Matthew Albanese's profile

Strange Worlds

Behance.net
Photography
 
email me:
albanesematthew@yahoo.com
 
Please check out my new official artist website for updates, news, publications, works in progress and exhibitions. Thanks again to everyone for the great support! Stay tuned for new work!
www.matthewalbanese.com


My work involves the construction of small-scale meticulously detailed models using various materials and objects to create emotive landscapes. Every aspect from the construction to the lighting of the final model is painstakingly pre-planned using methods which force the viewers perspective when photographed from a specific angle. Using a mixture of photographic techniques such as scale, depth of field, white balance and lighting I am able to drastically alter the appearance of my materials.
 
If you are a fan of my work please visit my facebook fanpage here:
Matthew Albanese fanpage
 
 
 
Pre-order my book Strange Worlds which inclueds two new unpublished works, "Trainwreck" and "My Dream Your Nightmare" 

 
 
 



 
On press with Matthew Albanese: Strange Worlds at Lazy Dog Press
 
 
"Box of Lightning"
 
Thanks everyone! To achieve the lightning effect i built a large box with a plexiglass face painted black. I then etched out the lighting so light could pass through. I wanted the lighting bolt to be the only light source in the image visit www.matthewalbanese.com to see the actual diorama.
"How to Breathe Underwater"

Diorama made out of walnuts, poured and cast candle wax, wire, glitter, peanut shells, flock, plaster, wire, dyed starfish, compressed moss, jellybeans(anemones), sponges, wax coated seashells, toothpaste,
clay, figs, feathers, Q-tips, nonpareils. Surface of the water was created using vinyl shower curtain, plexiglass and clear epoxy. The reflected sunlight effect was created using a video projector through fake fog. The white balance was set for tungsten allowing the sunlight to appear bright and clear while the strobes provided a deep blue shift in the fill light regions. The lens was covered with a piece of blue stretch wrap which created subtle distortions throughout the image. A total of 11 light sources were used including the projector.
This is a test shot for my new piece "How To Breathe Underwater" The purpose of this is to determine how well the materials and lighting will work together. The lighting was achieved using six different strobes various filters and video projection. The challenge now is applying this to a larger scale. The coral is made out of wire, tulle, beads, cast wax, jellybeans, fabric glitter, preserved starfish & walnuts. This image has not been Photoshoped.
New Life #1
New Life #2

Diorama made using painted parchment paper, thread, hand dyed ostrich feathers, carved chocolate, wire, raffia, masking tape, coffee, synthetic potting moss and cotton.
"Wildfire"
 Diorama made from wood, moss, yellow glitter, clear garbage bags, cooked sugar, scotch-brite pot scrubbers, bottle brushes, clipping from a bush in bloom (white flowers) clear thread, sand, tile grout (coloring), wire, paper and alternating yellow, red and orange party bulbs. 
"DIY Paradise"

cotton, salt, cooked sugar, tin foil, feathers & canvas.

For information on upcoming exhibition follow this link:

www.winkleman.com/exhibition/view/1899 
Palm Detail
Palm Trees (detail test shot) 
styled feathers
"Icebreaker"
Ingredients:

25 pounds of sugar cooked at varying temperatures (hard crack & pulled sugar recipes) It's basically made out of candy. salt, egg whitescorn syrup, cream of tartar, powdered sugar, blue food coloring, india ink & flour.
Three days of cooking, and two weeks of building.  Purchase this piece here 
 Matthew Albanese on Igavel
 
Icebreaker detail
"Everything We Ever Were" It took two months to store up enough fireplace ash to create this lunar landscape.  The darker rocks are made of mixed tile grout, flag crumpled paper & wire. The Earth is a video still projected onto the wall.  Inspired by the Apollo 11 mission.
Tornado made of steel wool, cotton, ground parsley and moss
Paprika Mars. Made out of 12 pounds paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili powder and charcoal
volcano, "Breaking Point", made out of tile grout, cotton, phosphorous ink. this model volcano was illuminated from within by 6-60 watt light bulbs. 
Burning Room, Made of wood, nylon, plexiglass, purchased dollhouse furniture. The model was actually set on fire to achieve this effect. 
Sugarland, Made out of 20 pounds of sugar, jello and corn syrup. The crystals were grown in my studio over the course of two months.
"Salt Water Falls" Model made out of glass, plexiglass, tile grout, moss, twigs, salt, painted canvas & dry ice. The waterfall was created from a time exposure of falling table salt. 
Fields, After the Storm. This model is simply made out of faux fur(fields), cotton (clouds) and sifted tile grout(mountains). The perspective is forced as in all of my images, and the lighting effect was created by simply shifting the white balance.
Aurora Borealis. This one was made by photographing a beam of colored light against a black curtain to achieve the edge effect. The trees were composited from life ( so far the only real life element in any of these images) The stars are simply strobe light through holes in cork board.
This one is a mixture of many different materials, tile grout, moss, bottle brushes (pine trees) Actual clippings from ground cover and was built on top of  standard outdoor patio table (water glass).  The sky is canvas painted blue. Coloring was again achieved by shifting white balance.
Mars # 2. Again, Paprika, cinnamon, thyme, chili powder, charcoal,  This is the first landscape I ever created.
This was another experimental view of mars. The materials, paprika, cinnamon and chili powder (planet) and coffee and sugar (starfield) were sifted over the floor of my studio.  The planet was photographed from 12 feet in the air. Although it looked cool, I abandoned this flat method of modeling because in the end I felt it too illustrative next to all the other landscapes.
Above the B.Q.E,  Model is made of painted plaster sky has been composited

Strange Worlds
Published:

Strange Worlds

My work involves the construction of small-scale meticulously detailed models using various materials and objects to create emotive landscapes. E Read More

Published:

Creative Fields