You walk into a hardware shop in suburban Leeds, put on a pair of 3D glasses and browse the shelves. As you'd expect, there's lots of stuff in the shop, but some of it isn't really there. When you go to pick it up your hand goes straight through it, or it moves strangely as you walk past.

The Ironmongers of Illusion is unique in the World! It's a site-specific phantogram installation by Sam Paechter at Bramley Ironmongers & DIY in Leeds. It was staged as part of I Love West Leeds 2006. Have a look at the gallery below to get the gist of it, but of course it's much better in real life!

Thanks to I love West Leeds without whose encouragement and financial support this would not have been possible; Dave Dubej for allowing me to play fast and loose with his shop; Lizzie Coombes and Andrew Gulliver for their invaluable photographic advice and the loan of their powerful and expensive equipment; Martyn Leat, Roy Cropley, Mark Cropley & Sophie Russell for obligingly holding tools out to be photographed; and the online stereo photographic community, none of whom I have met, but who have always been on hand with expert advice and encouragement.

Sam Paechter

Gallery

Here's a gallery of photos from the installation. Click on an image to see it bigger.

Note to 3D aficionados: I didn't get the colour balance quite right on these pictures, so they make rather ghostly anaglyphs.

If you'd like any of the original files to print and view there's an archive of all the images in the installation HERE - non commercial use only, and if you post any images on the web or email them to anyone please credit me, Sam Paechter, with the copyright and provide a link to this page.