ALLEGORIES

A L L E G O R I E S C O L L E C T I O N

narrative photographs - a story in a frame

Most western pictorial art represents a moment in time a ‘snapshot.’ - this collection is radically different. The subjects may appear more than once, but in this case, my purpose is not so much to tell a story as to add context and depth of meaning - to illustrate a relationship and reveal an unfolding of a situation.

Showing the subject multiple times in the same frame may be unique in the world of photography, but it's part of a long tradition in Western art. Known as a ‘Synoptic’ or ‘Continuous’ Narrative. A synoptic narrative (Latin: synopticus,) means "seeing or viewing together." Synoptic Narratives typically depict a single scene in which a character is portrayed multiple times within a picture to show that multiple actions are taking place. It is said that photographs capture moments in time, Synoptic photographs not only capture moments but assemble sequences of an episode.

Narrative art has fascinated me ever since my student years. A personal favourite is The Tribute Money, a fresco by the Italian Renaissance Master Masaccio. The fresco depicts a scene in which St Peter appears three times and a tax collector twice. It tells the Gospel story of Jesus directing Peter to find a coin in the mouth of a fish, in order to pay the temple tax. The story is illustrated at a glance, in a single frame, but to understand the story you need to be familiar with it.

In the same way, I create allegories that have meaning to me. The meaning to you will come from you alone, through your own eyes and from your own lived and cultural experience.

All works in this collection are created from multiple images that I’ve merged together with digital photography, known as compositing.