"The Autonóme Project" is dedicated to my father, Ulf Retsloff, and his exceptional approach to the creative universe. This art-print-series is developed with inspiration from some of his own creations.
Once, someone said: "To travel is to live"... and indeed it is. But for my father, life was equally connected to creation. The tool and the inherent desire to always do things independently, followed him for most of his life... as a sailor, craftsman, web developer, writer, artist – and especially as the passionate and enthusiastic creative person he was.
In August 2023, my father left this world way too soon. There are many things I wish I could tell and share with him, whether it's everyday situations, achievements, or perhaps just new ideas. Both my father and I shared a deep passion for creativity and the act of creating something "new". Through various experiences, learning, and personal realizations, I have recognized the profound influence he has had through his legacy... He left not only a wealth of works, creations, and archived thoughts/projects - but also an unfinished story; a vision that must not be forgotten. At least I have decided to let his dreams live on, if nothing else, just a little longer.
My father enjoyed immersion in everything he did and loved using his hands - creating the rustic, the raw, and the different... which he constantly tried to reflect in his creations. Over the years, he experimented with a multitude of different creative processes, including sculptures and applied art, all of which were handmade, individual originals. He sought neither the "perfect" nor the commercially "correct," but rather desired to experiment - to challenge the boundaries of what he "could" and "could not" do... deep in his heart, he harboured a burning desire to create something with a visually "different" expression, rather than just the "normalised" and mainstream. Was he different because he prioritised the joy of creation and dialogue over "cool profit" and grand gestures? Perhaps - he simply showed that he was a person driven by creativity and at times, his slightly "norm-autonomous" nature.
When it came to new ideas and learning, he never denied the traditional approaches – he believed that through will and understanding, there was a way... yet his somewhat unconventional traits often became a natural extension of him and his projects... perhaps because, somewhere, he found that "playing outside" was just much more fun. Everything he engaged in was based on his own ideas and philosophies... as well as the underlying messages he felt the need to visualize. He enjoyed the immersion and uniqueness of what he did and was a great supporter of innovative thinking. He also tried to reflect this in his digital artworks. I can only assume that his primary source of inspiration behind the creations was his life experience and, above all, his philosophy of life.
All creations in the Autonóme Project are developed using photographic material, which is carefully digitised, composed, edited, and manipulated in Adobe Photoshop. In the final process, all images are carefully coloured before export. Each individual image/creation is handpicked from the "archives" - works that I personally find interesting to share and showcase. Some are completed and processed by my father - others are completed and finished by myself.
In this art-print-series, you will find neither fine sensibilities, price snobbery, nor profit hunting. Instead, you will find exactly what my father loved; The Autonóme Project is a tribute to his creative heritage and expresses love for the raw, unique, and colourful expression. I will let creativity be the focus and let the joy of creation drive the works.
ByRetsloff, as its own project, stands as a manifestation of the unexplored horizon that my father never got to experience himself. As two kindred spirits within art and creativity, I strive to launch new and original series, where I combine my father's vision with my own reflections on the diverse aspects of the creative universe. The Autonóme series therefore represents not only the beginning of the adventurous journey we always dreamed of together, when we occasionally sought to escape the chains of reality, but also the beginning of my own journey as a self-taught artist.
I intend to follow in my father's footsteps... take over the helm and navigate the ship towards new horizons - and let his memory breathe wind into the sails.
/ Benjamin Retsloff - 2024
