Beneath showcases Ceitas Atelier’s Prologue, research into Australian artists, and an index of stimuli to effectively curate it’s desired presence.
Prologue
Design - Christian Duyckers
Investigative Research, Conversations
Maps That Melt The Memory of Ice
Visual Compendium - Ceitas Atelier
Shells, 2024.
Photographing seashells is more than a way of admiring their beauty; it is a means of engaging closely with the details of the natural world. The camera forces attention to aspects often overlooked: the intricate spirals, the subtle ridges, and the way light plays across the surface.
A shell, so small and seemingly simple, becomes a study in texture, form, and pattern, revealing both complexity and order. Through photography, it is possible to explore the tension between fragility and resilience, impermanence and permanence, surface and structure. Seashells carry histories that are rarely obvious at first glance. Each one is the remnant of an organism’s life, shaped by currents, tides, and time.
Photographing them invites reflection on these processes, as well as on human interaction with nature.
Collecting shells or arranging them for photographs raises questions about our desire to possess and categorise the natural world. Photography mediates this interaction, allowing us to examine these objects while preserving the context of their origin—or, in some cases, transforming it entirely.
Creative experimentation further expands what seashell photography can accomplish. Extreme close-ups can render a familiar object almost unrecognisable, turning ridges into landscapes and spirals
into endless pathways. Water, dew, and reflective surfaces introduce movement and light that challenge the notion of a shell as a static object. These choices illustrate how photography mediates experience: it allows us to explore the ordinary in extraordinary ways, questioning assumptions about scale, beauty, and significance.
Ultimately, photographing seashells is a negotiation between observation and interpretation. It highlights the tension between what is given and what is perceived, between the material reality of the shell and the narrative created through the lens.
Each image becomes a site of enquiry, prompting reflection on form, meaning, and human perception. The act of photographing transforms these small, often overlooked objects into subjects of artistic exploration and philosophical contemplation of time. These photographs, like the illustrations, engage with this enquiry of time and, more specifically, demonstrate how this exploration has shaped the project.
A shell, so small and seemingly simple, becomes a study in texture, form, and pattern, revealing both complexity and order. Through photography, it is possible to explore the tension between fragility and resilience, impermanence and permanence, surface and structure. Seashells carry histories that are rarely obvious at first glance. Each one is the remnant of an organism’s life, shaped by currents, tides, and time.
Photographing them invites reflection on these processes, as well as on human interaction with nature.
Collecting shells or arranging them for photographs raises questions about our desire to possess and categorise the natural world. Photography mediates this interaction, allowing us to examine these objects while preserving the context of their origin—or, in some cases, transforming it entirely.
Creative experimentation further expands what seashell photography can accomplish. Extreme close-ups can render a familiar object almost unrecognisable, turning ridges into landscapes and spirals
into endless pathways. Water, dew, and reflective surfaces introduce movement and light that challenge the notion of a shell as a static object. These choices illustrate how photography mediates experience: it allows us to explore the ordinary in extraordinary ways, questioning assumptions about scale, beauty, and significance.
Ultimately, photographing seashells is a negotiation between observation and interpretation. It highlights the tension between what is given and what is perceived, between the material reality of the shell and the narrative created through the lens.
Each image becomes a site of enquiry, prompting reflection on form, meaning, and human perception. The act of photographing transforms these small, often overlooked objects into subjects of artistic exploration and philosophical contemplation of time. These photographs, like the illustrations, engage with this enquiry of time and, more specifically, demonstrate how this exploration has shaped the project.
Photography - Christian Duyckers
Stimuli Index
Ceitas reliably credits these artists where due. The use of these images is purely for innovative purposes, cultivating as an index of stimuli.
Published on the occasion of the exhibition: "New Itineraries", Musée de'Elysée,
Lausanne, June 13 - September 8, 1991
Measurements: 58.6 × 92.7 × 36.7 cm
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Purchased, 1985.
©The estate of Inge King
David Noonan, 2017, Common Editions.
Jungjin Lee, 2025
Sidney Nolan, 1940.
Oil on canvas, mounted on composition board, 73.3 x 88.2 cm
Barbara Hepworth, London, 1943-1958.
Plaster on wood base.
12 ⅞ x 15¾ x 11⅞ in
Hashimoto Naotsugu, 2003. 11.2 × 6.2 cm
Alexander Calder, 1936.
Lignum vitae, walnut wood, paint and steel rods.
51⅞ x 24¼ x 11⅜ in
Deborah Turbeville, 1976.
High Diver I
Gerhard Richter, 1965. Oil On Canvas 190 x 110cm
Provoke Group, Tokyo, Nitesha, 2023
Magenta is a curated reflection on the subtle tensions of relocation—where the familiar and unfamiliar
quietly intertwine. A theme of displacement quietly immerses itself within a temporal analysis of personal
and collective memory.
Though absent from the visible spectrum, magenta emerges in the mind’s eye, born of earth and spirit.
Metaphysically, it becomes a bridge: between compassion and transformation, between what is known and
what is becoming.
On a metaphysical level, Magenta Shift becomes a silent dialogue with my younger self. A prominent focus of the work lies in natural imagery. By incorporating photographs of the sky, plants, animals, and people within these environments, I invite the viewer to engage with my search for solace—an emotional undercurrent communicated through these recurring elements. This focus stems from a deep-rooted pursuit of nostalgia, which is central to the project. Given the themes of displacement and memory, I am instinctively drawn to representations of wildlife, nature, and personally significant objects and individuals—components that echo my past in Australia.
The decision to transform the project into a physical photo book arises from a desire to create something tangible and enduring. In alignment with this goal, I not only designed and printed the book but also handprinted the cover as a serigraph, further emphasising the material and conceptual weight of the work. The cover features one of my photographs—two boys sprinting after a football in a local park—which I believe encapsulates the spirit of the project. As noted earlier, my interestlies in the concept of nature, particularly human nature. This photograph, I believe, embodies thatidea in a compelling and accessible way.
Several artists have informed and inspired my approach to documentation. Central to my practice is the need to create something tactile, something that can be "touched" in both physical and emotional terms. Artists such as Isamu Noguchi and Claudio Pogo serve as key influences in this regard. I reference Noguchi for his intuitive yet calculated approach to material, scale, and form—his ability to create with intentionality resonates deeply with my process. Likewise, Claudio Pogo’s commitment to handmade printing techniques aligns with my desire to forge a physical connection between medium and concept. Finally, with the inclusion of my hand-printed serigraph, I sought to complete a conceptual loop
within the project. Inspired by the invigorating work of Kingsley Ifill, I created a print that functions
not only as a representation of Magenta Shift’s conceptual essence but also as a material artefact
that embodies its themes. By collaging several photographs from the project, the print invites viewers to interpret what is visually and conceptually discernible. The visible patches of lighter and darker tones, achievable only through serigraph printing, underscore my intent to create a tactile connection with the viewer. Conceptually, these tonal variations also represent the fragmented and fading nature of childhood memories—gaps that I attempt to reconstruct through the photographs in the book.
©© 2025 Christian Duyckers. All rights reserved.
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