In Praise of Shadows

Our first collection, four images that evoke the spirit of Jun’ichirō Tanazaki’s explorations of traditional Japanese aesthetics and the impact of dazzling light of the modern age through our interpretation of his 1933 essay, In Praise of Shadows.

We look at the power of shadow and subtlety against the inexhaustible rise of technology, leveraging the capabilities of the current technology revolution to reinterpret this classic text again in the context of The Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Main collection

Our series of four images are generated through our interpretation of Takazaki’s text and draws from own photography across Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Takayama, Yakushima, and Fukuokaa), combined with our photography from the USA (Houston), as we explore the mystery of shadow and the striking brilliance of modernity.

Details

Aluminium dibond panel.
100cm x 100cm.
Limited edition of 25, per image.

Lost

Darkness is mystery, the opportunities of what might exist, of what might happen. In the darkness, layered tones deeply enhance gold, patina, and simple textures. It is the darkness, not the objects, that creates allure and possibility.

Shadow

Dimly lit by the dying rays of light, clinging to the walls, ceiling, and floors, shadow gives form and depth. While brilliance reveals all, shadow contemplates the ever-changing world we inhabit, and how we experience it.

Brilliance

The electric light, like balls of fire, blazing down to dispel all shadows from the darkest corners. In this relentless pursuit of clarity and brightness, we destroy the mystery of the spaces we visit, the craft of the artisans, and the promises of the unknown.

Lost

What may be saved? In the brilliance of light and clarity, where will we find solace to sit with our memories and reflect on life’s possibilities – the tangible, the intangible? In the fading of the shadows, grieve for what we have lost.

Generative studies

In producing In Praise of Shadows, 28 generative studies were produced. These were curated from 100+ diffusion generations in Poltergeist; using 40+ narratives, with reference to 218 source images specific to this series (on top of our training base). Of these 28, we have taken six through our post production processes and released these as limited edition prints.

These six images both illustrate our creative process and evolution of the visuals and narrative associated with the core series, and are visually striking in their own right.

Details:

Printed on Hahnemuhle German Etching, set in a black mount.
Image (paper size): landscape 420mm x 297mm, portrait 297mm x 420mm.
Limited edition of 30, per image.

Hidden texture

Within the space between clarity and obfuscation, the subtlety of texture is revealed. Where light meets contours, we can find beauty in the emerging shadows.

Shifting light

Within unconventional spatial geometries, light and shadow exhibits unique contextual character. Tones and texture reveal a moving picture of the fickle nature of spectral diffusion, reflecting the ever-changing human experience.

Neon fog

In pursuit of clarity, the underlying subtle character of space is obscured – to be replaced by a blinding spectra of light. Within this miasma, there is little opportunity to contemplate the possibilities of what we have yet to experience.

Unseen fragments

Light reveals the patina and sheen across colour and texture. Amongst the darkness, moments of clarity blend with uncertainty and we are drawn to the possibilities of what is shrouded in darkness.

Piercing ray

Breaking through the darkness, a striking beam illuminates that which was shrouded in contemplative shadow. As the bright light of the future cuts through the pensive space of the past, what is gained and what is lost?

Forgotten shadows

We look to the past, to the shadows of what came before, of what we abandoned. Grasping at the intangible – the craft, the writing, and the people who lost the continuum of history – what may be saved?