Metropolis

As promised, I’m sharing another body of work from recent years (well, a selection of images from it). This one, Metropolis, followed on from "Ships in the Night" and was also made in 2018. It continues my ongoing exploration on the theme of isolation, a theme that has taken on a whole new meaning since I made this work. In any case, I’m not done with it!

This body of work was exhibited in 2018 at Yarra Sculpture Gallery as part of the Fresh 18 Group show. These and all of my fine art works are available in limited edition prints - get in touch via the Contact page if you’d like to know more.

Metropolis

I am drawn to cities and never tire of capturing their beauty, overt and hidden. There is a certainty in the symmetries, patterns, colours and forms that is familiar and comfortable.

The city holds great appeal for me yet I feel an imbalance.

As our cities grow and sprawl, so too does our sense of isolation and loneliness. The rural villages of connected communities have given way to vast metropolises of concrete and steel, overflowing with profoundly disconnected, lonely individuals. Disconnected from each other and from nature.

"Ships in the Night" in the time of Covid

It’s pretty quiet right now for a lot of small creative businesses and it’s no different for me, an architectural, interiors and fine art photographer. The beauty of having two parts to my practice is that when one part is quiet I can focus on the other. For the time being, while I’m not shooting on site much I’ve been reflecting on, planning and researching my fine art projects.

For the last three years or so years I have been making work about isolation and the reasons for its prevalence in our society. I’ve looked at it from many perspectives: environmental, societal, emotional and psychological. The research opportunities are fascinating and unending and I suspect I will continue to explore this idea for a long time.

In the first half of 2018, I made “Ships in the Night” which looks at Isolation in an urban environment. Little did I know back then just how apt it would become in the time of Covid, in 2020. It might not be exactly 1.5 meters I’ve depicted but it’s pretty close…

“I am drawn to cities and never tire of capturing their beauty, overt and hidden. There is a certainty in the symmetries, patterns, colours and forms that is familiar and comfortable. 

The city holds great appeal for me yet I feel an imbalance.

As our cities grow and sprawl, so too does our sense of isolation and loneliness. The rural villages of connected communities have given way to vast metropolises of concrete and steel, overflowing with profoundly disconnected, lonely individuals. Disconnected from each other and from nature.”

"Ships in the Night" for Immerse 2019

Immerse is an art exhibition that transforms the City of Knox into a living art gallery. Extraordinary art takes over every day spaces - inviting the public to encounter the unexpected.

1 – 29 September, 2019

Download the Immerse Program

Ships in the Night

I am drawn to cities and never tire of capturing their beauty, overt and hidden. There is a certainty in the symmetries, patterns, colours and forms that is familiar and comfortable. 

The city holds great appeal for me yet I feel an imbalance.

As our cities grow and sprawl, so too does our sense of isolation and loneliness. The rural villages of connected communities have given way to vast metropolises of concrete and steel, overflowing with profoundly disconnected, lonely individuals. Disconnected from each other and from nature.

Installation images by Samara Clifford. With thanks to Knox Art & Events