English photographer creates mesmerising underwater art in Moscow basement

•  Established London photographic artist Alexander James packed his studio into a truck and drove it all the way to Moscow to create a new collection.
• He rented the cellar of an old factory and transformed it into a fully functional workspace equipped with a large pool of water.
• He combines art forms to create photographs reminiscent of the old masters’, but never manipulates or edits his images.
• His Russian collection, ‘Distil Ennui’, skilfully employs water to create an effect midway between reality and dreams.
• Despite many hurdles along the way, the Englishman persevered and brought his vision to fruition to rave reviews.

Established London photographic artist Alexander James packed his studio into a truck and drove it all the way to Moscow to create a new collection.

For his new project, he rented the cellar of an old factory and transformed it from an uninhabitable grotto into a fully functional workspace equipped with a large pool of water.

A stream of unusual people and things passed through Alexander’s makeshift studio in the process of creating his photographs.

Alexander has few rules but one is sacrosanct: the final images must be true representations, so he never manipulates or edits them in post-production.

Alexander combines many art forms to create images reminiscent of the old masters’. Art enthusiasts may recognise famous masterpieces referenced in his work.

The camera should do more than simply document reality – it should project a unique vision, according to Alexander.

His Russian collection, ‘Distil Ennui’, seeks to reveal the essence and beauty of life.

Water is skilfully employed to adjust reality to creative effect.

Alexander keeps certain aspects of his technique secret, as he has worked hard to develop and master a process that gives his work an enigmatic feel, midway between reality and dreams.

He encountered several logistical and bureaucratic hurdles while realising his art project that were far from dreamlike, however.

Alexander was confronted with difficulties every step of the way, and there were times when the whole endeavour appeared to be in jeopardy.

Nonetheless, the English artist was determined to see them as an adventure and a challenge rather than an insurmountable barrier.

In the end, he persevered and brought his vision for the project to fruition to rave reviews.

To see how this unusual Englishman managed to create unusual and mesmerising photographic works of art in Moscow, watch Immersed in Moscow  on RTD.