“Sonder (n.)” is just one of many entries in US writer John Koenig’s Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. The book, whilst not an official dictionary, is filled with new and fictional words for emotions which do not yet have a descriptive term. Sonder is defined as “the realisation that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own,” a thought that might spring to mind whilst walking down a busy street or sat on a train. The concept is of interest to visual artist Cal Cole, who creates time-based compositions at twilight.
Skyshards is an ongoing project in which the artist, based between Manchester and Glasgow, photographs locations over a period of 60 minutes between sunset and nightfall. The images are captured every five minutes, and then collated into one final piece. Cityscapes are rendered in distinctive stripes, transitioning from orange to pink, purple to blue, as the natural light slowly dies and the city starts to glow with activity.
Perhaps the most recognisable motif from this project is that of pylons. Cole uses a cubism technique, inspired by Alex Hyner, where shards of light are cut out in accordance with the form and silhouette of the structure and its wires. Here, light and colour come together in a way that is reminiscent of stained glass. Various shapes, defined by bold black outlines, tessellate together to create mosaics in the sky.
All images courtesy Cal Cole.
1. Feels Like Summer
2. Ultraviolet
3. Summertime Lullaby
4. Warmth in a Cold Place
5. Skyglow
6. As Time Goes On
7. Everything I Wanted
