Each collection begins with reality.
Every Refractism collection begins with an Anchor Photograph of a real subject. The Anchor remains the visual reference against which subsequent interpretations are judged.
The works that follow explore what may change — atmosphere, light, colour, surface, simplification and emotional emphasis — while preserving the identity of the originating reality. Works that remain within that stricter discipline are identified as Refractism.
Some collections also include Refractist works. These begin from the same Anchor and artistic enquiry but deliberately permit greater expressive freedom. The distinction describes the work’s relationship to its Anchor; it is not a ranking of artistic merit.
Showing the Anchor alongside the resulting works allows viewers to make their own judgement: what has been preserved, what has changed, and whether the transformation succeeds.
