Gateways by Ryan Draybuck

Issue 174

Gateways is a photographic exploration of constructed spaces. Building on a miniature scale, I am able to bend and shape light in ways that are not typically possible when walking around the world with a camera. Utilizing the camera’s forced perspective allows me to create illusions of reality.

Projections of my mindset can be seen affecting the physical traits of these constructions. Many of the settings pictured are transitory, seemingly without a destination or place to rest. I use the water and sky in some images because they are ever-evolving, things which cannot be recreated the same way. Potential futures and the wonder of the unknown are themes which bleed into the work.

I think of this project as a way for me to map my mind. The images in Gateways can be viewed as standalone, but viewing them in sequences can convey different stories to a viewer.

Ryan Draybuck (he/him) lives and works in Chicago, IL.
www.ryandraybuck.com | @ryandraybuck