AT THE SEAMS
BY WALL DONE, 18/04/2011
Recently I had an interesting conversation about manipulating images. In the days when using various software to alter the originals is a common but very often questionable practice it's engaging to see someone utilizing a rather old-school technique to deceive its viewers.
Kate writes:
In this series I used photographs of domestic interiors and common architecture to construct impossible, uncanny spaces that evoke a feeling of hesitant curiosity, a nervous desire to explore the room, to peek around the bend or to see what lies behind the door at the end of the hall.
Our acceptance of photography as reality makes the images hard to understand, especially for those who know the original place.
Whether photographing the homes of strangers or unfamiliar landscapes, the experience of being there was integral in the process. My interactions with homeowners, their quirks and stories, influenced the narrative of the final pieces and the title of each photograph either describes an experience that I had in exploring the space or is a quote from the homeowner. By titling each piece this way, I allude to the process and make each space personal to its inhabitant. The titles, like the rooms, are decontextualized and fragmented.
At first glance the rooms and buildings in these photographs appear real. Upon closer examination, however, something is clearly wrong. Doorways are misplaced and once rigid walls are twisted and torn. Distorted perspective creates incongruent angles and improbable shadows. These spaces are literally falling apart at the seams.
All images © Kate Stone
