New York photographer Randy Scott Slavin has joined hundreds of photographs to create distorted views of American cities and landscapes (+ slideshow).
Named Alternate Perspectives, the images present a series of panoramic views that curve around to form impossible circles.
Places depicted include the Empire State Building and Battery Park in New York, as well the region of Big Sur and the Redwood National Park in California.
The photographs are on show at the Kristen Farrell gallery in New York City until 12 August.
Other surreal photography we've featured includes images of impossible buildings and photographs of rooms shot from the ceiling.
Here's some more information from the exhibition organisers:
360-Degree Landscapes Bend Reality
Randy Scott Slavin’s “Alternate Perspectives” Opening in Soho at Kristen Farrell with Music by Hesta Prynn
Opening, July 25th runs until August 12, 2012
“Alternate Perspectives,” a photography exhibition opening Wednesday, July 25, 2012, from 7:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at Kristen Farrell in New York, will feature the dramatic, uniquely circular panoramic landscape images of award-winning filmmaker and photographer Randy Scott Slavin. The large-scale landscapes were taken around the United States ranging from Big Sur to the New York City skyline. The photographs are noted for their 360-degree circular view, creating a visually stunning and surreal take on familiar landscapes.
Having spent years as a commercial and music video director, Slavin’s “Alternate Perspectives” series was recently discovered by the media and new collectors, one of whom, celebrity jewelry designer and goldsmith Kristen Farrell, invited Slavin to create a collaborative exhibition in her namesake Soho gallery setting. The two New York-based artists share a visual language, which has been described similarly as surrealist, alchemical, otherworldly and futuristic.
Slavin’s circular panoramic digital technique is a way of seeing only made possible through digital methods and is an orientation he masterfully devised after much experimentation. The time required to capture the images and then create the photographs, which can consist of hundreds of photos “stitched” together to create a single 360-degree image, matches the labor-intensive, artisan approach of Farrell’s traditional goldsmithing. For the opening, the jeweler will match one of her designs to each of Slavin's pieces.
Slavin's Process
Slavin's commitment to the craft of laborious fabrication and design is the basis for his status as a sought-after director. His videos have garnered millions of YouTube hits and his clients include MTV, American Express, Bank of America, VEVO, Universal Records, Atlantic Records and Island/Def Jam Records. Slavin is also a recipient of the prestigious South by Southwest Special Jury Award. Farrell’s work has garnered her notoriety as the personal jeweler to Giselle Bundchen, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jessica Alba, Bethenney Frankel and Janet Jackson.
“In my music videos, I’ve continually tried to take concepts to the next level, to push the ideas to be more engaging, moving to create stimulating imagery, so when I began shooting landscapes, I was compelled to push the traditional perspectives,” he explains. “After experimenting heavily with panoramic photography, I developed a technique that could realize my desire to turn the real into the surreal. The result is something rebellious, beautiful and provocative. The “Alternate Perspectives” series is a collection of the works culled from these photographic explorations.”
Long hours of scouting and planning for a location, and the rigors of hiking, climbing or enduring treacherous weather for the good of a shot at particular times of the day or season, in part, form Slavin’s process. “Scouting is one of the most meditative parts of the process and one which I really enjoy. Being from New York City, where the pace is blistering, there's nothing better then finding a beautiful spot and just watching the light change throughout the day,“ relates Slavin, “Sometimes a photo comes from weeks of planning and other times I stumble upon the perfect conditions by accident.”
“For example, I found the location for “Sea and Moon” while driving on the Florida coastline. I saw a jetty that looked beautiful and the sun was about an hour from setting. Perfect timing. I ran out to the end and set up my gear. It was beautiful and warm with a light drizzle but the sky was heavy with dark clouds. As the sun was setting there was a moment maybe lasting for ten seconds where the sunlight was so golden it felt unreal. A minute after I got the shot the clouds opened up and it started to pour.”
Slavin shoots with a Nikon D800 and the images are printed as Metallic Digital C prints mounted on non-glare Plexiglas in sizes ranging from 2 x 2 feet to 4 x 6 feet. Each of Slavin’s images is produced in signed, limited editions of 33.
In another collaboration, music for the opening and an after party at The Double Seven will be curated by NYC based DJ and dance-artist Hesta Prynn, whom the New York Post has called “M.I.A. and Miike Snow’s lovechild.” In addition to playing festivals including Bonnaroo and Coachella, Prynn DJ’s for an exclusive list of high-end fashion and corporate clientele. She is set to release new material later this summer featuring production by Mad Decent’s Derek “DJA” Allen.
The “Alternate Perspectives” opening event is open to the public from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at Kristen Farrell, located at 339 West Broadway, New York, New York.