Alchemy project for Rankin and D&AD 2012
The brief:
Focusing on the cross over between texture and photography, create a fashion story or special feature for The Hunger Magazine.
We asked ourselves, how can something still come alive? What process, what technology is able to do that? And we found ourselves in the depths of philosophy and hermetic science. We thought of alchemy and the more we researched this theme the more alchemical processes we could see around us. It’s everywhere. It describes all kinds of transformations from micro to macro. The transformation of elements and the creation of the philosopher’s stone; psychological processes from confronting the Shadow within to attaining the Self archetype; the belief of ancient taosists that a man, who knows how to adapt and direct his mind force, can transform mobile mercury into stone. And how the light creates images in photography as well.
We were excited about creating an interdisciplinary project.
The artistic part of our story describes the trip of the soul based on the alchemical Magnum opus. It consists of four stages, each describing different aspect and performed by the symbolic image of a bird. The stages are nigredo, albedo, citrinitas and rubedo. We go from the subconscious, where all the dark aspects lie, to finding inner wholeness and discovering one's true nature.
The brief:
Focusing on the cross over between texture and photography, create a fashion story or special feature for The Hunger Magazine.
We asked ourselves, how can something still come alive? What process, what technology is able to do that? And we found ourselves in the depths of philosophy and hermetic science. We thought of alchemy and the more we researched this theme the more alchemical processes we could see around us. It’s everywhere. It describes all kinds of transformations from micro to macro. The transformation of elements and the creation of the philosopher’s stone; psychological processes from confronting the Shadow within to attaining the Self archetype; the belief of ancient taosists that a man, who knows how to adapt and direct his mind force, can transform mobile mercury into stone. And how the light creates images in photography as well.
We were excited about creating an interdisciplinary project.
The artistic part of our story describes the trip of the soul based on the alchemical Magnum opus. It consists of four stages, each describing different aspect and performed by the symbolic image of a bird. The stages are nigredo, albedo, citrinitas and rubedo. We go from the subconscious, where all the dark aspects lie, to finding inner wholeness and discovering one's true nature.
PHOTOGRAPHY