Nightlights
By alan hunter
18 Aug 2008
Artificial light charts the urban landscape at night. It reveals spaces we might otherwise miss or care not go and brings life to the lonely, dark, and mysterious. As we rest, bulbs illuminate the empty spaces like crime scenes in waiting. I'm fascinated with the moods created by the eerie glow of artificial light sources and the uncanny spaces they inhabit. The purpose of a nightlight is to guard us, bringing a sense of safety and security to places we fear at night. Yet the light from these "nightlights" often brings about an uncomfortable, supernatural presence. In this series of photographs I wanted to draw attention to the generic, dark, urban landscape we are frequently too "sleepy" to see; to expose the strange places our conscience often steers us away from.
Still and threatening, these spaces serve as backdrops for outsiders, insomniacs, criminals, oddballs, and those with no other place to go. Experiencing a bit of insomnia myself lately, I've been very drawn to this idea. Where do the restless go while the restful sleep? What happens in these spots when no one is around? What will happen after I leave? I want to be a witness to the places that commonly go unnoticed.
These shots were made digitally (with my D80), drawing inspiration from artists like Gregory Crewdson, Lynne Cohen, Thomas Ott, Gottfried Helnwein, David Lynch, John Carpenter and many of the masters of modern horror and film. My hope is that the images generate more questions than answers�leaving the viewer to explore the uneasiness and uncertainty of moments between "then" and "now" and the imaginative possibilities of the photographic process.
