The sun is fleeting, unpredictable and liberating
Thirty-one-year old Alexander Harding’s latest series, Visible Light, concentrates on the sun’s rays and our relationship with it.
“Through my work I explore the sun’s physical presence and quantitative character, attempting to give the sunlight an environment to travel within and record its behaviors,” Harding says of his photographs, soon to be appearing in an exhibition at Panopticon Gallery from November 3- December 5, 2011.
His images emphasize our inherent connection with the center of our universe – the source that all life thrives on. The sun empowers our visible perception and shapes how we feel; and while it impacts our emotions, its brilliance remains an ephemeral mystery. Its warmth can be felt on our skin, its light shine in our eyes, and its nutrients provide for our planet and yet it continues to remain intangible.
Thirty-one-year old Alexander Harding’s latest series, Visible Light, concentrates on the sun’s rays and our relationship with it.
“Through my work I explore the sun’s physical presence and quantitative character, attempting to give the sunlight an environment to travel within and record its behaviors,” Harding says of his photographs, soon to be appearing in an exhibition at Panopticon Gallery from November 3- December 5, 2011.
His images emphasize our inherent connection with the center of our universe – the source that all life thrives on. The sun empowers our visible perception and shapes how we feel; and while it impacts our emotions, its brilliance remains an ephemeral mystery. Its warmth can be felt on our skin, its light shine in our eyes, and its nutrients provide for our planet and yet it continues to remain intangible.
A good deal of planning is involved to achieve these absorbing lighting effects like Harding’s constellation- like patterns and streams of light that cast a daydream onto a scene. Over several days, he documents the light, noting on its location at various times, making sketches and smaller digital prints to get a broad idea of what he wants to attain. Harding takes long exposures and oftentimes uses steam or fog machines to give the light a distinct form, giving him the ability to “writing with light.”
In a 2010 interview with Holy Ghost Zine, Harding talks about his attraction to experimenting with light: “I chose to make photographs because it is a medium where the image is made from light itself. Making pictures helps me further examine what light may be and why we are curiously drawn to it.”
-Marianne Salza, Panopticon Gallery Intern
In a 2010 interview with Holy Ghost Zine, Harding talks about his attraction to experimenting with light: “I chose to make photographs because it is a medium where the image is made from light itself. Making pictures helps me further examine what light may be and why we are curiously drawn to it.”
-Marianne Salza, Panopticon Gallery Intern
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