Centro Verso

About

To accompany the exhibition Blachford has, for the first time, stepped outside the medium of photography and is producing 5 large scale, one off sculptures. Teaching himself to use CAD software, 3d printers, and microprocessor programming, Blachford has created physical manifestations of his dystopian cyberpunk cities, suspended above the gallery space and extending his creations into the physical realm. 

The show will be Blachford’s first in his home city in 3 years having exhibit in Sydney, New York and London since the launch of the final series of his popular palm Springs based Midnight Modern series in 2016. 

For this latest body of work photographer Tom Blachford has turned his eye and signature style of nocturnal photography towards his home city of Melbourne, Australia. 

The images, glistening in purple and blue hues, appear to be collages of multiple cities around the world, blended into one impossible dystopia. In reality the images are all single exposures taken in this case from 55 floors in the air from a carefully selected rooftop in Central Melbourne.

Inspired by Escher as well as the impossible cities of the Sci-Fi and Anime Genres, Blachford says, “I am fascinated by how one simple tweak can completely shot-circuit our brains ability to perceive depth, perspective and time”. 

Blachford’s work is rooted in his fascination for the camera to act as a bridge between our world and dream worlds that are just out of reach of our senses. By using a long lens, extended exposure times, and rotation, the images are able to transport cities into their own cyberpunk metropolis, defying logic and engineering.