14 DAY TRIAL // The wonderful world of photography is a place where you need a lot of inspiration if you want to make a statement. These days everybody calls themselves a photographer, but there’s a difference between producing clichés and coming up with something truly unique.
From the latter category comes photographer William Hundley which is the creator of a series of surreal series of photographs that depict invisible people hidden in cloth levitating around the world.
The series is called “Entopic Phenomena” and supposedly depicts people hidden from sight, disguised in flying cloths or flags visiting certain places around the globe.
The idea behind the series is quite philosophical and might have been borrowed from Albert Camus himself. Camus was a French writer who belonged to the “absurdism” current.
Proponents of this philosophical way of viewing the world, claim humanity will eventually fail in discerning the meaning of life and finding a purpose of existence.
This is exactly what Hundley wants to transmit to viewers of the “Entropic Phenomena” photographs – humans aren't capable of knowing everything, the world is too great and we are too small, therefore we will never be able of truly knowing the purpose of being.
The Austin, Texas-based artist claims his work was heavily inspired by two famous absurdist figures, Maurizio Cattelan and Erwin Wurm.
Hundley imagined what people’s reaction would be in front of an "invisible" person, who chose to become visible by wearing a cloth. This can be seen in several of the photographs.
In one the odd figure is being photographed like a star, while in the other it is completely ignored by a homeless person, while her dog is barking at it.
But what does the name of the project mean? The Entopic Phenomena consists of visual effects whose source is within the eye itself. It appears that under suitable conditions light falling into the eye will render visible certain objects within the eye itself. These particular experiences are called entopical.
The interesting part is because entopic images are caused by a phenomena taking place in the observer’s own eye, it can be considered they are related to optical illusions and hallucinations, since the observer can’t directly share his/her specific views with others.
So the idea behind the photo series is that everything is a matter of personal perspective, something that philosophers have called “Qualia.”
Check out the surreal gallery below and let yourself be transported into a world of wonder. As the poet used to say “I don’t want realism, I want magic.”
