In awe of Iluka, a coastal town in New South Wales, Australian photographer Chase Middleton presents ‘Terminal Mystery’ — a peculiar portrait of the place and its inhabitants.
Chase became increasingly interested in the inhabitants of the township that serves predominantly as a place of retirement: “I spent a year walking the aisles of the local grocery store engaging with strangers in the hope that they would invite me into their homes and allow me to take their portrait,” Chase explains. As a captivating blend of documentary photography and surrealism, the inhabitants are positioned as props in a bizarre dreamscape. Occasionally transfixed on something out of frame, the subjects appear lost in an alternate reality. The unnatural composition invites a disruption of order, with each image containing empty space. The series is unconventional and alluring — an abstract portrait of the people of Iluka.
All images © Chase Middleton
