Contact Photo is pleased to announce the U.S. debut solo exhibition of Sydney-based street photographer Sam Ferris. His show, Staring at the Sun, will open on Saturday, October 19th, from 5 to 8 p.m., with the artist present. The exhibition will feature photographs spanning the last decade of Ferris' work, centered on his home city of Sydney, including images from his sold-out monograph, In Visible Light.
At first glance, it's hard to identify the key element in Ferris' photographs. Is it the distinct Sydney light creating ink-black shadows and radiant highlights? The reflective skyscraper surfaces, which he uses to form intricate apparitions of his subjects? His rhythmic compositions and play with scale, lending his work dramatic depth? Or perhaps the movement of pedestrians and their shadows, which Ferris weaves into the frame like pieces in a collage?
It may be all of the above. Ferris' "decisive moment" occurs when these elements collapse into a singular image, forming a beautiful puzzle—an intricate game of hide-and-seek that invites the viewer to connect the dots. His photographs challenge the audience to decipher their meaning, reveling in the surreal, kaleidoscopic compositions that are both elegant and complex.
For Ferris, however, beneath the visual glamour, Sydney teeters on the edge of darkness. It's a city where the cost of living has never been higher, and a pervasive sense of anxiety is acutely felt. "For me, it's in the minutiae: the rush to and from the office, the struggle for work-life balance, the tedium of the daily commute, the packed street corners at peak hour when masses gather but never connect. It's in those fleeting collisions and moments of chance that exist for just a fraction of a second, never to happen again, and in the brief gestures or expressions that let the facade slip."
Ferris' photographs evoke a sense of isolation. Whether seen as reflections, shadows, or direct subjects, the Sydneysiders in his frames often appear in multiples yet rarely connect. They avoid each other's gaze, each looking in a different direction. Sharp lines divide them, as if they are enclosed in glass-like cells. Ferris captures these scenes with poetic sensitivity, offering dignity and attention to the experience of urban solitude.
About the Artist
Sam Ferris (b. 1985) is an Australian-born, Sydney-based photographer. He completed an Honors degree in the Arts, earning the Vice Chancellor’s University Medal and an Australian post-graduate scholarship to research and work at the University of New South Wales. His move to Sydney in 2010 marked the beginning of his profound engagement with photography. In 2018, he co-founded the Aussie Street Festival, and in 2021, he joined the Burn My Eye Collective. He is the author of two photobooks, In Visible Light (2021) and Rain Rain Go (2024).
Ferris’ work has been exhibited internationally and featured in numerous publications. His Sydney portfolio was included in the Thames & Hudson compendium Reclaim the Street (2023), edited by Matt Stuart, and in 100 Great Street Photographs (2017) by Prestel Publishing, edited by David Gibson.
He has been featured in Epic Revue Magazine, Leica Fotographie International Magazine, and other prominent periodicals such as Internationale, The Guardian, Lonely Planet, The Sydney Morning Herald, Photo Review Magazine, Capture Magazine, and Eyeshot Magazine, to name a few.
In 2023, Ferris won the City of Sydney Australian Life Photography Prize for his image On the Way to Inspections. He has previously won prizes at StreetFoto San Francisco (2017), the LensCulture Street Photography Awards (2021), and Trieste Photo Days Projects and Portfolios (2023). He was also a finalist in the Head On Photo Festival (Portrait and Landscape categories) in 2020, 2021, and 2023, the Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize (2019), the Olive Cotton Portrait Prize (2023), and the Gomma Publishing Black and White Award (2023), to name a few.
Sam Ferris' solo exhibition Staring at the Sun is hosted by NYC-SPC (NYC Street Photography Collective) and curated by Jorge Garcia and Bora Kim.
Contact Photo is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting lens-based artists by providing a space for them to learn, create, and exhibit work.
This exhibition was made possible by Printique, with their generous donation of printing and mounting services.
Staring at the Sun
Solo Exhibition by Sam Ferris
On View: Oct 19 - Nov 7, 2024
Opening Reception: Oct 19, 5 - 8PM
In-kind support provided by Brooklyn Brewery
Location: Contact Photo (51 Porter Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237)
Gallery Hours:
Tuesdays - Fridays: 12 - 7pm
Saturdays: 12 - 5pm
Sundays - Mondays: Closed
This exhibition is made possible with the generous support from our sponsors:
Printing and Mounting provided by Printique Printique.com
In-kind support provided by Brooklyn Brewery BrooklynBrewery.com
