RYAN PETER FRENCH

"My work consists of digital collages that I create using photographs of my surroundings inspired by Guy Debord’s concept of Psychogeography- that is, the study of how one’s surroundings affects their psychological state. The photos are mainly from my walks around my home in the sprawling urban environment of Manchester; I then cut out various pieces and reconfigure them into huge collages depicting surreal, fantastical scenes.

I love architecture and structure. Often, this is all that is left of previous generations and the ideals they held, and in my most recent works I have been juxtaposing the permeance of stone and structure to the ever evolving nature of the internet; both are extensions of our expression as human beings and a way for us to extend ourselves into more 'immortal' ideas. Therefore, there is no more appropriate space to exhibit my work than in a virtual gallery, as the very nature of my work explores the boundaries between the physical and virtual.

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‘Pictures of the floating world’ is inspired by ukiyo drawings of the edo period in japan, which depict scenes of a hedonistic society. The term itself has a double meaning, as it’s homophone ukiyo (憂き世, "sorrowful world") denotes the earthly plane of death and rebirth from which buddhists sought release. Taking photographs of my hometown in manchester i have created fantastical structures. A futuristic, utopian city in the sky. It can morph and transform, like a flying fortress, an impossible kingdom." - Ryan Peter French