honorable mention
Nicolas Bruno united states
title
Between Realms
Nicolas Bruno studied at Purchase College of New York, where he received his BFA in Photography in 2015. His studio practice is based in Northport, New York, where he photographs and fabricates props for his compositions. Bruno weaves together his terrifying experiences of Sleep Paralysis with surreal self portraiture in a therapeutic translation of night terror to image. His constructed worlds of uncertainty exist on plane between waking and sleeping, where he is tormented by a physical embrace of the subconscious and its perils, all while being paralyzed in bed. Influences of 19th century Romanticists, historical texts of occultism, and dream symbolism lace each composition with various visual dialogues of the macabre.
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entry description
Sleep paralysis is a phenomenon occurring in between wakefulness and sleep, in which the body becomes immobile. When awaking in a paralyzed state, the individual becomes plagued by terrifying hallucinations. These frightening experiences overwhelm the senses while the ability to move or escape is lost. Bruno finds a means of subduing these night terrors through self portraiture. By recreating scenes from these dreams, Bruno finds therapy in a transformation of nightmare to image. Handmade props and costumes lend a hand to the symbolism portrayed within each piece. Bruno becomes multiple characters within each work by using a composite layering technique. His characters, halfway submerged within water, describe the aspect of being stuck between sleep and consciousness. Influences of 19th century Romanticists, historical texts, occultism, and dream symbolism lace each composition with various visual dialogues of the macabre.about the photographer
B. 1993Nicolas Bruno studied at Purchase College of New York, where he received his BFA in Photography in 2015. His studio practice is based in Northport, New York, where he photographs and fabricates props for his compositions. Bruno weaves together his terrifying experiences of Sleep Paralysis with surreal self portraiture in a therapeutic translation of night terror to image. His constructed worlds of uncertainty exist on plane between waking and sleeping, where he is tormented by a physical embrace of the subconscious and its perils, all while being paralyzed in bed. Influences of 19th century Romanticists, historical texts of occultism, and dream symbolism lace each composition with various visual dialogues of the macabre.
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