Florian Maier-Aichen (b. 1973)

Florian Maier-Aichen's practice of image making is a subversive reevaluation of photography. Using a combination of traditional photographic techniques and computer graphics, Maier-Aichen slightly alters each of his image to heighten the tensions between globalisation and virtual perception. As seen in the monumental scale of Untitled, the artist presents the viewer with a haunting yet poetic scene amidst an engulfing coastline, one that is lined with luxury homes expanding into the misty distance. Shot from an aerial view, the estranged vantage point is both alien and familiar; a sensation enhanced by the artist's compelling manipulation of colours and scale. By tinting the surrounding forest in an unnatural shade of red, Maier-Aichen casts an apocalyptic glow over the seascape, framing wilderness and human intervention as a scene of science fiction portent. In short, it is through his lens that Maier-Aichen recontextualises the romantic sublime to reflect modern day experiences.