TITLE: The Playground Series

The Playground Series

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.

AUTHOR: Francisco Diaz Deb Young (United States)

The International Collaboration Project
Described as "disturbingly beautiful”, their images have given rise to the term "cinematic narrative photomontages.” In pushing boundaries, Diaz + Young’s radical approach to collaborative montage is unique in photographic history. They don’t use models, props or set-ups, but create from totally random images. Though separated by more than 8,000 miles, their collaborative process encompasses working together remotely in real time on one piece and viewing through each other’s camera.

Their collaboration is based on gender equality to both redress the imbalance of woman in the art world and to infuse their narrative work with a masculine/feminine sensibility. Many series are plot related not just theme related, with an underlying lo-fi sensibility.

They are the face of 21st century digital photography where art photographers collaborate from different corners of the globe, blending creative energies as an example of true cooperation amongst global strangers in these difficult times.

The prestigious book, “Fossils of Light + Time”, published In 2015 also included their work. Commencing 2016, Diaz + Young were signed to representation by the legendary Susan Spiritus Gallery and are also working with Gilman Contemporary. Their first exhibition with Gilman Contemporary runs until January 20, 2017.
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