Surreal Artwork by Deborah Hamon Combines Photography & Painting In Photoshop

Deborah Hamon Art
above: Deborah Hamon’s The Game combines a painted figure with a photographic background.

41 year old artist Deborah Hamon, born in Adelaide, Australia and now living and working in Marin County (my own home town), was recently named one of PDN’s 30 Photographers to Watch and has been featured in New American Paintings, Israel’s Picnic magazine, Flak photo, has a permanent piece (Wonderland) in the prestigious Crocker Bank Art Museum Collection, and has been the recipient of numerous awards, honors and mentions.

Deborah Hamon Art


above: The artist, Deborah, in her studio, alongside Queen of The Hill (also shown below):
Queen_of_the_Hill

Her unusual work consists of both ‘constructed’ photography and complete paintings. Her surreal photos (c-prints) combine a study of fiction and reality, placing flat graphic painted figures (almost always girls) usually confronting the viewer, with photographic backgrounds of exterior settings. She uses Photoshop to construct her photographs with figures from her paintings.

painting and photography combined
above: detail of Forever and Ever shows the contrast of the painted figure with the photographed tree, combined in Photoshop.

Here are a few examples of her Constructed Photography.

Facade:
Facade

Forever and Ever:
Forever_and_Ever

Grandma’s House:
Grandmas_House

Huff and Puff:
Huff_and_Puff

Manicured:
Manicured

Sandtrap:
Sandtrap

Snowbound:
Snowbound1

Tree Fairy:
Tree_Fairy

Walkabout:
Walkabout

Wonderland:
Wonderland

It seems as though her photographs have received more attention than her paintings, likely because of the unusual combining of media. But, as you will see from the images below, her large acrylic paintings which consist of similar subject matter, are also very compelling and thoughtfully rendered.

Here are a few examples of her acrylic paintings:
Poolside:
Poolside

Cowgirls and Butterflies:
Cowgirls_and_Butterflies

Rope Swing:
Rope_Swing

He Loves me, He Loves me Not:
He_Loves_Me

Haven:
Haven

Red Arrow:
Red_Arrow

Victory:
Victory

See more of her work at Deborah Hamon