Born in the USA Michigan 1953 Casebere was a regular student at Minneapolis University studying arts and design, and graduated in 1976. This lead Casebere to building miniature sculptures in the form of odd structures and hallway types, which he would eventually start to photography in ways which looked almost imaginary and as if it was created by AI. He uses simple materials which you could find at home, and use them to create complex models.

Casebere subjects that he designs are a lot of modernised houses which float on water, but are subject to a dark or naturalist background which to him is a way of representing the worlds environment which to him is a problem at the moment because of humans. So his work like Thomas Demand represents an essence of political and problematic meaning which relates to a lot of people. His inspiration had started from the eastern Mediterranean in Spain with their architecture becoming an interesting starting point for him, with some of their simplified but complex structures standing out, his models grew into extremely familiar dream like subjects. But in an interview with uzomah ugwu and Casebere, he described in his early life the drive or expression to build theses sculptures through his view on the suburban architecture and his father. where he said, “It started with my personal experience of space in the suburbs and the anxiety, and fear, inside my home”, talking about how his father was an introverted man who was unpredictable when he was angry. And Casebere’s way of expressing himself he implies was through creating sculptures, but also the fear of his father/parents being very lenient on him practicing architecture.

I personally like his work because of how he lays out his sculptures and how he photographs them, its as if they work in unison together to create an aesthetic image with some type of familiarity to it. Specifically the consistent use of water in his images and how his lighting reflects against the water, and just creates a sense of confusion and mystery to his images. But also when he photographs the inside of his sculptures he uses a lot of patterns and shapes which with his lighting makes it look nostalgic in a way. His work links a lot to Liminal space because of how some of his sculptures include the inside of “areas” which would include a familiarity to how it looks but also how some of the environment of his work is something you might have seen before. His consistent use in water contextually does link the the environment but without this context creates this docile sensation, as if the subject is out at sea without anything or anyone else, or it presents the feeling of abandonment and destruction because of unknown reasons. I will respond to his work with attempting to create my own type of sculpture which will convey the same feelings as Casebere’s work does. My idea for this will involve a type of “birthday party” type environment which will look empty and messy, and I’ll use different lighting to experiment how the image will look, and attempt to include artificial water or even try physical water to make a more realistic effect.

Thomas Demand

Thomas Demand is a German Photographer, who is known for his cardboard and paper models of docile areas, which include things like empty office buildings which have printers and computers like a regular office building, and other strange environments including unique settings. He was born in 1964 Germany and Throughout his education became interested in the practice of sculpture, where he found inspirational images through photographers like Hilla Becher, who’s work involved portraits of specific structures, and even sculptures like Richard Tuttle. As Demand developed his sculptures he consistently started using just paper, and found an interesting concept of environments which are common to what we use as people in society, like the inside of office buildings, and photographing them in a way which present an emptiness of people but a recognition of the environment. The meaning behind his sculptures are mostly political, and show an environment of political and historical instances. What’s interesting about his practice is that after he’s completed a sculpture and photographed it, but then destroying it, showing a disconnection between holding onto things, and represents value in its own way, but also creates a more valued image after he has photographed the environment.

In an interview with Will Wiles, the interviewer describes Demands work as, “his banal and ordinary environments often have sinister connections and meanings”, implying the mystery behind just the visual aspects of his work and how contextually it creates an off putting sensation, as if there is something slightly wrong or familiar but you don’t know exactly what. Demand goes on to say, “It triggers your picture library to spill something out,” which means that his work without knowing the context or meaning is supposed to present almost a sense of nostalgia/familiarity which creates a similar memory or thought to present itself.

What I personally like about Demands work is the concepts behind his work, and how he does sculpture environments just for fun, but rather with a meaning behind it (mostly political and emotional). For example this image above is called the “Corridor (1996)”, and is a representation of Jeffery Dahmer’s apartments. What’s specifically interesting about his design of his sculptures is that whilst it looks like a simple design it crates a sense of fear and eeriness, and is photographed at an angle which conveys the emotion that Demand wants to express in his sculptures and photographs. Furthermore, I like how Demand creates these sculptures just to photograph, and not for it to be a long living sculpture as he destroys it, which I personally think makes the image more distorted and uncanny. His use of depth, lines, and lighting all works together to create the representation of his images meaning.

Thomas Demands work can be related to the concept of “liminal space” because of the sculptures being visually transitional, as if you are the POV of the image walking through a hallway. But also how his work conveys the same sensations as Liminal space photography, which is through disconnection, and disorientation from first sight. I will respond to his work with attempting to create my own type of images that present this aesthetic of messy and empty areas which feel eerie, I will captures environments like docile office buildings and empty hotel hall ways which use the consistency of repetition in shapes and depth, as if it never ends, or there is an entrance to the unknown at the end of the hallway.

What is it?

Liminal space is the idea of transferring from one “thing” to another “thing” or also known as phasing from one to another, this can be explained through transport, like from your house to what ever your destinations going to be, everything in-between that is liminal space. Another example is emotionally, the transition from one emotion to another. OR even a building that is close to built, but not quite there yet aka “something that is on the boarder of being something”. This Concept of the “liminal space”, is observable because of its ability to be observed by someone within that present moment of witnessing the event or “thing” that might be occurring or present. But is also challenging because, it is for some people an uncomfortable state to be in or to even witness, because of its unpredictability and unknowingness it presents. Liminal space can be defined in many different ways and concepts, but there isn’t any set in stone place or thing that can be specified to being only liminal space, rather a part of it.

Where is a Liminal space?

A liminal space is once again the space between one area or “thing” to another, I’m using “thing” because it is literally what occurrence that is happening, and the space between it that defines “liminal space”. Examples of liminal space is a hallway, the space within one side of the hallway/building to the other. you could see it as the journey of the “aim”. Another example is the waiting rooms for an appointment, this could be the doctors, dentist, therapist, anything. Even a breakup is an example of liminal space.

The aesthetic of liminal space is also represented through abandoned areas, waiting rooms, empty office buildings and can easily be captured with a camera, but is challenging because of the timing, setting, and look of the image, which is commonly seen through grainy, foggy, or 1990’s – early 2000’s styled images.

What emotions does a Liminal space convey?

The look of a liminal space is supposed to be very creepy and uncomfortable, whilst showing a sense of familiarity within the image. This creates conflicting emotions which isn’t easily processable, so a lot of these images make people anxious, or others intrigued in what they are looking at and how it makes them feel that way.

Liminal spaces can express a lot of emotion depending on the setting and the aim behind the image. Mostly if there is an obvious subject or subjects in the image it is used to convey a specific emotion or connection between the subject and you. Others (mostly) are captured environmentally and used to put the person in that context to create these emotions intentionally of uncomforting and confusion, which puts people in a docile state.

Observe

The Concept of liminal space; areas that convey an eerie sense of nostalgia/familiarity.

Patterns; repetitive visuals, or frequent occurrences.

The sublime; nature, landscapes, natural but expressive areas/things.

Events; parties, meetings, festivals, common gatherings.

Society; people in their natural environment.

Seek

Freedom; areas or things that express freedom.

Happiness; things or actions that can be seen to create happiness, for example expressing it through pain, peace etc.

Peace; through nature, solitude, dopamine, serotonin.

Power; the cause for power, or gaining power (like politics).

Meaning; a hidden context behind something, even a tree, it has hidden meanings.

Adventure: Areas that show journey, with possibly no end.

Challenge

Controversy; race, gender, peoples views.

death; challenging the feeling of fear/pain.

Mental challenges; challenging temptation through addiction, illness, loneliness.

Competition; through achieving.