Magical Realism By Photographer Collin Pollard

The work of American photographer Collin Pollard is concerned with the color-blocked details of his city. He captures and crops architectural moments from San Francisco, editing his photographs later with photoshop to enhance their colors, amplifying his vibrant aesthetic.

Pollard’s images often focus on the sharp, angular details of a building as opposed to its whole: fences appear layered against building corners, and looming clouds are reimagined in window reflections. By removing images from their context and isolating specific details like color and line, Pollard invites the viewer to appreciate details that we might otherwise miss. “It is not what you see, but how you, as a person, choose to see it”, he stresses. “These unique landscapes are reflective of my personal way of processing our fast paced and ever changing world”. As he creates more work taken during afternoon walks, the photographer finds himself drawn further to the theme of magical realism. His intention is to create a unique narrative between the viewer and the world, one where “a new context [exists] for these average spaces to thrive in”. Pollard’s photography therefore is not only an exercise in composition, but also an examination of the interaction of color, shape, and texture in a world where such details can be overlooked—which, as Pollard demonstrates, is to the viewer’s detriment.

All images © Collin Pollard