This work was commissioned by the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria, and exhibited on the site of Melbourne Observatory as part of PHOTO 2021.

These works were made in the studio, shot on a rudimentary medium-format 1920s camera. With a nod to historic astronomy photography, early cinema and special effects, they are images of constructed dioramas, made out of simple materials to hand, depicting the cosmos: stars, planets, galaxies. The obvious clues of construction – light bulbs, electric cords, fishing lines etc. – remain visible. The images blur distinctions between macro/micro, and between horizontal and vertical planes.

The photographs are displayed in steel structures, designed with reference to photographic and scientific instruments such as spectrographs, heliographs and telescopes. One of the structures includes a circular aperture with an attached armature and mirror that creates an eclipsed view of the surrounding landscape and sky. 

Curator: Isobel Parker Philip. Design: Youssofzay + Hart. Fabrication: Custom Industrial.
The title is borrowed from a painting by artist Maria Cruz who had in turn borrowed it from a song and album by Yoko Ono.