"Ships in the Night" in the time of Covid

It’s pretty quiet right now for a lot of small creative businesses and it’s no different for me, an architectural, interiors and fine art photographer. The beauty of having two parts to my practice is that when one part is quiet I can focus on the other. For the time being, while I’m not shooting on site much I’ve been reflecting on, planning and researching my fine art projects.

For the last three years or so years I have been making work about isolation and the reasons for its prevalence in our society. I’ve looked at it from many perspectives: environmental, societal, emotional and psychological. The research opportunities are fascinating and unending and I suspect I will continue to explore this idea for a long time.

In the first half of 2018, I made “Ships in the Night” which looks at Isolation in an urban environment. Little did I know back then just how apt it would become in the time of Covid, in 2020. It might not be exactly 1.5 meters I’ve depicted but it’s pretty close…

“I am drawn to cities and never tire of capturing their beauty, overt and hidden. There is a certainty in the symmetries, patterns, colours and forms that is familiar and comfortable. 

The city holds great appeal for me yet I feel an imbalance.

As our cities grow and sprawl, so too does our sense of isolation and loneliness. The rural villages of connected communities have given way to vast metropolises of concrete and steel, overflowing with profoundly disconnected, lonely individuals. Disconnected from each other and from nature.”

Tiffany & Co Chadstone for Paper House Productions

I realise it’s February already but Happy New Year! I thought i'd start the year with something a little different - aesthetically anyway. Following the opening last year, I shot the new Tiffany & Co store at Chadstone for the lovely people at Paper House Productions. Here’s a few images from the shoot in the classic high-key Tiffany style.

Marion Apartments by MOS Architects

Just down the lane off Gertrude from a favourite wine bar by the same name, the Marion Apartments by MOS Architects have been crafted by Lazcon Build from an old red brick warehouse. Shot back in June with styling by Jacquie Lazzarotto. I can imagine living here, although the proximity to Marion and Tamura Sake Bar suggests I’d be eating out a lot! And for the folk that know me well, yes, it’s my bike.

"Ships in the Night" for Immerse 2019

Immerse is an art exhibition that transforms the City of Knox into a living art gallery. Extraordinary art takes over every day spaces - inviting the public to encounter the unexpected.

1 – 29 September, 2019

Download the Immerse Program

Ships in the Night

I am drawn to cities and never tire of capturing their beauty, overt and hidden. There is a certainty in the symmetries, patterns, colours and forms that is familiar and comfortable. 

The city holds great appeal for me yet I feel an imbalance.

As our cities grow and sprawl, so too does our sense of isolation and loneliness. The rural villages of connected communities have given way to vast metropolises of concrete and steel, overflowing with profoundly disconnected, lonely individuals. Disconnected from each other and from nature.

Installation images by Samara Clifford. With thanks to Knox Art & Events

Another Clifton Hill House

Winter typically brings on a social media hibernation for me and this winter has been no different! A little bit of sun and the hint (subtle, I know) of warmer weather to come has coaxed me back to my journal. I’ll start by sharing a residential project shot on a freezing August day in Clifton Hill. The house, designed by architect Jeremy Coggin (Jeremy and You), interior design by Meredith Lee and built by House Hold Design & Build. Styled by Meredith Lee with clients own furniture.

The Hive by Heatherwick Studio

Not only did I take myself off to Kampung Admiralty in January; I headed to the other end of Singapore to see “The Hive” by Heatherwick Studio at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). The Hive or Learning Hub is a building designed to challenge traditional learning environments and provide a dynamic mix of social and learning spaces for students. There are twelve towers (of dim sum baskets, so says the taxi driver) holding tutorial rooms that surround a large atrium of curved, greened terraces, which offer informal spaces for students to gather. I could go on about the environmental considerations, concrete construction, passive air-conditioning and generous greening but I’ll just show you the pics instead. Another remarkable, architectural highlight in my travels. Oh and it was Saturday, if you’re wondering where all the students are!

WOHA's Kampung Admiralty - 2018 Building of the Year

I was fortunate to take a quick trip to Singapore earlier this year and more fortunate still to sneak away for a few hours to shoot WOHA Architect’s Kampung Admiralty - named 2018 World Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival. And rightly so. The building is mixed-use, combining social housing with commercial and retail spaces (food, medical etc) and includes a remarkable, terraced green roof. The stacked terraces include a kids playground, an outdoor gym, peaceful gathering places and a community farm, together providing a community park for residents and visitors. I barely scratched the surface in the few hours I spent there but impressed I was. Hot, but impressed.

SAHMRI

Last year I spent some time - not enough time - with the stunning South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) building in Adelaide, by Woods Bagot. What can I say, it reminds me of my beloved Esplanade Theatres in Singapore with it’s graceful curves and striking geometric facade. How could I not love it? I plan to return later this year to spend some on the inside but in the meantime, here’s what I saw.