Sam Hutchinson's Ethereal Serotonin Climax Blurs Reality and Photography

Photographer Sam Hutchinson, born in Sunderland in 1993 and based in Leeds, explores unstable realities through his series Ethereal Serotonin Climax. Influenced by counterculture, skateboarding, and hardcore punk, he questions how images manipulate perception, particularly in contexts of authority. His work often uses semi-abandoned or post-industrial spaces, flattening perspectives and blending documentary with temporary sculptures. The series, published last year, includes images shot in Catalonia, Spain, and the UK, featuring subjects like a smashed screen from a building site lit by sunset. Hutchinson also edits Boot Mag and works at Village bookshop. He cites Baudrillard's simulacra as conceptually close to his practice, and argues that digital engagement with art objects makes sculpture in photography indistinguishable from sculpture itself.