Educated in Germany and California, Florian Maier-Aichen embraces in his work a rich juxtaposition of the vibrant Californian colorscape with the stark brightness of the glacial mountainous terrain. His hyper-real photographs are strongly linked to the history of European landscape photography, especially to images of remote places, but move beyond literal representation. Using infrared film, and incorporating its unconventional palette into his aesthetic, Maier-Aichen further manipulates his negatives to create a body of work replete with both historical and contemporary references. Hovering between an industrial wasteland and the red hot Californian desert, Untitled (Saddle Peak) is at once the seductive vista inviting viewers in and the unattainable mirage keeping them at bay.