Element.element
Relaxing Realism – Philip Ringler & James Saxon
Relaxing Realism is the conceptual photography collaboration of Philip Ringler and James Saxon, a duo known for their ambitious and meticulously crafted photographic work. Since 2009, they have created three major projects that explore themes of artifice, ritual, simulation, and the shifting nature of reality. Their work seamlessly blends fine art photography with technical innovation, resulting in striking, thought-provoking images.
Philip leads the conceptual development, sketching initial ideas and designing lighting, while James specializes in engineering, set construction, and special effects, including pyrotechnics and mechanical triggers. However, their process is deeply collaborative, with ideas constantly evolving through their shared creative dialogue.
Philip Ringler, a photographer for over 30 years, holds a BFA in Photography from California State University, East Bay, and an MFA from John F. Kennedy University’s Arts and Consciousness Program. His work is driven by philosophy, cultural critique, and the exploration of “reality” within photography.
James Saxon, with a BFA in Photography from San Jose State University and an MA in Multimedia from CSU East Bay, is both a technical enabler and empathic visionary. His expertise in fabrication and experimental techniques brings their elaborate concepts to life.
Together, they push the boundaries of photography, creating images that challenge perception and engage with contemporary dialogues in art and philosophy.
Element.element
2014/2015
The four classical elements—Earth, Air, Fire, and Water—serve as both a conceptual framework and a toolkit for constructing a modified elemental language, one that maps out an intricate emotional landscape. This series delves into the interplay of these elements, using meticulously staged theatrical spectacles frozen in a single frame to explore the power of symbols in deliberate and often unexpected combinations. Each composition is carefully designed to highlight the relationship between two elements, with the first named in the title exerting dominance over the second. However, this dominance is not always absolute—it varies in intensity, sometimes overwhelming and destructive, sometimes subtle and precarious. The resulting imagery spans a spectrum of emotional tones: some pieces lean toward irony and absurdity, while others evoke tension, unease, or even melancholy, as earth succumbs to water’s erosion or fire scorches the fragile surface of ice.
The realization of these images was an intricate and hands-on process. After conceptual sketches were drafted, James and Philip embarked on an extensive search for the right materials, sourcing props and elements from swap meets, yard sales, Craigslist, and even the roadside—gathering objects imbued with history, texture, and a certain unpredictability. James, with his extensive expertise in disciplines such as electronics, welding, carpentry, programming, and chemistry, engineered an array of custom-built timing devices and automated triggers to precisely control each elemental interaction. These ranged from controlled explosions and ignitions to delicate chemical reactions and mechanical chain events, each meticulously tested and refined through multiple experiments in physics and chemistry to achieve the most compelling visual effects.
The set design, photography, and lighting were an equally dynamic and collaborative effort. Each shoot became an immersive process of trial and discovery, balancing technical precision with creative spontaneity. The duo’s ability to merge scientific rigor with artistic vision transformed their workspace into both a laboratory and a stage, where fire and water, air and earth collided in controlled chaos—captured at the perfect moment to reveal an evocative, heightened reality.
