The International Collaboration Project
While a photo montage isn't a new concept, most modern artists use the form to create surreal or fantastic images. What is different about this collaboration is an eerie sense of reality, which itself is an ironic refutation of photography as truth.
– Teresa Politano, IJ Magazine
The idea that two artist photographers — one male, the other female — can work together while being separated by a vast ocean, is revolutionary — but such is the nature of this groundbreaking exploration, The International Collaboration Project by Frank Diaz (USA) + Deb Young (New Zealand).
In pushing boundaries, Diaz + Young’s radical approach to collaborative montage is unique in photographic history. Described as "disturbingly beautiful”, they seldom use models, props or set-ups, but create from totally random images. Though separated by more than 8,000 miles, their collaborative process encompasses working together remotely in real time on one piece and viewing through each other’s camera.
Their collaboration is based on gender equality to both redress the imbalance of woman in the art world and to infuse their narrative work with a masculine/feminine sensibility. Many series are plot related not just theme related, with an underlying lo-fi sensibility.
They are the face of 21st century digital photography where art photographers collaborate from different corners of the globe, blending creative energies as an example of true cooperation amongst global strangers in these difficult times.
Their work has caught the attention of prominent photographic publications from L'Oeil de la Photographie to Hi-Fructose magazine. The International Collaboration Project duo were chosen "International Photographers of the Year" with their work winning in 3 categories at the 6TH EDITION OF THE POLLUX AWARDS — the 3rd Biennial of Fine Art and Documentary Photography exhibition in Malaga, Spain. The Neutral Density Photography Awards gave the duo 1st place in the Fine Art - Photo Manipulation category, they were awarded the 9th Julia Margaret Cameron Award at the 4th Biennial of Fine Art + Documentary Photography in Berlin, included in Photolucida's prestigious Critical Mass Top 50 and awarded 1st Place and a Gold Medal at the Moscow International Foto Awards.
The prestigious book, “Fossils of Light + Time”, included their work and Diaz + Young were signed by the legendary Susan Spiritus Gallery, exhibited with Gilman Contemporary in 2017 and Z Gallery Arts in 2018. They are currently working on a new series.