I tend to create work that feels natural to me and from that themes emerge, but I’ve never set out to create work along a strident path. Half of the process is finding intriguing places that have potential for becoming an interesting image which is why travel has surfaced as a major theme in the work and often centers around light and cityscapes.
As a working process it is similar to a film; you scout for locations, you light and dress the scene and change it to your own aesthetic preferences.
I like to use figures sparingly, often as a focal point but only as far as the composition is concerned, they never become the subject, they are only a piece of the landscape and for that they can be very important for the overall balance in a scene, and can be a great entry point for the viewer.
Something I have been very interested in for a long time is the power of absence. You can often say more by excluding rather than including elements. And by being more suggestive rather than explicit with information you can engage the viewer and invite them to bring their own take on the work but you have to strike a balance so it doesn’t become too abstract.
Finn Dean is a graphic designer and illustrator working in London.
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