Take out all the hustle and bustle of Disneyland and you’re left with Raymond Rojas’s uncanny images of a stark amusement park. He lingers on empty spaces to expose the environment and architecture of the familiar setting. It seems like something closer to West World than a real place. The effect is all the stranger when you realize that it’s Disneyland Paris and not a more recognizable American park.
Titled Magic Everywhere, Rojas calls this photo series “a visual essay” that “focuses on the different themes which are distributed throughout the park and the behaviors they may cause within each visitor.” The disjointed structure of his view, from Gothic castles to fake sandstone buttes, exposes the lack of aesthetic unity. As you flip through the series, which is also available as a book from Barcelona publisher Clandestine, there’s a feeling of being jerked from scene to scene.
The subject of countless tourist shots, Magic Everywhere proves that there’s no such thing as a used up location. There’s always something new to investigate and an innovative photographer can bring a fresh perspective or critical eye.
Find more of Raymond Roja’s work on his portfolio.