James Allan Mirage

Mirage is a series of digital photographs that investigates ideas of real and imagined landscapes. Through the use of symbolism and by evoking the senses this exploration discloses landscapes as both place and experience. The process of shooting through a diffuser of convex glass creates a ghostly presence that takes you into an ethereal world. This practice allows for the collision of photography and painting as expressive forms; they are as much photographs as they are paintings. The series references Chinese Zen landscape paintings of the Southern Sung School. The artist Gerhard Richter influenced my approach to photography, blurring boundaries between painting and photography.

Influencing artists: Gerhard Richter, Hiroshi Sugimoto