Navid Baraty takes us on a virtual trip to outer space via the cosmic scenes he creates with ordinary items–like salt, cinnamon, and coffee. How does he do it? The imaginative photographer puts these everyday objects on an Epson photo scanner with its lid left open. Baraty envisions that his images come from a fictional space probe dubbed Wander, which has been sent out on an exploration of the universe. Yet, the real-life explorer is Baraty himself, who continues to investigate the infinite realm of the imagination as he experiments with average earthly materials to generate his phantasmagorical art.
In this second installment of the WANDER Space Probe series, his supposed space craft encounters extraterrestrial quirks from fiery stars to ghostly nebulas, all concocted from combinations of ingredients that range from crumbled Girls Scout cookies to cat fur. In Baraty's universe, the moon is not made of cheese, but instead a pancake, and an earth-like globe emerges from a glass of bourbon, coconut milk, water, soy sauce, and food coloring. Every inventive image will leave you starry-eyed! See for yourself, below.
Above: Earth-like planet – bottom of a glass containing bourbon, coconut milk, water, soy sauce, food coloring; Stars – salt, flour, cinnamon, curry powder
Planet and moon – pancakes; Background – olive oil, flour, cinnamon, cumin, seasoned salt
Nebula – water, coffee, half & half, food coloring; Stars – sugar, baking powder
Planet – bottom of a glass containing orange juice, wasabi, tomato sauce, half & half; Moon – pancake; Nebula – water, coffee, food coloring, half & half
Nebula – tea, water, half & half, food coloring; Stars – flour, peppercorns
Edge-on galaxy – curry powder, cinnamon, poppy seeds, flour, salt, cheese, cumin
Nebula – sake, water, half & half, food coloring, flour, salt
Ring of fire – turmeric, powdered cheese, cinnamon, baking soda
Asteroid – potato; Debris field – coffee, peppercorns, crumbled Girl Scout cookies
Two cat nebula – Sriracha, chili powder, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, fur of two cats
Mars-like planet – bottom of a glass containing tomato sauce, water, food coloring, soy sauce, coconut milk; Background – flour, baking soda
Phantom nebula – soy sauce, water coffee, half & half, food coloring, flour, salt
Navid Baraty: Website | Facebook | Instagram
Wander: Facebook | Instagram
My Modern Met was granted permission to use photos by Navid Baraty.
