Everyone knows I LOVE Palm Springs its one of my happy places!
Midnight Modern captures this special place with a truly unique eye in a very special light!
Melbourne based photographer Tom Blachford latest solo exhibition is the reward of months of rigorous and dedicated negotiation to gain entry into to access Kaufmann House house in Palm Springs, California.
Using moonlight as his sole lightsource, Blachford’s portrait of the the Kaufmann House is one of fifteen famed Palm Springs homes featured in his first Sydney solo show, which is the third installment of his M idnight Modern series. Shot over two separate trips in 2015 and 2016, the series is a unique portrait of iconic midcentury houses and rare cars, executed in Blachford’s signature cinematic aesthetic that he has developed over seven trips to Palm Springs.
The work in Midnight Modern seems to sit outside of time. The scenes, devoid of any people, create a stillness that shines a spotlight on the architectural and cultural significance of the homes, yet leaves the viewer with a sense of unease, a sense that a story unknown may be going on behind closed doors.
Among the houses included in the series are Frank Sinatra’s Twin Palms Estate, the Wexler Steel houses and the Frey II house.
“To me, Palm Springs is like a living shrine to a lifestyle of sun, cocktails and hedonism. It has functioned for so much of its life as a Mecca for lovers of design, and I wanted to capture a darker side,”
