Skimming the Surface

Laverty shifts focus to the environment itself in Skimming the Surface, using his signature scanning and panorama techniques to isolate objects, compositions, and phenomena. Although his shadow or presence is not visible, his movement, influenced by gait and balance, shapes the warped and curved forms, impacting the outcome of each scan. The resulting flattened, elongated compositions stretch and distort the visual field, evoking abstract, almost painterly qualities that explore the boundaries between representation and abstraction. These images may resemble aerial or drone photographs, but they are created using Laverty's ground-level technique, drawing comparisons to Andreas Gefeller’s topographical scans. However, where Gefeller’s work often focuses on meticulously detailed overhead perspectives, Laverty's scans amplify the viewer’s engagement with the subtle shifts and transformations occurring within the frame, reimagining familiar spaces from a continuously evolving vantage point.

Skimming the Surface challenges the viewer to consider the surface as not merely a boundary but as a dynamic space where meaning and interpretation fluctuate. Laverty’s work in this series expands the dialogue between photography and painting, between the physical and the ephemeral, offering a fresh perspective on how we perceive and relate to the world around us. Through these explorations, Laverty continues to push the boundaries of contemporary art, crafting images that are at once visually striking and conceptually rich, resonating with the ongoing evolution of photographic practice.