Of Dark and Bright

This series explores the quiet feelings of isolation and anonymity in the modern city. The journey begins at sunrise, capturing a world where human connection feels increasingly distant. The structural anchor for this project is a photograph of a man dressed entirely in red, walking past a street sign that reads "Byron." This unexpected encounter inspired a deeper exploration of the streets through the lens of Romantic poetry. Like Lord Byron’s famous use of poetic chiaroscuro—including in "She Walks in Beauty"—these images rely on a strict balance of opposites, where "all that's best of dark and bright" meet on the pavement. As the day moves from morning to afternoon, harsh sunlight and heavy darkness leave individuals shrouded in shadow. Amid these deep, dark tones, the colour red acts as a warning thread. As in Byron's work, it introduces a feeling of emotional distance and quiet danger, echoing the "crimson flame" the poet used to paint scenes of high drama and psychological tension. Each photograph functions as a visual poem, capturing a brief story where people may appear physically close but remain emotionally apart. Byron described the city as a place for seeing and hearing everyone, but having no real emotional connection to anyone. Embracing this chiaroscuro technique serves to isolate individuals within the frame, creating stories that reveal the invisible walls we build around ourselves in a crowded, high-contrast world