Mark Kimber - The Pale Mirror

The Pale Mirror radiates with drama and atmosphere. To create these images Kimber made small, hand-built dioramas, which were then interpreted through a combination of 19th and 21st century photographic techniques. The resulting works transcend their humble material origins to become pictures of epic tales, which explore the “hypnogogian” state that exists between wakefulness and sleep.

The simple analogue qualities of a plastic camera has been used to create works that have a “half-remembered’ quality to them, as if filtered through layer upon layer of memory and forgetfulness. Kimber builds on photography's ability to manipulate "truth" and its relationship to memory rather than it's often thought of strength to "objectively record". These photographs draw inspiration from early German expressionist cinema, its imagery forged from both beauty and loss seen through the fog of memory.

The dark scenes are shot through with mysterious, radiant beams of light that illuminate as much as they obscure. The focus is soft, the mood perilous and uncertain. You wouldn’t want to be alone here, approaching the unknown. Sailing ships are tossed upon rough seas, deep forests glow with min min lights and mountains seem creacked open by radical beams. The tales these works tell are elusive. The light serves to illuminate nothing as genres, eras and geographies blur into unfamiliar familiar territory.

Mark Kimber has been exhibiting since 1986. He has had numerous solo exhibitions and has exhibited internationally. He is the Studio Head of Photography and New Media, South Australian School of Art, University of South Australia. His work is collected in various public and private collections including the National Gallery of Australia, Art Gallery of South Australia, Artbank, Art Gallery of Western Australia, Parliament House Collection, Monash Gallery of Art, Albury Regional Gallery and the London Institute.