Children’s dreams and nightmares are such beautiful mysteries to behold. The powerful and meaningful pull behind all of these is what inspired American photographer, Arthur Tress, to shoot these staged visual interpretations of several children during the 1960s to 70s. The finished images are nothing short of outstanding and compelling, despite its rather eerie and unsettling vibe.
In this statement, Tress said that, “the purpose of these dream photographs is to show how the child’s creative imagination is constantly transforming his existence into magical symbols for unexpressed states of feeling or being.” This could mean that it is through symbols and fantasies that children are able to fully express their thoughts and emotions, which they can’t adequately put into words.
Check out these images from Arthur Tress’ series named “The Dream Collector” and “Theater of the Mind,” which can also be viewed at the Getty Museum.
Source: Arthur Tress (via blogs.getty.edu)
