ArchivePhotography
Reflections by Photographer Naruki Oshima
A series titled Reflections that tests our relationship with the everyday. In these photos we see a transparent layering effect where the original topic becomes more and more distorted.
Environments are of obvious interest to any designer, for example how we use and function in a space. But it also makes me ponder how these spaces transcend the room itself, not just the inside but our interaction from the outside and how this alters our perception. One trend in modern architecture is to open up a space using glass as a facade, acting as an outer covering (aka curtain wall). These days it’s often used in urban settings where space is a commodity and light needs to be let in from all angles, but it can also be used purely for aesthetic reasons.
Photographer Naruki Oshima (born 1963, Osaka, Japan) has produced an interesting series titled ‘Reflections’ that tests this perception and our relationship with the everyday. Through these photos we see a transparent layering effect on the buildings, where the original topic becomes more and more distorted the further we look in. The results are visually stunning, a mixture of big-city situations, from buildings and airports located in Dusseldorf, Frankfurt and Osaka. Despite them being photographed in an urban setting, nature is certainly present, filtering in through the transparent surfaces and imposing its presence on these structures. I think this distortion is one very appealing aspect, maybe it makes you think differently about the world we live in, I also like how it’s led on to some of his future projects.
His newest series for example is titled ‘haptic green’ and is focused entirely on the natural landscape, which is quite a jump from the sort of work we see here today. Maybe this is saying something about the photographer himself, the battle between man-made and natural. Whatever way, when Oshima photographs a subject it’s fantastic how he plays with light and shade, there’s a subtle link to reality but at the same time they’re pure abstraction. A great twist! For now I’ll leave you to browse his website and his series ‘Reflections’ below. This series looks like it’s ongoing as it dates back to 2002 on his website, so do enjoy flicking through.
