Tranquility

The Elements of the Sublime

These are images I took as a form of continuation from my last project, which placed emphasis on a fictional space and finding comfort within loneliness.

A eulogy of the specific that represents all and sundry, A universal human, A place of the sublime.

Our orientation and sense of well-being is dependent upon an unfathomable concept of serenity.

The horizon line is like an optical abstraction. A skyline that exists but doesn’t. The sheer beauty and appreciation at the sight of a void, split in the middle by a line of alignment. This is a figment of the spiritual.

Oceans where feet may fail, Oniru beach 2021

Paradise became a fiction whilst Isolative reality began to set in, freedom became an illusion, my room became the enigma I was yet to crack.

At times it felt like I was lost at sea, my bed became a chain anchor slowly restraining me from gaining any form of creative positivity.

Finding a sense of purpose within my physical confinement allowed me to project such emotional distress unto objects or emotional focused activities as a form of coping mechanism.

Caspar David Frederich

The Wanderer above Sea Fog (1817)

Majority of the time I tend to capture images from behind focusing on the character’s blindspot placing much more emphasis on the character’s and surrounding elements.

Having based my work on identity it leaves a breeds curiosity but it lets you enjoy the beauty within the unknown.

The narrative captured within this image is like a calm distant foggy memory that allows the viewer to travel with the artist in this case Caspar David Frederich, through all that fog and haziness. 

The composition captivates the attention of the viewer to question certain elements within my photographs, for example in the image titled ( The Lost Wanderer), There has been a lot of questions in regard to why the character decided to run? Why run towards the ocean rather than the shore?

What is he after or is he trying to escape from an irrefutable fate? Why is a black man clothed in white clothing, is there something deeper than the image is letting on? This is a reflective piece which pulls your attention onto the frozen horizon.

The Lost Wanderer

Clinging onto hope.

Taking elements such as colour and light from Casper David Frederich and Hiroshi Sugimoto, the sun is the primary source. The cloud and fog seem to be diffusing the light, meaning it is not a strong and direct light like the midday sun on a clear day.

This is considered to be a “good” light to shoot and paint under, as it provides enough light for you to clearly see all the colours but not so much to wash out the colours.

In actual reality the colour white is known as the colour of peace, purity, innocence and simplicity.

I felt the colour white helped to virtually push the notion that the character was running from issues much bigger than oneself, A literal symbolism of a fresh start. 

In my modern day reality it represents a country (Nigeria) that runs in circles around its problem rather than face it head on.

There is the migration, freedom and slavery aspect to this idea of the sublime which I touched on in my university sketchbooks but for now this is all I am letting on , if you are interested in art and migration take a look at John Akomfrah’s work but as for me Till next time.

Thank You for reading.