Five Photographers from Aesthetica Art Prize Explore Identity, Environment, and Abstraction

The Aesthetica Art Prize annually showcases innovative creatives, with five photographers highlighted for pushing the medium's boundaries. Alice Duncan's 'Black Hole' was created at Lake Mungo, Australia, on traditional lands of the Barkandji/Paakantyi, Mutthi Mutthi, and Ngiyampaa people, a site of ongoing dialogue between Aboriginal communities and settlers since ancient human remains were discovered in the 1960s. Alexej Sachov, a Ukrainian-German artist and diver, advocates for environmental protection through 'Chronicles of an Emerging Diversity,' merging photography and painting to depict man-made underwater species born from waste. Heather Agyepong's 'D is for…' draws on psychiatrist Carl Jung's concept of 'the Shadow,' exploring repressed aspects of personality in a work that is both personal and universal. Kumi Oguro's series 'Hester' creates a world adjacent to daily reality, with models' faces often obscured, balancing between childlike and sensual, playful and tragic. Geoff Titley's 'Decomposition' examines the shift from natural to technological and physical to virtual as worldviews become more abstract. The prize is open for entries until 31 August 2024, offering a £10,000 award, exhibition, and publication opportunities.