These images are from a technique I developed over many years of trial and error. Experimenting to capture the effect produced by water flowing over polished brass sheets; carefully placed in high natural streams in a most energetic area called The Peak District. The light that produces the best images is indirect, a discipline all of its own that took years to master. These are some of the best from 40,000 images. They are like a fingerprint of the energy from water and emit, in a subtle way, that energy to the area they are mounted in. This is an overlapping of science and nature involving; Chemistry, Optics, Physics, hydro dynamics, Alloys and Art. These pictures are reproduced to the highest standards possible using Giclee technology and are professionally mounted with high grade UV art glass. John Byde 28.11.2019   Some examples of ready made products now available to order, here:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/WaterBrassArt  

“Eye of the Storm”, 2012

“Eloptic Energy”, 2016

“Interdimensional Capsule”, 2012

“Shrine Base”, 2012

“Atlantis”, 2012

“Interdimensional Capsule”, 2012

PATTERNS & COLOUR ON BRASS FORMED BY WATER
These patterns are made by water currents running over polished brass. The colour variation, viewed in daylight, are produced by different velocities of water flow; around objects and within the skeins of water itself. The last point is a little hard to grasp. Water has variable viscosity in thin films. This variation means high speed thicker skeins are more slippery, so at the edge of such a stream there is turbulence, this makes different colours. (surface tension is one aspect of this)

As NO ONE has explained this phenomena my guess is an electrical effect. The film was made using one brass sheet that would fit in the hand. The camera is kept in the same position, the light is altered either by shooting at dawn, all the best brasses are shot at dawn, and sunset. Other variations are caused using LED lights of different colours. The LED’s only take effect at very low light levels because they may be 2-3 meters from the object. This allows fast manipulation, monitored in the view screen before the shutter is pressed (remotely to prevent shake).

Prof.Pollack’s work on EZ water may help to calibrate patterns for water analysis and the work of Dr.Benveniste (Water has a memory) and Dr.Masaru Emoto, not forgetting our old friend Victor Schauberger. The colour is akin to a butterfly wing or an iridescent beetle. Dye less colour.
John Byde
5.11.2016
Water Brass Art image, October 2016 (img1082)

(Water Brass Art image, “Archipelago of light”, Sept. 2015)
WATER BRASS ART by John Byde, British Artist/Inventor
Τεχνη Ορειχαλκος Νερου
by John Byde, Αγγλος καλλιτεχνης/εφευρετης
www.waterbrassart.com
https://www.facebook.com/waterbrassart
Δηλωση Καλλιτεχνη
Αυτη η νεα μορφη τεχνης προεκυψε καθως επιθυμουσα να μετρησω τη φορτιση που υπαρχει σε μια δινη νερου. Καθως δεν ειχα εργαλεια μετρησης, βρηκα οτι μπορουσα να χρησιμοποιησω ορειχαλκο για να δειξω τον τροπο με τον οποιο η φορτιση μετακινειται μεσα σε μια ροη νερου.
Δεν θα ειχα κανει αυτη την απροσμενη ανακαλυψη χωρις τα αλλα μου ενδιαφεροντα, οπως τις λεπτες ενεργειες και την παραγωγη ενεργειας απο το νερο χρησιμοποιωντας μηχανες ελευθερης ενεργειας.

Το νερο ειναι ενας ζωντανος οργανισμος με κινηση και πολλες δομες. Ορισμενες δομες εμφανιζονται μονο οταν ειναι σε κινηση και λογω αυτης της κινησης, ενα ηλεκτρικο φορτιο αναπτυσσεται τη στιγμη που περιστρεφεται. Οσο πιο γρηγορη ειναι η περιστροφη, τοσο μεγαλυτερη ειναι η φορτιση. Δουλευω με αυτη την αρχη σε πολλα επιπεδα για να παραγω αυτη την ασυνηθιστη μορφη τεχνης.

Η δημιουργία αυτου του νεου γενους τεχνης εχει εμπνευσει την περιεργεια μου για τη διαδικασια και τα αποτελεσματα της, προκαλωντας μια αισθηση καταπληξης που υποκινει περαιτερω πειραματισμο.

Η Τεχνη Ορειχαλκος Νερου ειναι ενας συνδυασμος Επιστημης, Μυστηριου, Τεχνης και Φυσης, μια διαισθητικη συνθεση διαφορων αλχημικων εργαλειων που κινειται σε απροβλεπτες κατευθυνσεις.

Οι εικονες Τεχνης Ορειχακος Νερου δεν ειναι ποτε τελειωμενες καθως οσο ζω με αυτες τις βιωνω με νεους τροπους. Μου ανταποδιδουν τη φιλοφρονηση και με αναπτυσσουν οπως εγω τις αναπτυξα αρχικα. Ειναι σαν το ταξιδι του ποιητη. Ο ποιητης κανει μια δοκιμη του μελανιου στο χαρτι. Εδω το νερο ειναι το μελανι και ο ορειχαλκος η περγαμηνη.
Η εφευρεση αυτου του ειδους τεχνης και στη συνεχεια, η δημιουργια των μεμονομενων εικονων σε φωτογραφικη μορφη – βλεποντας σε βαθος την καταγραφη του νερου πανω στον ορειχαλκο μεσα απο τον φακο, εικονες που φαινεται να αντανακλουν αρχετυπικες δυναμεις, πραγματι ειναι μια μοναδικη διαδικασια καλλιτεχνικης εκφρασης που εξερευνα το χρωμα και τα μοτιβα που δημιουργουνται μονο με τρεχουμενο νερο και φυλλα απο ορειχαλκο. Η αναπτυξη αυτης της διαδικασιας εχει παρει πολλα χρονια.

[Translation/Μεταφραση ιστοσελιδας www.waterbrassart.com/reflections
~ Kristen Isis Karayani]
*All rights reserved*
artist statement-GR

REFLECTIONS ON MY NEW TECHNIQUES ON BRASS ~ John Byde
I have been working with water and brass for several years.

For the waterbrass art I use a new sheet of brass for every picture set.

The patterns can be complex.

To find a story in the complexity is where the artist comes in; a search for depth or a landscape in smears of colour and scratches, it is like looking for a golden nugget.
Some brasses are easy to photograph, they already have their character and patterns and they jump out of the surface.

The art is in giving depth by careful lighting.

The best effects are from indirect lighting.

This is optics, the light comes to the lens at the same angle it hit the reflective surface, like billiard balls bouncing, straight forward to work out once you know this.

Sometimes my studio looks like a crime scene; well it does in my head because I am computing the angles of the light to the lens.

This sets the background lighting coming from long experience, the scaffolding of the art.

Some brasses, ones that have been in water for many months, have thicker deposits, these can be picked up by oblique lighting, maybe a small led torch shining across the surface, any topography jumps out. This is balanced with the background lighting, which may be very delicate; one softly glowing led 3 meters from the brass.

With the basic principles worked out I can go mining for my pictures, often ending up holding lights in both hands having found the perfect shot and still trying to operate the shutter with the small remote, even putting it in my mouth to click it (not recommended).

We were given some pieces of scrap brass. I decided to clean them up; I just liked having them around.

They cleaned up quite well but not good enough for water work, so I started photographing the cleaning residues and experimenting. Just like Waterbrassart it is all in the lighting. I am not sure if it is a new technique but it will be interesting to see how it develops.

I have had several chats with Cannon on working at the limits of the camera and they have been very helpful. The basic settings use manual focus and the same for aperture, fast film speed and no lens filters.

COMMENTARY ON MY WATER BRASS ART IMAGE “HORIZON” ~ By JOHN BYDE
Some brasses I just look at and know ‘this is going to be fun’. After exposing over 150 brasses you get that feeling. They are all my children; it’s just that some I can look at and know it is going to be interesting.