"The "Simbiosismo"
blurs the existential limits
between painting and photography "
Chicote CFC / 2012
CHICOTE CFC
DECLARATION OF SYMBIOTIC ART
What is the SIMBIOSISM?
Painting, photography or both...
"Symbiosis" or "Symbiotic Art" progresses within that fine line
in which it is impossible to distinguish photography from traditional painting.
An evolutionary metamorphosis that turns photography into pictorial art
while elevating painting to the status of photography and whose result is based on a symbiosis in which they interact:
- Several artistic disciplines simultaneously
- Technology and artistic talent
- Vision and cognition
FOUNDATIONS PHILOSOPHY WHAT IS SIMBIOSISMO? PHOTO / SIMBIOSIS THE ARTIST WHY SYMBIOSISMO VALUES
AUDIO PLAYBACK OF THE ART MANIFESTO IN SYMBIOSIS
Play
Preliminary
FUNDAMENTALS
Symbiotic Art: A Critical Reinterpretation of the Image in the Age of Visual Manipulation In contemporary times, the image has become the premise of our perceptual certainty, a status that, paradoxically, has ceased to constitute a reliable reference. From this realization, "Symbiosism" or "Symbiotic Art" emerges, a movement that poses a conscious struggle against visual passivity, with the aim of awakening our critical sensitivity to the alarming ease with which public opinion is manipulated today through the transformation and distortion of images to make them appear credible. "Symbiosism" was born, therefore, as a response to the growing and worrying tendency to adulterate reality through the manipulation of all visual representations. This phenomenon threatens to immerse us in an environment based on deception and falsehood, eroding any stable notion of reality. Hence, "Art in Symbiosis," as an aesthetic and ethical safeguard, seeks to strip the image of its recognizable elements to focus on the transcendental dimension of the individual and of things, exploring what manifests through intuition, emotion, and sensation. Its objective is not to reproduce a manipulated reality, but rather to delve into the profound and authentic essence of experience. The symbiotic artist embraces the urgency of regaining control over the image, before it takes over our perception and determines our lives. Hence his proposal to move photography to a realm of abstraction that allows it to escape from an increasingly dubious and assumed reality. "Symbiotic Art," as a trend, emerges as a transgressive proposal aimed at reversing the contemporary stereotype that places the image as the unquestionable foundation of our daily existence. His works begin with an initial image—apparently real and evident—whose consistency dissolves as easily as fiction. This principle responds to the conviction that, nowadays, visible reality is an increasingly unreliable source of information. It is practically impossible to find unaltered or unaltered images, while our everyday life is progressively replaced by virtual realities or artificially designed metaverses, which completely distort our notion of reality. Faced with this circumstance, the symbiotic artist uses the image only as a starting point for the creation of his work, but completely detaches himself from his original conception. He deconstructs, fragments, and reinterprets it until he constructs a personal and unique vision, based not on what he observes, but on what he feels, thinks, and reflects on events and his own life experience. The creative process is articulated through what Symbiosism calls "Visual Metaphor": a procedure in which the analysis and critique of reality result in an altered transcription in the form of an image. This metaphor constitutes a deeply subjective representation, a symbolic translation of concepts, ideas, or facts, expressed through a visual composition that reflects the artist's intimate and emotional interpretation of the world around them. In the field of visual arts, Symbiosism represents a qualitative and quantitative leap in techniques and procedures. In contrast to the persistence of traditional methods, it introduces an unprecedented integration between painting and photography, once again placing painting at the center of contemporary artistic and technological avant-garde. Symbiotic Art does not seek to imitate or reproduce what has already been created, but rather to generate new visual realities impossible to achieve using the conventional resources of the brush and hand. The precision, detail, and fluidity provided by new technological media are essential to materializing this vision, becoming fundamental pillars of Symbiosism. Thus, the Symbiotic photographer ceases to be a mere witness recording reality and becomes an active protagonist in the creative process. His role expands: he not only captures, but also intervenes, interprets, and paints on his own work. He is simultaneously a photographer and painter, creator of a new synthesis where image and thought converge in a symbiotic unity that redefines the boundaries between reality and imagination.
"Symbiosism as a trend, aims to be a transgressive element established with the firm purpose of reversing that implanted stereotype that makes the image the foundation and premise of our lives.
He creates works whose effective reality "image from which it starts and which seems to be evident and undeniable" vanishes with the same ease as fiction itself.
.jpg)
Philosophy of
"SYMBIOTIC ART"
“Symbiosism” is an artistic method essentially grounded in a particular way of creating pictorial works based on a primary purpose: to free ourselves from the false notion that leads us to believe that images are an unquestionable premise of reality. The image exerts a powerful influence upon us. Almost unconsciously, we assume that images provide a faithful and objective representation of the visible world. However, technological development has reached such a degree that it is no longer possible to clearly distinguish between reality and fiction. This growing confusion foreshadows a scenario in which countless unreal constructs will begin to interfere with and shape our everyday perceptions. Within this context, “Symbiosism” arises as a transgression against the stereotype of reality that confines the human mind within the limits of certainty. Through its practice, it becomes evident that any image can be easily deconstructed, revealing the existence of other, equally valid realities that may not be immediately apparent. “Symbiosism” is not defined by thematic restriction nor by adherence to any particular aesthetic trend. On the contrary, it constitutes an open-ended method that embraces figuration and abstraction, realism, impressionism, fauvism, surrealism, expressionism, and other artistic currents—both historical and contemporary—integrating them into a creative symbiosis that transcends formal boundaries.
What's the
"SYMBIOSISM"?
“Symbiosism”, in its practice, manifests as a form of painting executed through digital means, technically and conceptually grounded in the composition -wholly or partially- of a photographic collage. The images employed in this process are always the original creative result of the artist, a fundamental element that distinguishes this movement from other contemporary practices. This method is conceived as a technique or complementary tool to traditional pictorial disciplines -such as oil, watercolor, pastel, or acrylic- integrating itself within the broader spectrum of artistic expression. Its development relies on the possibilities that new technologies have placed at the service of artistic creation, thereby contributing to the modernization, evolution, and revitalization of pre-existing plastic methods and processes. “Symbiosism” expands conventional artistic procedures, offering new pathways for creative exploration and visual expression, without ever departing from the fundamental principles of art: technical skill, mastery of the medium, experience, and knowledge. These attributes, inseparable from the artistic endeavor, must coexist with the essential elements of ingenuity and creativity, which remain the indispensable pillars of any authentic work. Today, traditional pictorial art faces a growing limitation of resources that risks rendering it repetitive and stagnant unless it embraces the transformations that technological innovation continuously provides. In this context, “Symbiosism” emerges as a new artistic tendency, born from the conscious and creative integration of such advancements, endowing art with renewed energy, language, and expressive possibilities.
"Symbiosism" &
PHOTO-RETOUCHING
The fundamental distinction between “Symbiosism” and photographic retouching lies in the purpose and conceptual orientation of each process. While photographic retouching seeks-through digital manipulation- to enhance or beautify the final visual outcome, “Symbiosism” pursues an entirely different artistic and conceptual objective: it aims to use photography as a chromatic and structural foundation, functioning as both palette and support for the creation of new works. In this regard, “Symbiosism” incorporates specific collage techniques, at times reminiscent of earlier artistic movements, yet employs them with the intent of radically transforming the original image, producing a composition that is entirely distinct in form, content, and meaning. In other words, “Symbiosism” “deconstructs” the original photographs, reinterpreting and reorganizing them to generate a new work endowed with its own conceptual and aesthetic identity, independent from the initial source material. Within this creative process, the original photographs may be understood simultaneously as preliminary sketches and pictorial substance, analogous to the oil that permeates the canvas in traditional painting. It is essential to emphasize that, within the framework of Symbiotic Art, both the photographs and the pictorial or compositional elements must be exclusively created by the artist. Consequently, each work constitutes a complete prototype, developed by the author from the photographic genesis to the final plastic realization, thereby ensuring the creative, conceptual, and aesthetic unity of the finished piece.
Everything begins with the analysis and critical opinion of some facts and events...
...to lead to a visual metaphor,
or what is the same "an altered
transcript made image of any definition,
concept or explanation"
%20Clave%20Segur.jpg)
The "Symbiotic
ARTIST"
The “Symbiotic” Artist may be defined as a hybrid figure who unites the competencies of both photographer and painter. This creator is doubly qualified, employing both mediums—photography and painting—in the production of his or her works, with every stage of origin, development, and execution being the exclusive result of the artist’s own authorship. The Symbiotic Artist bases his or her practice on the intentional and functional fusion of two expressive languages that have historically followed distinct paths, yet which technology has now made possible to unify within a single creative format. The execution of the work takes place through digital systems and computational tools, signifying a conscious departure from traditional manual techniques, which are considered in this context to have been surpassed or redefined by new technological means. This shift toward the digital does not diminish artistic rigor; rather, it introduces greater agility, precision, and fluency in the creative and finalization processes of the artwork. From an ethical and legal standpoint, the legitimacy of the symbiotic method is grounded in the transparency of the creative process. It is therefore advisable that the artist disclose or exhibit the original photographs that form part of the final composition, as these images represent both the material and conceptual foundation of the work. Their presentation reinforces the authenticity and coherence of the piece within the framework of “Symbiotic” Art. The Symbiotic Artist is not confined to producing works of high aesthetic value alone; rather, he or she integrates a narrative and reflective dimension into the artistic practice, offering a testimony, rationale, or conceptual argument that deepens the meaning of the image. These elements may emerge from stories, chronicles, or meditative reflections that support the motivation behind the artwork. In every case, this approach establishes a dynamic dialogue between vision and cognition, fostering a meaningful correlation between the viewer’s perceptual experience and the conceptual depth of the work.
A new perspective to
UNDERSTAND ART
It is undeniable that a well-composed photograph can, in itself, constitute a visual work of considerable artistic value, capable of resembling a painting in its formal and aesthetic balance. Nevertheless, photography is fundamentally defined by its nature as a faithful record of an instant -a fragment of time that captures and preserves a specific event or occurrence. Its expressive capacity, though significant, remains confined to the depiction of a limited temporal interval, to the imprint of what has transpired within a finite moment. “Symbiosism”, by contrast, transcends this immediacy. Its purpose is not merely to reproduce or document, but rather to narrate and represent simultaneously a sequence of events, emotions, or reflections that unfold and endure over a broader temporal dimension. In this way, “Symbiosism” extends the temporality of the image, introducing a narrative and conceptual depth that surpasses mere visual reproduction. “Symbiosism” reclaims for contemporary art one of the fundamental pillars of pictorial creation: content. It restores the significance of the message as a central component of the creative act, ensuring that idea and meaning hold equal importance to form, aesthetics, and technique. This approach constitutes a conscious break from the triviality, banality, and superficiality that often characterize certain manifestations of current artistic production—what the movement itself refers to as “lazy art.” This tendency thus advocates a return to conceptual depth, urging the artist to disclose the meaning, intention, or rational foundation of each work. Such a requirement does not constrain artistic freedom; rather, it represents a form of intellectual and aesthetic authenticity, a means of escaping the superficiality with which contemporary art is often perceived, and of re-establishing a profound dialogue between the artwork and the observer. Until now, it has been common for artists to conceive a simple idea and subsequently construct a philosophical or theoretical framework to justify their creative universe. “Symbiosism”, however, proposes an inversion of this process: the message, the content, and the reflective dimension become the genuine point of departure of the artwork, rather than a retrospective justification added after its creation.
Main Features of
"SYMBIOSISM"
Symbiotic Art, also known as “Symbiosism”, is structurally conceived as a renewed artistic proposal that, in its essence, dissolves the long-standing boundary between photography and painting. While painting, through movements such as “hyperrealism and photorealism”, has sought to approximate the visual accuracy of photographic art, photography has never been able to approach the pictorial realm in terms of expression, concept, or poetics. “Symbiosism” therefore proposes a reconciliation of both languages, merging them within a unified creative process. This movement reclaims for contemporary art its communicative and rational dimension, an attribute that has historically defined the artistic endeavor. In doing so, the symbiotic work transcends its merely decorative function, reaffirming itself as a medium of thought and reflection. Its purpose extends beyond aesthetic satisfaction, aiming instead to engage the observer actively, inviting intellectual interaction through the processes of reading, interpretation, and discovery. The viewer is thus encouraged to identify hidden elements, symbolic structures, and visual correspondences that form part of the artist’s compositional and conceptual framework. In its expressive method, “Symbiosism” employs and recontextualizes resources drawn from both past and avant-garde artistic movements, integrating them into a new visual paradigm supported by digital technology. Ultimately, “Symbiosism” positions itself within the foremost sphere of major contemporary art movements, representing a deliberate effort to grant digital art full recognition as a legitimate and elevated form of artistic expression, equivalent in stature to the traditional fine arts. In summary: “Symbiosism” establishes a new methodology for artistic creation, grounded in the use of emerging technologies that streamline the creative process and provide the artist with greater freedom of expression and time for reflection. If “hyperrealism” once sought to transform painting into photography, “Symbiosism”—in one of its modalities—transforms photography into painting, thus inverting the direction of that pursuit. Among its various facets, “Symbiosism” constitutes a creative synthesis of photography and painting, both conceived and executed entirely by the same artist, thereby ensuring the unity of authorship and conceptual coherence throughout the work. The public presentation of a symbiotic artwork necessarily entails the display of both the finished pictorial piece and the original photographs that contributed to its creation, as an act of methodological transparency and artistic integrity. At its core, “Symbiosism” seeks to tell stories, convey ideas, and embody thought, yet it may also partake of pure expressionism, depending on the artist’s intent. The Symbiotic Artist is simultaneously a painter and a photographer, valuing both disciplines equally. Rather than renouncing either, the artist aspires to fuse them into a single, indivisible practice, thereby constructing a new and expanded territory for contemporary art.
We no longer need paint, nor painters...
Photo painters with photography perfectly replace any painter, in any way, style or tendency.
_EM-P0327_a_2pruebaperf.jpg)