Random Magic

I love discovering intriguing things that encourage me to think about the everyday in a different way or from a different perspective. 


Immersed in the Summer 2012 issue of TANK magazine, I came across a fascinating, ongoing photography project by Canadian artist Jon Rafman. Rafman scans every corner of the globe for inspirational, everyday occurrences, capturing fleeting, coincidental moments from around the world which he then curates. As curious viewers we are then invited to interpret the various situations. 



What is particularly remarkable about Rafman's work is that the images he edits are taken by Google Street View 's automobile cameras; an entirely neutral, automated perspective with no agenda from an actual cameraman. Rafman takes the raw material he finds particularly interesting and edits using techniques such as referencing older photographic styles, altering colour and composition or adding the digital aberration of a camera 'shake'.



The images explore a series of open-ended social codes and each photo portrays a unique perception of the world; some humorous, some poignant, some sinister, yet all images are incredibly thought-provoking. 


Google's premise is that Street View images make the world universally accessible, and Rafman's work brings us both the weird and wonderful of daily life as it unfolds before our very eyes. I have included a small selection of images from the 9-eyes.com project, but there are so many more to see! Go to http://9-eyes.com/







    

No comments:

Post a Comment