[Interview] Photographer Dean West on How The Frame Offers a Sunny Escape

Versatility is one of the greatest strengths of Samsung’s award-winning lifestyle TV, The Frame. Not only does it offer customization to fit any home décor and stunning QLED picture quality, but the Art Store also transforms the user’s display into a window to the world. With over 1,500 pieces to choose from, including world-renowned artworks like Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ and partnerships with Magnum Photos, Etsy and a host of museums, the Art Store lets consumers embark on a premium virtual travel experience from the comfort of their home.

With July bearing the curation theme of ‘Summer Vibes’, Samsung Newsroom is introducing photographer Dean West, who travels across continents to take pictures that capture things like the intensity of the desert heat, the refreshing first step into a luxury pool and the feeling of the sun on a tropical beach. West strives to give viewers an escape from reality with his art, and always finds himself coming back to landscapes that are warm and bright – or, as he describes them, “the places you’d rather be.”

With West’s work perfectly encapsulating the theme of ‘Summer Vibes’, Newsroom spoke to the photographer about some of his top picks from the Art Store and why The Frame is the ideal platform for displaying his work.

▲ Pink Dreams #1, Miami Shores 2020

Showcasing Carefully Crafted Scenes With Quantum Dot Technology

Vibrant colors are a key aspect of West’s artfully orchestrated scenes. “When photographing a scene, I always try to capture the essence or the feeling of a place,” says West. “Color is one way of communicating that. For example, when capturing my pool scenes, the feeling I’m going for is that moment when you first take off your sunglasses – when the sun bounces off the walls into the glistening pool. A colorful array of swimsuits and sunscreen-soaked skin are made visible, and color plays a beautiful role in capturing that essence.”

▲ St Pete Beach, 2016

The Frame’s QLED 4K picture quality offers the perfect medium for West’s work to be showcased to thousands across the globe. Quantum Dot technology allows more than a billion colors to be displayed at 100% color volume, allowing West’s artistic intent to shine through on a bright screen with vivid and accurate color reproduction. The cutting-edge display technology analyzes every piece of each image and adjusts the contrast to give it an enhanced sense of depth and color for a stunning result every time.

“The technology used provides such a harmonious viewing experience that it has to be seen to be believed,” relates West. “The display’s ability to reproduce color and light is so good that photographers and viewers from around the world can’t help but express their admiration. On top of this, The Frame gives users from all corners of the globe quality access to works that they may otherwise never have seen. This alone is something I truly respect.”

West describes ‘art’ as a series of complex images that blend into a single idea. He adds, “Understanding light is at the heart of creating imagery that are vivid and bright. Any person can put themselves in the right place at the right time and capture something beautiful, but learning to blend complex images takes years to master. The keys are to be curious, do your research and make the time to create.”

▲ Eagle Rock Office, Los Angeles 2019

How Technology Is Making the Art World More Accessible

Technology plays a key role in expanding access to art. It provides a multitude of platforms on which work can be displayed and accessed by a broad range of users on different devices. And The Frame is one of those devices. “We’ve already seen how wonderfully the worlds of art and tech are merging,” West remarks. “Artists have always used the best tools available to them at the time, and they will continue to do so as technology advances.”

The Art Store provides access to an expansive library of artworks to appeal to every taste, mood or setting. This ever-growing collection features pieces from a wide range of eras, as well as contributions from 47 global partners and 626 artists so far.

Fifteen of Dean’s pieces are available today for display on the Art Store and The Frame.