by Editor Marius Cinteza
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 11th of August 2023

With an unyielding passion for the innovating visual art, Radoslav Penchev breathes life into his  imagination through a seamless fusion of various artistic disciplines. Through the lens of his camera, he capture the essence of disparate objects, transforming them into mesmerizing digital collages that defy conventional boundaries. Within these surrealistic compositions, an otherworldly tapestry unfolds, as symbiotic beings and intricate machines coexist harmoniously within ethereal landscapes. Embarked on a journey that blurs the lines between reality and the fantastical, Radoslav boundless creativity unveils a realm where the extraordinary becomes commonplace and the impossible turns into breathtaking art.

I invite you to step into the captivating world of artistic mastery, where the realms of photography, graphic design, and surrealism converge in the remarkable creations of a visionary artist!

'Taxi'

Radoslav, thank you so much for accepting the invitation for this interview! To start, I would kindly ask you to tell us shortly about yourself and your additional hobbies and projects?
Thank you, Marius, for inviting me to this interview! It is an honor to display my photos at 1X!
I was born in Sliven, Bulgaria 57 years ago. I graduated from Art High School majoring in painting and graphics. So far I’ve changed several professions: screen printing, sound director, artist in the film industry and for nearly 20 years, I’ve been working as a Graphic Designer for various tourism companies.

Desert convoy'

When and how did you start your artistic journey? What would be the most important experience so far that has influenced your steps?
The 90s of the 20th century were times of change and hope in Bulgaria. For better or worse, this coincided with the beginning of my artistic journey. The many obstacles proved to be a good lesson in the pursuit of doing what I love most - art. My first attempts involved graphic ink drawings of all sorts of fantasy creatures and landscapes.

'Exploring Misty Valley'

You use photography as a starting point for your creative works. How would you define your relationship with photography?
My photography journey started in the analog era. In the 90’s I changed several film cameras. My first digital Olympus definitely increased my interest in photography. I won another Olympus in a photography contest and that's how it started. Then, out of sheer curiosity, I shot with Canon and Nikon and Sony.

A memory from the future'

How do you maintain and grow your passion for photography, graphic design and surrealism? What motivates and inspires you?
I am inspired by thousands of things in our unique world. Sometimes my senses are heightened and I find stimulus to work in unsuspected objects. Other times, I don't have the urge for months, but I know that somewhere, something will catch my attention. I usually find inspiration in movies I watch and exhibitions I visit. From a young age I fed my mind with many works of fantasy writers and artists. This determined the direction in which I move.

'Double Team in the world of darkness'

You approach the surrealistic perspective by taking photos of various objects and turning them into digital collages. Do you plan in detail your next art works or you chose to explore and discover the compositions on the spot by assembling collages from your photos?
I never plan the next piece. This is usually a spontaneous process. If I don't have the desire and inspiration to work, I just don't do it. At the beginning, I look at dozens of new photos I have and select the ones that are the most interesting. The second stage is to remove the background from the objects and if necessary make color and light adjustments. When strange objects have no background, they spark my imagination and I can assemble them into a composition. Many details like this alone are not that impressive, but in combination with others they can set off on a fantastic journey.

'X Zone'

Your outstanding creative works are mostly placing in surrealistic sceneries some out of this world symbiotic beings and machines. Can you please tell us something more about your workflow? How much effort do you put in the processing stage?
Sometimes I wish the workflow was shorter, but usually that doesn't happen. I have managed to finish 2 works within a month, but others take a year. It depends on inspiration, desire and incentive to work. When I have enough cut out photo details ready I start combining them together to create the main object. Then if I'm happy with the result I start making the auxiliary objects or creatures. This shapes the composition and the interaction between them. Finally comes the turn of the background or environment, light, shadow, etc. I use parts of many photos to get a strange and fantastic world.

'First walk in the mountains'

It is generally accepted that the gear is not very important when the passion is strong. However, can you please share with us what is the gear you use to take photos (camera, lenses, etc.)?
I've found that gear doesn't really matter to me. I often even use my phone's camera. I have taken most of the photos with Nikon D300, Nikon D7100 and Nikkor 17-55, Nikkor 70-200, Sigma 8-16 lenses.

'An unbeatable team in the mist dimension'

AI is slowly but surely impacting photography and graphic design domains. What are your thoughts about this? Do you see any threat for your artistic endeavors?
Overall I am not against the use of AI but I think that artworks generated with tools like such has no place in the photography platforms. The creation of credible fakes is a problem that is already being observed. These are AI-manipulated photos that blur the line between real and unreal. For now I don't see a threat, but it depends on how things will develop. In graphic design, artificial intelligence is definitely efficient and effective, but let's not forget the importance of human creativity and decision-making.

An insurmountable obstacle'

Do you have a favorite photographer, graphic designer or painter whose works have influenced your own activity?
There are many favorite artists who inspire me, but few of them really stayed with time. Artists: Jheronimus Bosch, Pieter Bruegel, Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Joan Miró, Marc Chagall, H.R. Giger, Albín Brunovský. Writers: Frank Herbert, Arthur Clarke, Clifford Simak, Ray Bradbury, Herbert Wells, Mikhail Bulgakov. Film directors: David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, Andrei Tarkovsky, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg. Photographers: Man Ray, Sandro Miller, Max Sauco…

Air Pursuit'

Usually, the photographers have their own favorite piece of work. Can you please shortly present your favorite work art, the story behind it and explain why it is special to you?
My last work is a favorite until the next one comes out. Unfortunately, the pause between them is sometimes long. I try to balance drawing, photography and graphic design.

'The Lost Carriage'

Radoslav, you joined the 1x community a long time ago, in. Where did you first learn about 1x and why do you think 1x is different?
1X's galleries are an inspiration and a stimulus for work. The maintained high level and varied quality art makes 1X a global leader. I am honored to be a part of the 1X photography community!

Return to home base'

Now, since we almost reached the end of this interview, I would kindly ask you to share with us your plans or projects you would like to be involved in.
I hope to have more time to create surreal photographs. When it happens naturally, without planning, the end product pleases me.

'Do not cross'

'PC_180621'

'The old seafarer'

'PC_V0721'

'K_314'

'12_C'

'The strange garden'

'Parallel world 1'

'Attempt to fly'

'Explorer of another dimension'

'Running hands'

'White and blue'

'Encounter in the desert'