Landscapes of The Interior Development
2015-2026
1. Observation and the Emergence of Attention (2015–2017)
Figure 1 Early Interior Study, 2015
Figure 2 Domestic Observation, 2016
Figure 3 Object Grouping Study, 2017
The earliest works (see Fig. 1–3) are grounded in direct observation of everyday environments. At this stage, photography functions as a tool of attentiveness, recording objects and interiors as they are encountered. These images demonstrate an emerging sensitivity to light, framing and the quiet presence of domestic materials.
This early phase resonates with Bachelard’s notion of the house as a site of memory and reverie, where intimate spaces give rise to poetic reflection (Bachelard, 1994). The photographs begin to register this dimension, as objects and interiors take on a contemplative quality that exceeds their functional role.
By 2017, the work shifts toward more deliberate composition. Objects are arranged in small groupings, and the photographic frame is used to organise relationships between forms. This marks the emergence of still-life as a method of inquiry, where meaning arises through relational proximity rather than isolated depiction.
2. Still-Life and Material Presence (2018–2019)
Figure 4 Still-Life Study I, 2018
Figure 5 Still-Life Study II, 2018
Figure 6 Material Study I, 2019
Figure 7 Material Study II, 2019
In 2018 and 2019 (see Fig. 4–7), the practice develops into a sustained engagement with still-life conventions. The tabletop becomes a consistent compositional stage, and attention is directed toward balance, colour and form. Objects such as ceramics, textiles and domestic utensils are selected for their material qualities, including texture, weight and surface.
This phase aligns with Heidegger’s concept of the “thing” as that which gathers a world (Heidegger, 1971). The objects in these photographs are not inert; they function as centres of meaning that disclose relationships of use, care and dwelling. The still-life becomes a site in which material presence is foregrounded.
At the same time, the work reflects Yanagi’s philosophy of the beauty of everyday objects, in which modest, handmade items embody sincerity and aesthetic value (Yanagi, 2013). The ceramics and domestic materials retain their functional origins while being recontextualised within a photographic field.
3. Interior Space and Relational Fields (2020–2021)
Figure 8 Interior Space Study I, 2020
Figure 9 Interior Space Study II, 2020
Figure 10 Spatial Relationship Study, 2020
By 2020 (see Fig. 8–10), the work expands to include a broader understanding of interior space. The still-life extends beyond the tabletop to engage with walls, furniture and spatial depth. The interior is no longer a neutral setting but an active environment in which objects, surfaces and light interact.
This shift introduces a phenomenological dimension, where spatial relationships and perception become central. The image operates as a field rather than a fixed arrangement, and objects are understood in relation to their environment.
Figure 11 Presence and Absence I, 2021
Figure 12 Presence and Absence II, 2021
Figure 13 Relational Interior Study, 2021
In 2021 (see Fig. 11–13), the project engages more explicitly with presence and absence. Objects are arranged in ways that suggest meanings beyond what is visible, and the spaces between them acquire significance. This development resonates with Freud’s account of the unconscious, in which objects can function as symbolic substitutes, carrying latent meanings related to memory, desire and interiority (Freud, 1919).
4. Experimentation and Assemblage (2022–2023)
Figure 14 Studio Experiment I, 2022
Figure 15 Studio Experiment II, 2022
Figure 16 Object Arrangement Study, 2022
Figure 17 Lighting Experiment Study, 2022
In 2022 (see Fig. 14–17), the photographic studio becomes a site of deliberate experimentation. Objects, lighting and composition are actively manipulated, and the images function as tests of relational possibilities. The still-life is no longer observational but experimental.
This phase aligns with Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of assemblage, in which heterogeneous elements—objects, surfaces, light—interact to produce a field of intensities (Deleuze and Guattari, 1987). Meaning emerges through these interactions rather than through fixed symbolic structures.
Figure 18 Interior Landscape Study I, 2023
Figure 19 Interior Landscape Study II, 2023
Figure 20 Interior Landscape Study III, 2023
Figure 21 Interior Landscape Study IV, 2023
Figure 22 Interior Landscape Study V, 2023
By 2023 (see Fig. 18–22), these experiments coalesce into a more recognisable visual language. Domestic objects—ceramics, vessels, flowers and fabrics—are arranged to form compositions that function as interior landscapes. Objects gather and incline toward one another, creating relational fields shaped by proximity, rhythm and light.
5. Theoretical Integration and Studio Practice (2024–2025)
Figure 23 Studio Composition I, 2024
Figure 24 Studio Composition II, 2024
Figure 25 Object Field Study I, 2024
Figure 26 Object Field Study II, 2024
Figure 27 Interior Field Study, 2024
In 2024 (see Fig. 23–27), the work enters a more structured phase of studio-based experimentation. The photographic process becomes increasingly controlled, and theoretical frameworks are more explicitly integrated into the practice.
The work synthesises multiple strands of thought:
- phenomenology (Heidegger)
- assemblage theory (Deleuze and Guattari)
- psychoanalysis (Freud)
- craft aesthetics (Yanagi)
Figure 28 Interior Landscape (Resolved) I, 2025
Figure 29 Interior Landscape (Resolved) II, 2025
Figure 30 Relational Field Study I, 2025
Figure 31 Relational Field Study II, 2025
Figure 32 Material Presence Study I, 2025
Figure 33 Material Presence Study II, 2025
Figure 34 Interior Landscape (Final Study), 2025
In 2025 (see Fig. 28–34), this integration becomes more fully realised. The still-life operates as a conceptual field in which material, spatial and symbolic elements converge. Objects are approached as “things” that gather presence, as assemblages that produce relationships, and as forms that evoke interiority and desire.
The practice also resonates with the work of Margaret Olley, whose interiors demonstrate how objects accumulate meaning through proximity and time (Drury, 2005), and Joseph Cornell, whose assemblages create poetic constellations of objects within confined spaces (Solomon, 1997).
6. Resolution: The Interior as Landscape (2026)
Figure 35 Landscapes of the Interior I, 2026
Figure 36 Landscapes of the Interior II, 2026
Figure 37 Landscapes of the Interior III, 2026
Figure 38 Landscapes of the Interior IV, 2026
Figure 39 Landscapes of the Interior V, 2026
Figure 40 Landscapes of the Interior VI, 2026
By 2026 (see Fig. 35–40), the project reaches a stage of resolution in which the domestic interior is fully articulated as a conceptual and visual landscape. The work demonstrates a synthesis of observation, experimentation and theoretical understanding.
Objects are no longer treated as isolated entities but as elements within a dynamic system of relationships. The interior becomes an active field in which presence, absence, materiality and perception are continuously negotiated.
The still-life is redefined as a form of “living ontology,” where the artwork is not a static representation but a site in which vitality emerges. The domestic interior becomes a landscape of relations, where objects, surfaces and materials participate in an ongoing process of becoming.
Conclusion
Landscapes of the Interior traces a movement from observation to conceptual integration, demonstrating how photographic practice can function as a method of research. Through sustained engagement with domestic objects, interior space and material relationships, the project repositions still-life as a dynamic and relational form.
The work reveals that the interior is not simply a physical space but a field of experience in which objects, bodies and materials gather to produce meaning. In this way, the project establishes still-life photography as a site of inquiry into presence, relationality and the subtle vitality of everyday life.
Reference List
Bachelard, G. (1994) The Poetics of Space. Boston: Beacon Press.
Deleuze, G. and Guattari, F. (1987) A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Drury, N. (2005) Margaret Olley. Sydney: NewSouth Publishing.
Freud, S. (1919) The Uncanny. London: Hogarth Press.
Heidegger, M. (1971) Poetry, Language, Thought. New York: Harper & Row.
Solomon, D. (1997) Utopia Parkway: The Life and Work of Joseph Cornell. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Yanagi, S. (2013) The Beauty of Everyday Things. London: Penguin.