Strange Worlds - How to Breathe Underwater

​From an erupting volcano to a sweeping tornado to the lunar landing, nothing is what it appears to be. Welcome to Matthew Albanese's extraordinary world, where "icy" glaciers are made of sugar, salt, egg whites, food coloring, flour, and light. There is more than what meets the eye in Albanese’s captivating photographs.

Albanese meticulously fabricates and then photographs small-scale models of complex panoramic vistas, such as wind-blown willows on stormy rivers and raging forest fires, using humble materials including cotton batting, boiled sugar candy, sand, and feathers. By manipulating the scale, depth of field, balance, and lighting, he alters the appearance of the materials to create dramatic and emotionally evocative landscapes.