Taiwan-born and New York-based photographer Max McGerry explores the blurry line between fashion and fine art photography. Steeped in an aura of romantic mystery, McGerry’s pictures live in the realm of “dark fantasy,” a style blending elements of the fantastical with an edgy, goth-like aesthetic. His work has a painterly quality inspired by sci-fi, space opera, cyberpunk, steampunk, post-apocalyptic fiction, and parallel universes. Taking a softer approach however, McGerry portrays darkness alongside beauty, stripped of all notions of depravity and violence that traditionally make up these genres.
A recent graduate of the School of Visual Arts, McGerry cites photographers Paolo Roversi, Steven Meisel, Juergen Teller, and David Sims as his biggest influences. At Agora Gallery, he presents a series called “New York on Pause,” a collection of cityscapes highlighting the architectural beauty of New York City at the height of the pandemic. The spaces captured by McGerry awaken a kind of reverential awe. As if walking down the aisle of an empty cathedral, we can hear the sound of our footsteps and the echo of our voices reverberating in the eerie silence. Whether fusing darkness and light, sacredness and foreboding, McGerry engages in a powerful dance of opposites, pushing the boundaries of the obvious and redefining where beauty lies.
