This photography project draws inspiration from HP Lovecraft's short story, Ex Oblivione, delving into a dream world where decrepit buildings and twisted trees dominate the landscape.
A sick, elderly man in his dreams faces a locked gate, which he finally passes through using a mysterious drug, only to find an endless white void beyond. This Lovecraftian narrative inspired my series of pinhole and darkroom photographs, which embrace surrealist horror through hazy, unsettling imagery reminiscent of Silent Hill's fog-shrouded environments. The work draws from my lifelong connection to horror—a genre that resonates deeply with queer individuals who identify with "the other." I incorporated my transitioning body into the landscapes, using nature as a metaphor for transformation while exploring themes of change found in horror narratives. The darkroom process allowed me to create ethereal effects that merge these elements of horror, identity, and physical metamorphosis into a cohesive photographic exploration.
Mediums and Methods
This project involved a lot of experimentation in the darkroom. I used pinhole photography, using a camera made out of an oat can. The blurry and soft images are some of these, movements from me holding the camera for the minutes it takes to expose. I used film which I often projected over or under negatives. I turned digital photos into negatives on transparent film to bring them into the darkroom. And I also used found film photos (where the children come from).
Lots of layering and collage were involved as well, such as the painstakingly cut-out trees and windows which were also incorporated.