. “Focus” became the chosen theme for this last month of summer.
We’re a team of writers using our craft to spotlight art in its most honest form. RAWGUE. started as a bi-monthly editorial experiment where each issue’s theme is dictated by the submitted work, thus removing editorial bias from the equation and preserving a more raw approach. We focus on all forms of poetry: written, photographed, painted, drawn, and filmed.
