I discovered the artist Hiroshi Sugimoto who is a photgrapher. His photos of the dioramas from the Natural History Museum in New York, inspired me. I Love the way the animals look alive and even though i like working in colour, the black and white make the photos work better. Sugimoto has done other photographs but its the dioramas that link in with the work that i like to do, as i like working with the animals from museums and the concept of his work i like.
“Upon first arriving in New York in 1974, I did the tourist thing. Eventually I visited the Natural History Museum, where I made a curious discovery: the stuffed animals positioned before painted backdrops looked utterly fake, yet by taking a quick peek with one eye closed, all perspective vanished, and suddenly they looked very real. I’d found a way to see the world as a camera does. However fake the subject, once photographed, it’s as good as real.” – Hiroshi Sugimoto.
I like the way he has changed the perspective of the dioramas, from the animals looking fake to making them seem alive but just taking a photo, i find that incredible.
