Stephen Albair a stranger in a dream

ART

Stephen Albair a stranger in a dream

Photographs that aim to tap into the viewer's unconscious mind

CAMILLA RUSSELL

Dreams, symbolism and multi-dimensional layers are the themes in US photographer Stephen Albair's current exhibition, Stranger in a Dream, a collection of photographs inspired by an atmospheric interlude where objects are coupled with juxtaposed figures that both excite and confuse the viewer.

Exhibited at Kathmandu Photo Gallery, the photographs return to the realm of metaphysics and the power of the unconscious to link separate entities together in a perverse symbiosis of definitions. Albair's first exhibition in Asia reflects an innate desire to grapple with the human psyche, ultimately demonstrating the paradoxical loneliness that may arise when presented with recognisable images brought together unexpectedly.

"It's more about ideas, and each photo does have a conceptual undertaking, because they start out as narratives and each photo has its own separate story," he explained. Paraphrasing Edgar Allan Poe's quote about what can be seen and not seen being merely reflections of a dream within a dream, Albair acknowledged that he enjoys playing with this notion of parallel meanings.

"I like being able to spin a narrative around images and while they are not specific, people can still relate to the photos," said the photographer, who is based in New York.

Regarding his first exhibition in Asia, Albair admitted he had Asian motifs evident in a few of the pictures, such as Buddha statues, orchids or Chinese figurines to reflect the environment of the host country.

"Each photograph is also specific in its autobiographical references to me. I have a twin sister, so there is always this concept of dual identity in my work," he added.

Referencing the photo Betting on Love, that depicts a porcelain swan with a deck of cards on its back, flanked by shells, Albair explained that the shape of the shells and the symbol of the bird were symbols of love.

"This photo is about breaking up in a relationship and then going back to that place where you were comfortable again. People were engaged by this photo at the opening, but each person found a different meaning," he explained, reflecting the fact that in Thailand the swan has a different meaning than it does in the US, so the story told by the picture can be different for each viewer.

Forsaking digital technology, the pictures in this exhibition were taken with a simple point-and-shoot film camera. Albair confessed that he took a few hundred photos of each scene before being satisfied with the results.

Actual people are absent from the images, although each photograph is riddled with objects persuaded to interact with other objects in a strange marriage of concept and aesthetics. Albair said that in reality each object is only a few centimetres tall, however in the photographs they are enlarged, like illusions in the landscape of a dream.

Returning to the idea of doppelgangers and their role in his work, Albair explained that he revels in the abstract and in symbolism as a means to dissect the human unconscious. By playing with ideas of photography as a medium concerned with images alone, he deliberately uses objects that will tap into the viewer's mind, acting as references for long forgotten thoughts and feelings.

"That's the key to all of these photographs. All of the objects and images are very simple, so people can easily identify with them, however in doing so they recall personal memories too," he explained.

'Stranger in a Dream' is on show at Kathmandu Photo Gallery, Pan Road, until January 27. For more information, call the gallery on 02-234-6700 or email kathmandu.bkk@gmail.com