The Origin

The series Stasis represents the initial phase of Sebastian Mader’s exploration into the physical states of water. It originated in March 2023, following an ice storm in New York that encased spring flora in temporary crystalline shells. This atmospheric event served as the catalyst for a study in biological delay: organic form held in place for a single moment before the inevitable progression of the season. Within the studio, Mader replicates this phenomenon through deliberate cryostasis to investigate the preservation of the botanical specimen.

The Photographic Paradox: While the title suggests a fixed state, the documentation of Stasis is defined by transition. In the studio, the attempt to replicate this suspension reveals a paradox: under the intensity of the lights, the ice begins to resolve immediately. The subject exists in a state of constant, visible change. As the ice melts, the refractive properties of the frame shift by the second. To photograph Stasis is to document a material phase-transition; the architecture of the ice is never the same twice.

Technical Execution

Mader utilizes a background in technical and liquid photography to render the structural components of the natural world. Within the ice, light, water, and oxygen are trapped and magnified. The crystalline medium acts as a secondary lens, forcing a focus on the microscopic textures and gases that define the organic subject. This discovery of movement within the frozen state provided the necessary impetus for the subsequent Liquid Study.