To Max Slobodda, photography is a means to comprehend the world. In his series Stranger Things, his own vision guides us in a boldly surrealist universe.
Former street photographer Max Slobodda let go of spontaneous pictures in favour of strange staged scene, which he started practicing in his very first images. ‘I think in surrealism, there are no borders for the imagination so everyone can create their own interpretation of the work they observe’ the photographer explains, fascinated by the unexplainable. Facing his photographs, every one is free wander around, trying to explain away what those strange events mean. ‘In my street photography I have always tried to create surrealistic pictures, but you have to be very patient. Creating Stranger Things made me continue in this direction, but the staging scenes convey a even weirder atmosphere’.
Illogical explanation
Each picture defies logic, in a fantastic, playful and almost alienating ambiance. ‘For all that the human perceive, he needs a logical explanation. Even after thousands of years of illogical events, they still find it hard to let go’, the photographer jokes. The link between reality and imagination is strong in Max’s creations, making us question the way we see the world. ‘I want to let the incomprehensible be incomprehensible and not to force any logical explanations. I want people to let their emotions decide freely’. Oversaturated colours and mysterious objects suspended mid-air into a forced levitation, the pictures seem to mock us. But Slobodda seeks only to trigger our thirst for discovery. ‘I guess without curiosity, mankind wouldn’t be there right now, wouldn’t it?’
© Max Slobodda
