“The layers of light, texture and familiar content allow the eyes of the audience to travel around the images.”
Paris. London. Sydney. New York. Auckland.
These cities are all so different, yet find yourself there and you’ll notice a stark similarity in amongst the shop windows and industrial street-scapes. Turns out we’re not all so different, after all.
Steve and Sarah Greenaway are a producer/photographer duo living in Sydney. The couple released a brilliant photo series last year called A City Unpolarised. Steve travelled around the world and shot the series over a two-year period. Steve’s been a photographer for over 15 years, but this time his work took him to London, Sydney, Paris, New York and Auckland.
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The series, which was inspired by a simple iPhone picture Steve took one day, showcases urban street-scapes with fashion shopfronts. The aim? to transform and transport the reflections with the mannequins behind the glass to redefine both the figure and space.
The result? These photographs look slightly different every time the audience sees them.
“The layers of light, texture and familiar content allow the eyes of the audience to travel around the images,” Sarah told Mamamia.
“Steve shot windows in London, Oxford, Auckland, New York, Paris and Sydney. Basically whenever he had time to go out and look of for subjects, he did just that. Sometimes the light on the building that was reflecting wasn’t right, so often he had to wait or return another time to shoot it. This was challenging as it didn’t always fit into his schedule.”
The series is intriguing for many reasons. The black and white filter used almost makes the individual photographs blend together, however by analysing each one it is obvious there are slight differences.
The combination of light, texture and familiarity draw the viewer in and makes them feel calm and appreciated, rather than rushed or busy.
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Steve and Sarah’s series was exhibited last year at Black Eye Gallery in Sydney’s Darlinghurst, and will now be seen in the Head On festival this year.
To view more of Steve and Sarah’s work, go to their website by clicking here.
To see the entire A City Unpolarised series, click through the gallery below.
Do you know an artist (or are YOU an artist) who creates beautiful or thought-provoking work and whom you think should be featured on Mamamia’s Voulez-Vous Project? Send an email to caitlin.stower@mamamia.com.au.