On first glance, Theo Deproost’s Lost In Time series appears to be a collection of impressive landscape shots: documenting sharp peaks and undulating hills or highlighting the textures and colours of mountain ridges. In actual fact, they are close-up shots of objects from Museum in the Park, Stroud – what he calls “a large and eclectic stored collection, not on public display – exploring the beautiful, the slightly unsavoury and the frankly bizarre.” The resulting works, shown here, blur the lines between landscape and still life.
The process is meticulous and involves a high level of technical skill. Deproost has to take hundreds of individual photographs of each object; it’s the best way to achieve a consistently focused image and pick out unique details. “Throughout nature there are countless similarities of form, colour and structure, where the only real difference is scale,” Deproost explains. “These images explore the great landscapes of a smaller world; one that we cannot physically walk through, but can still experience and appreciate.”
Deproost continues to delve into the UK’s vast array of collections, including that of London’s Royal College of Physicians and the Museum of the Home in Hoxton. There, tennis balls meld with crystal structures; synthetic flowers glow pink; leather caps, medical equipment and tools transform into unrecognisable, undulating shapes. The goal is to put overlooked objects centre stage, encouraging audiences to engage with their stories and historical significance from a fresh perspective.
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All images courtesy Theo Deproost, from Lost in Time.
