SAMUEL HODGE

Watching the red ‘sold’ dots breaking out on the walls of Alaska Projects like chicken pox, one could be left in little doubt that Samuel Hodge is fast becoming a very collectible artist. Within 30 minutes of its opening, the single print photographs were all but gone, as hipsters from all walks of life jostled to get a look at what was left. This latest show is a robust collection of Hodge’s work – from dreamy landscapes to whimsical still life, Sydney to Berlin. The artist, who moves between the gallery context and print and online publishing (he has published four monographs to date), is recognised for his lo-fi aesthetic – light leaks, blurring and over- or under-exposure often playing a central role in the works. There is a sense of disorienting nostalgia and intimacy in the images; they evoke a yearning not for the past as such, but for a different present, or a moment of timelessness, as though we have been plunged into someone else’s memory. Hodge’s subtle and well-honed eye has demonstrably matured in this show, his framing, light and subjects all reflective of a artistic process belied by the seeming spontaneity and even idleness of the images’ composition.

Until Jan 22, Alaska Projects, Level 2, Kings Cross Car Park, 9a Elizabeth Bay Rd, Elizabeth Bay, alaskaprojects.com