Meet the artist – Bob Tidy, photographer and digital artist

After studying art and design in England, Bob started a career as a graphic designer and moved over to the Algarve in the mid-eighties where he successfully continued working with the leading design companies of the time, happily expressing himself with imagery, words and design concepts. Having returned after a few years away, a new chapter in his life has begun, with camera in hand.

Now living in Faro, he creates captivating computer-generated artwork based on his own photography. Developing Algarve themes and images, his work partly identifies a passion for the more rustic appeal of the region’s countryside and heritage.

One of the questions that is often raised when people view his digital compositions for the first time is whether they are paintings or photographs. The answer lies in the challenge that they represent by breaking down the barriers between these two forms of visual expression and relating to the combination of both. Images and textures are blended into multi-layered compositions in the same way a conventional painter will build a work from a blank canvas. In some cases, extra ‘digital painting’ is applied, and other images become more abstract with the attention placed more on the natural forms and underlying character.

For some artists, this concept of using computers to create art is seen as artificial and, for some traditionally minded photographers, it is viewed as a manipulation of the pure image. Whilst having respect for these points of view, Bob naturally offers a different perspective. Using a mouse instead of a brush or palette knife and a computer screen rather than paper or a canvas doesn’t really change anything, in his view. The skills needed to tell visual stories, express ideas, mix colours, apply textures and perspective (among other things) are still what is required to produce the end result.

It’s just a question of what tool kit you are using. To quote his own words, “Because there are times when one image can only say so much, both my interest in photography and the endless possibilities of digital editing go beyond this potential limitation.”

His involvement with photography started during his design career, when computerisation started to take over the industry and part of his work included working alongside photographers and rendering their images. These digital retouching skills form the basis of the compositions technique, but working with a computer, he says, “Adds speed, allows massive experimental freedom and quite frankly, it’s fun.”

Another great advantage of not having an ‘original’ painting to a set size is that anyone who would like to buy a limited-edition print of his work can have one to any size in proportion to the original. The customer can arrange their own framing, or Bob can manage that for them. A low-resolution image of the same will be supplied for personal use. While sharing the frustrations of not being able to exhibit due to the ongoing COVID situation, he currently spends his time building relationships with other artists in the Algarve Art Group and looking for possible future venues. To this end, he scheduled a collective event for the last week in January with an art exhibition combined with wine tasting at the Quinta da Tor winery. At the time of going to press, this event was still in the diary, but with the possibility of it having been postponed due to further restrictions – and for information on other events that are being considered – you can follow him on Instagram for updates.

Commissions are always welcome and the customer can have a one-off composition created of their chosen theme or location. You could even consider a very creative portrait. A recent example was the request to create an image of Tavira to capture the town’s unique character and it now hangs happily in a customer’s home as a constant reminder of her hometown.

www.algarve-art.org/bobtidy

bob.tidy@hotmail.com

Instagram: bob.tidy

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