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Dreaming Of Le Gibet: hallucinatory works by British artist James Dean Diamond

Dreaming of Le Gibet is described as a magical journey that unravels the mind at sleep. Featuring 26 black and white photographic pieces, the "hallucinatory" works by contemporary British artist James Dean Diamond will be exhibited in an upcoming show at London's 12 Star Gallery.

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All images courtesy of the artist. Via Creative Boom submission.

All images courtesy of the artist. Via Creative Boom submission.

Inspired by the music of the French classical composer Joseph-Maurice Ravel (1875–1937) and, in particular, his piano piece ‘Gaspard de la Nuit’ (‘The Keeper of the Night’), the haunting images aim to parallel the obscure nature of dreams. Similarly, Diamond’s approach to creating atmospheric harmonies, instrumental textures and effects are in line with Ravel’s spatial models of time.

Using the urban environs as the subject to illustrate a state of mind, the artwork oscillates between figuration and abstraction. Rather than employ digital methods, Diamond conceives the work in film, with formal rigour, over a period of five years.

Shooting in London and Paris, he begins the process by assessing the surroundings in order to calculate the distribution of light from each surface. The camera is repositioned, slowing with multiple exposures – up to 200 exposures within a single frame – and structures, constructions, surfaces, space and scale are overlaid to make a ‘unified composition’. The results are both eerie and beautiful in equal measure.

Dreaming Of Le Gibet runs from 25 April - 4 May 2018 at 12 Star Gallery, Europe House, Westminster, London.

Abstract black and white photographic composition of overlapping urban surfaces and textures by James Dean Diamond
Black and white photograph showing overlapping urban architectural structures and surfaces with grainy, layered textures creating a dreamlike, abstract composition
Dense urban landscape with tall buildings obscured by overlapping photographic exposures, creating an ethereal, dream-like black and white composition
Rain-soaked urban street at night with blurred building lights and bokeh effects in black and white
Abstract black and white photographic composition with overlaid architectural forms and light streaks creating a hallucinatory dreamlike effect
Abstract black and white photographic composition with layered urban structures and multiple exposures creating a dreamlike, hallucinatory effect
Multiple photographic exposures of urban architecture layered to create an abstract, dreamlike composition in black and white
Blurred monochromatic image of shadowy figures walking through an urban street, created through multiple film exposures to evoke a dreamlike state
Grainy black and white photograph of a tunnel interior with a small rectangular opening glowing with light, surrounded by layered urban surfaces and multiple exposures creating an abstract, dreamlike composition
Multiple film exposures of an urban landscape blend buildings and figures into an abstract, dreamlike composition in black and white
Ghostly silhouettes of figures move through a hazy urban landscape with layered architectural forms in this abstract black and white photograph
Black and white abstract photographic composition with blurred architectural forms and light spots creating a dreamlike, ethereal effect
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