Chloe Sells is one of a growing number of photo-based artists who are returning to the darkroom, where the original photograph shot on 35mm or large-format film is only the beginning. Sells—who is based in London, England, and Maun, Botswana— develops unrepeatable effects in her monoprint photographs that feature swirls of deep colour, lens flare details, areas of vibrant abstraction, and overlaid arrangements of ribbon-like paper cut haphazardly. Informed by her extensive travels, the images oscillate between the real and the imagined, confronting the viewer with sublime dreamscapes.

Working with digital technology, the artist has taken a photograph developed in the darkroom and enlarged it to massive proportions. Presented on translucent vinyl in the window of 150 York Street, Sells’ image is reminiscent of stained glass, offering views from inside and outside the building that play with the viewer’s perspective. This colour-saturated scene is suggestive of an expansive horizon, with a flock of birds flying overhead and a purple watery pool below. In the city’s fast-paced downtown core, Sells brings a soaring view of the natural world to the street, offering a contemplative moment of respite.

Presented in partnership with Drake One Fifty and Dream Property Management

Curated by Mia Nielsen