Metropolis Abstracted is a new series of abstract photographs which incorporate contemporary architecture found in New York and other great metropolises of the world. The series sets itself apart from my other work in that the photographs are pre-visualized and images are captured specifically for use in this series. Many of the architectural details in particular would not work compositionally on their own, but when abstracted become visually powerful images.
Each photograph in the series is composed of exactly one image, they are not a montage of images. The single image is reflected on itself in an uncomplicated process that yields fascinating results. In a 2022 interview with Widewalls Magazine about his upcoming solo exhibition of the series Andrew explains:
“With Metropolis Abstracted, I started to play with mirroring the close-up architectural details and facades. Each detail is captured with the express intent of forming a much more complex composition in the end. What I did not anticipate so much is that Metropolis Abstracted is really about the element of surprise. Looking at the single captured architectural detail, it may seem mundane and not very interesting on its own. But when the image is reflected, an entirely new and inherent structure and visual language emerge. People often comment that the images seem to be revealing a hidden symbolism, and they interpret the images in all kinds of ways. So they do become a sort of Rorschach test for the viewer, which is not something that I can honestly claim to be by design but rather an interesting by-product of the process and its effect on the viewer. Metropolis Abstracted is a more psychological series in that sense.”
Work began on Metropolis Abstracted in May 2020. The series is a work in progress, new works are being photographed and added as they are completed. Large-format photographs from the series are displayed at a scale of up to two meters in size. Metropolis Abstracted has been published at Artsy, Medium Format Magazine, Lens Magazine, and Widewalls Art Magazine. The series was awarded a jury selection at American Photography 37 in New York, and received honorable mentions at the Prix de la Photographie in Paris and the Neutral Density Photo Awards.