Beneath the surface of “The Playground Series” is an underlying tension cloaked in innocent fun that acts as a visual metaphor for a highly stratified world in which social relationships reflect a low degree of integration and meaningful interaction coupled with a high degree of isolation between individuals.
This tension emphasizes the notion that ordinary, everyday events increasingly tend to feel random and disconnected from a community, often resulting in apathy and alienation.
“For most of us growing up, playgrounds were more than a place for fun and games – they also provided a fast and hard lesson in how social structure works; they taught us how to be patient while we waited for our turn on the swing, while boys would chase and torment the new girl, and the nerdy kid would get bullied and left behind in sport games. In their surreal new series of photographs titled “The Playground Series”, international artists Francisco Diaz and Deb Young illustrate the innocent complexity of playground society.” (Writer Caro Buermann – Hi•Fructose Magazine)
“While a photo montage isn’t a new concept, most modern artists use the form to create surreal or fantastic images. What is different about this collaboration is an eerie sense of reality, which itself is an ironic refutation of photography as truth.” (Writer Teresa Politano – Inside Jersey Magazine)
About the authors:
Deb Young was born in 1963 and is an artist-photographer based in Auckland, New Zealand. She was awarded her Photographic Society of New Zealand Licentiateship by the PSNZ Honors Board. As part of The International Collaboration Project duo, Young has been published in L’Oeil de la Photographie, Lenscratch, Dodho, Hi-Fructose, The Photo Review, Ph Magazine and F-Stop Magazine.
Francisco Diaz was born in 1962 and is an artist-photographer based in New Jersey, USA. He graduated with his BA from Queens College and his MA from Adelphi University. As part of The International Collaboration Project duo, Diaz has been published in L’Oeil de la Photographie, Lenscratch, Dodho, Hi-Fructose, The Photo Review, Float and F-Stop Magazine.
