Maggie Evans 
The Parisian sky is a bright and clear blue, but John Kosmopoulos‘ Infrachroma series makes it seem like the sun has been replaced by pink-colored gas. It’s not quite sunset, because there are no shadows on the ground or other signs of impending darkness. Instead, everything takes on a surreal hue from John’s use of infrared photography to capture the world in an entirely different light that emphasizes both its beauty and its fragility. His photos transform these places from a familiar space to new and unrecognizable landscapes, while still looking strangely beautiful in their other-worldliness. Kosmopoulos captures a fresh perspective on well-worn Parisian treasures through his infrared photography taken in the familiar and unfamiliar.
What starts as a familiar landscape from the Arc de Triomphe to the Eiffel Tower and Versaille’s gardens becomes uncanny and surreal when seen through infrared photography.
In an interview, Kosmopoulos tells My Modern Met
“When a familiar scene like the gardens of Versailles is made familiar-in-parallel through surreal, symbolic and sensory artistic expressions, a perceptual twinning occurs that liberates the imagination to explore the power of place as a beautiful and colorful other-world.”
From an early age, the Canadian photographer has been drawn to moments of beauty and transcendence in everyday life. As a result, he’s spent his career seeking out these extraordinary instances which are often hidden from view or overlooked by others as they roam through their day-to-day lives. His photographs capture our attention with unexpected grace that shows us something beautiful we might not have otherwise noticed without him pointing it out to us.
Kosmopoulos pushes himself creatively each time he steps behind the camera lens because he wants viewers to feel what he feels when looking at images – namely powerful emotions like joy mixed with gratitude for being alive on this earth.
But, the beauty of these photos goes beyond expectations. His mastery over infrared photography transforms flowering greenery into cotton candy-like plants, and that in turn creates an intense sensation for viewers. Thinking outside of the box is often what gives new perspectives.
