The seminal aspect of photography for Toni Hakenscheid is it closely resembles reality. Although somewhat obvious, Hafkenscheid explores what constitutes fact versus fiction by blurring the limits between reality and illusion. For this exhibition, he plays with the illusion of reality versus fiction by utilizing a shallow depth of field to make some parts of the image appear soft and other parts in focus. The colors in the photographs are also tweaked to look like old postcards. For this new series Relics of the Future he explores our erstwhile visions of an American future as seen from a 1950's/60's point of view. He's looking at structures built in that era, representing an idealized view of a future with it's belief in technology, a sense of optimism, and a promise of better days ahead. These photographs symbolize that American dream and a feeling of progress, success, and power. Hafkenscheid captures an excitement he felt as a child about his subjects, while at the same time realizing that now, almost half a century later those structures are relics of a future that never came to pass.
