About *Ivan* / Ivan

romanedirisinghe says:
"Ivan... an incredible artist with an experimental eye.

Some artists rely solely on their photographic skills. Others rely on Photoshop. Not Roquentin, who fuses his prowess with both to create marvellous compositions.

I love the benches."

Richelle Ludwick says:
"Ivan's photography is really something to behold. He is a talented, wonderful person."

languisity says:
"Ivan is endlessly experimenting, and the results are endlessly amazing."

lorenzodom says:
"*Ivan* is an inspiration. When I first arrived in the land of flickr one of my first purviews of the grand possibilities of photography was through the eyes of this talented magician. To say the least, I was inspired.

The raw simplicity of his art, the emotions he evokes with his minimalistic take on the world— are compelling, thought-provoking, and most of all, enduring. His alluring images resonate in the mind and the imagination, motivating one to take a second look at the simple wonders that lay about us everyday, as we journey through life.

Part of *Ivan*’s success is due to the fact that he sees symmetry everywhere: in park benches, in the spray of rays shining down from the nebula hanging over the sea; in vinyl record grooves, in interlaced and aligned chain and picket and barbed fences everywhere; in the smooth curve of his iconic bowler hat.

Most of us do not see these things because we are too frantic, too rushed, to pressed for time to notice; *Ivan*’s work bids us to slow down, take heed, awe and appreciate all the beauty that surrounds us.

Kudos to you my friend, may the magic of your art never end.

lorenzo"

Martin Kimeldorf's Pixel Playground says:
"Ivan has guts.
He always dances out there on the edge.
Somehow me manages to invite the influences of surrealists and dada-ists into his photostream. He is a "now' kind of guy. He is leading us somewhere...and I--for one--enjoy following."

Aleem 3.0 says:
"Ah, what more can I add about this wonderful individual ....

If you browse "my favourites" folder , you will find his creations scattered throughout it!
IVAN has a special talent and all of us here @ the FlickR community cherish his work

His magnificent captures and unique editing style has inspired us all
One of the first people I marked down as a CONTACT many months ago... I continue to be marvelled every time his stream is updated!

BRAVO, Maestro IVAN"

ale2000 says:
"Lui fa il mondo più a colori..."

andrea francesco says:
"A special eye. That's what distinguish artists from common people.
Ivan is an artist. He can see what other can't notice, and put it in a shape which enable everyone to understand. Understand the shape of the world, visible and invisible..."

LynkxsTCat says:
"Ivan, your pictures are like poetry. Like chaotic Pablo Neruda.

PUEDO escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.
Escribir, por ejemplo: " La noche está estrellada,
y tiritan, azules, los astros, a lo lejos".

El viento de la noche gira en el cielo y canta.

Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.
Yo la quise, y a veces ella también me quiso.

En las noches como ésta la tuve entre mis brazos.
La besé tantas veces bajo el cielo infinito.

Ella me quiso, a veces yo también la quería.
Cómo no haber amado sus grandes ojos fijos.

Puedo escribir los versos más tristes esta noche.
Pensar que no la tengo. Sentir que la he perdido.

Oír la noche inmensa, más inmensa sin ella.
Y el verso cae al alma como pasto el rocío.

Qué importa que mi amor no pudiera guardarla.
La noche está estrellada y ella no está conmigo.

Eso es todo. A lo lejos alguien canta. A lo lejos.
Mi alma no se contenta con haberla perdido.

Como para acercarla mi mirada la busca.
Mi corazón la busca, y ella no está conmigo.

La misma noche que hace blanquear los mismos árboles.
Nosotros, los de entonces, ya no somos los mismos.

Ya no la quiero, es cierto, pero cuánto la quise.
Mi voz buscaba el viento para tocar su oído.

De otro. Será de otro. Como antes de mis besos.
Su voz, su cuerpo claro. Sus ojos infinitos.

Ya no la quiero, es cierto, pero tal vez la quiero.
Es tan corto el amor, y es tan largo el olvido.

Porque en noches como ésta la tuve entre mis brazos,
mi alma no se contenta con haberla perdido.

Aunque éste sea el último dolor que ella me causa,
y éstos sean los últimos versos que yo le escribo."

the_butterfly says:
"L’abilità di uno scrittore è avere qualcosa da dire, alcuni lo sanno anche comunicare con le sole immagini. Ivan sa far parlare le sue fotografie con esplosioni di colore, cieli tormentati da nuvole cariche di pioggia e di luce filtrata, panchine solitarie spettatrici di panorama incantevoli, oppure con immagini surreali. Quello che comunica sono pezzi di esistenza di parecchi tra di noi, è forse per quello che in tanti ammiriamo le sue foto e captiamo il significato della sua grande sensibilità e intuito. Un’esistenza a volte sbarrata dietro porte sigillate, a volte blindata con grossi lucchetti, a volte persa in metaforici buchi neri.
Uno scrittore che ha trovato un modo diverso per comunicare e lo fa benissimo con la potenza delle immagini.

Gli auguro tutto il successo che si merita."

Mr. Sundance says:
"There are many facets to what each of us has brought to the table, here at flickr.com. After viewing others’ photo streams, I can’t help but be drawn again and again to certain photographers. It may be something I can’t quite put my finger on, as to “the why” I find their photo streams more interesting than some of the others. I generally start at the back, where they’ve posted their earliest photos, then go forward to the latest photos. So many show a remarkable improvement, from the beginning to the present day. Then there are others that seem to be consistent in the “quality level” from the beginning to the latest ones posted.

To me, “Ivan’s” photos fall into the latter group. His work totally reaches out and grabs you, holding your attention as you view his collection. His creativity shows many sides to his personality through his understanding of composition and textures. His work shows me that he has an extraordinary “gift” for capturing moods, hues of colors, and lighting. “Ivan” seems adept with all styles of photography, and always ties his images into a thought or emotion that provides a tangible connection to the moment. His photos just speak for themselves.

I find "Ivan" to be a valuable asset to flickr.com or whatever medium he might be seeking outside of flickr. I look forward to seeing what "HIS TOMORROW" might bring to all of us. I feel that with his talent there are no boundaries as to how far he can travel outside the flickr realm. My advice -“GO FOR IT”- the sky’s the limit, Ivan, and have fun showing the world your extraordinary works of art!"

Thomas Hawk says:
"Ivan is without a doubt one of the finest photographers on Flickr and one of the finest artists producing photography today. Ivan's cinemagraphic photographs are like giant larger than life scenes from life's most amazing movie.

Working around certain themes, Ivan painstakingly builds series of works that explore the dramatic and merge worlds to take you to places you've never been.

Certainly one of Flickr's most popular photographers. Certainly one of Flickr's finest photographers.

I look forward each day to the next moment of magic that Ivan might capture with his little box of light. It's truly a joy."

magic fly paula says:
"The work of Ivan is unique, he transformed everyday moments into works of art with is personal sight.
His work is ingenious and fascinating, and it is meant to interact with the viewer, not just to be look at.
He is mapping the existence of things, of moments and this is the way he founds to escape and express his thoughts.
In the act of exploring what is next to him , he explores also the way we are placed before the world . So it’s a real pleasure to visit his photostream, and it’s always very inspiring… thank you Ivan!"

*BOOJOO* says:
"I remember it was September 5th 2005
I was a junior here on Flickrworld and the first photo I have seen here was IVAN´s
from that moment my perspective changed about photography
He is a true inspiration
Little crazy and very strange!!!!
I love his techiques, style and compositions
a great sense he has about the environment he is in.

Watch him
you will get addicted

hugs dear Iv"

FotoRita [Allstar maniac] says:
"Difficile poter dire qualcosa di adeguato per le fotografie di Ivan, qualcosa che sia all'altezza dei suoi lavori. Lo si riconosce subito. Ha quel tocco in più rispetto a tanti, i colori così nitidi, freddi e caldi allo stesso tempo, quasi come se le sue foto fossero dei dipinti su tela. E' un talento puro e sono certa che prima o poi lo vedremo altrove, in qualche sua "personale", magari a N.Y. Questo è il mio augurio per lui.
Intanto mi godo i suoi scatti, immaginando storie e racconti dietro i suoi occhi."

Giampaolo Macorig says:
"Non si possono non amare le foto di Ivan, i suoi colori, i soggetti, le atmosfere che riesce a creare... un mondo tutto suo che ci trasmette attraverso un semplice click.
Una vera inesauribile, costante fonte di ispirazione."

Angela Layana says:
"I want to live inside of each and every photo...he's that good!!!"

dora. says:
"Ok, this place is full of CREATIVITY and IMAGINATION! What's real and what's unreal in here? hard to guess sometimes and i love it!

Ivan, this time i won't be creative and instead of writing sth on my own i'm gonna cite mr H. Pinter, 'cos he said exactly what i think about your photography :)

"He’s not f---ing me about, he’s not leading me up any garden path, he’s not slipping me a wink, he’s not flogging me a remedy or a path or a revelation or a basinful of breadcrumbs, he’s not selling me anything I don’t want to buy — he doesn’t give a bollock whether I buy or not — he hasn’t got his hand over his heart. Well, I’ll buy his goods, hook, line and sinker, because he leaves no stone unturned and no maggot lonely. He brings forth a body of beauty.
His work is beautiful."

Your work is beautiful Ivan! Point."

Arzivenko says:
"Vou escrever em português para que saibam que o Ivan é bem visto por aqui também, sua técnica e sensibilidade são inspiradoras e sobretudo me identifico bastante com seu estilo. Feliz 2006, que sigas clicando por muito tempo."

-- jenny -- says:
"Ivan's photos are bursting with life- they are the best that I've seen on flickr. I love the way that he sees the world- he has a way of making everything that he photographs feel magical."

Superchou says:
"Drama is the 1st word that comes to mind when thinking of Ivan. His style is distinctive and striking and his ability to create new landscapes can be awe inspiring. The fact that he is such a nice person only enhances Ivan’s stature on Flickr."

'Ana says:
""Ivan is an extremely talented photographer, a true artist who has a unique vision.
No matter how many times I see his work, it never ceases to amaze me!

I look forward to each and everyone of his photos.""

Joserri says:
"The photos of Iván are not a few normal photos, in the "normal" sense of the word. There is greatly in them. It has the big power of the imagination, inventing worlds that we we all have at the bottom of the subconscious but that cannot extract afloat.
His contrasts mark a new age in the way of seeing the photography of sleep; and visions of sceneries and objects, and it marks tendencies worth being imitated.
It uses the grain, the objectivity and the subjectivity, the perfect "developing" and any another way of doing photography. I consider him to be a teacher whom I do not have to imitate but admire and very much. Simply.
__________________________________

Le foto di Ivan non sono alcune foto normali, nel senso "normale"
della parola. Ci è notevolmente in loro. Ha l'alimentazione grande
dell'immaginazione, inventante i mondi quei noi noi che tutti hanno
alla parte inferiore del subcosciente ma quello non può estrarre a
galla. Suo contrappone il contrassegno una nuova età nel senso di
vedere la fotographia di sonno; e le visioni dei paesaggi ed oggetti
ed esso contrassegna le tendenze degno essere imitata. Usa il grano,
l'obiettività e la soggettività, "il senso di sviluppo" e tutto il
altro perfetto di fare la fotographia. Lo considerare come un
insegnante quale non devo imitare ma ammirare e molto. Semplicemente."

~Aphrodite says:
"There really are no words to describe him or his work. Thought-provoking and visually stunning, his work in itself is a work of art. He is one of the greatest contributors to flickr."

Deena_Munee says:
"Now this someone whose work will leave you stunned and inspired.I'm surprised he hasn't bursted yet because he's so full of creativity!
What can i tell you,he does wonders with his camera and his unique brain.

Treat yourself to his color ,b/w or even experimental shots.They are all purely delightful.

Take a trip to Ivan's stream guys...
So far ,i've seen no one like him here."

noqontrol says:
"Once I called Ivan “Canaletto on acid”, or was it “De Chirico on acid”?
Both artists are alive and kicking in his work. If I think about cinematic tradition, I do not see Fellini, but rather early Bertolucci and Pasolini.
This vibrating anxiety, (which made The Conformist and 1900 by Bertolucci such a great movies) is all present in Ivan’s images. His dense and saturated color palette. The sense of crumbling reality. The feeling of knowing too much to do anything but be an observer, who calmly comments on pure absurd of living. Very Beckettesque..
Ivan is the most existential artist that I have seen of flickr yet."

* Honest * says:
"Ivan Roquentin's photographs are $ublime ! He adds his own personal touch to them which is identifiably his.

I like the fact that he thinks about what he is photographing; therefore his images always turn out beautifuly with great depth and symbolisim.

"Think photographs should be provocative and not tell you what you already know. It takes no great powers or magic to reproduce somebody's face in a photograph. The magic is in seeing people in new ways."
- Duane Michals

Thank you Ivan for making me see things in a new way."