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Street Photography is, certainly, a snapshot of urban life observed in its daily facet and that includes all its aspects: irony, tragedy, unpredictability, cruelty and even beauty.
Alex Coghe - all rights reserved
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REALITY REMADE (2011)
In 2011, I embarked on Reality Remade, a body of work that sought to illuminate the ephemeral nature of existence through photography. Using innovative techniques, I explored the concept of creating ghosts: ethereal entities that linger between the realms of life and death. By employing an external flash triggered remotely, combined with deliberate camera movements of my Olympus Pen and slow shutter speeds, I infused my photographs with a sense of transience and spectral presence. This experimental approach allowed me to capture moments where the boundaries between the living and the departed blur, offering viewers a poignant reflection on the fleeting nature of our existence. While rooted in Street Photography, the work transcends the genre, incorporating philosophical and metaphysical observations about life and death. These are not street photos for their own sake.
The themes explored in Reality Remade laid the foundation for deeper investigations into life, death, and cultural traditions, particularly during my documentation in Oaxaca during the Día de Muertos celebrations. Amidst the vibrant rituals and honoring of ancestors, I further examined these concepts, enriching my artistic vision with cultural insights and emotional depth. After releasing Reality Remade, I was contacted by an Italian photographer who expressed great admiration for the series and mentioned his intention to replicate my techniques. Later, I noticed others adopting a similar approach. I wasn’t offended by this; rather, I took it as a form of recognition.
For me, Reality Remade represents the true starting point of my vision as a photographer. It demonstrated that Street Photography can address profound and meaningful themes, far deeper than what is typically associated with the genre.
