Australian-born photographer Peter Lik has made art history, with his photograph “Phantom” selling for a record $6.5 million.
The photograph was taken in Arizona's Antelope Canyon and shows a tunnel of curved rocks with a beam of light at its centre.
The photo was sold to a private collector who reportedly purchased two more of Lik’s works - “Illusion” and “Eternal Moods” – for $2.4 million and $1.1 million, respectively.
In a statement, the US-based photographer said he drew inspiration from nature.
"The purpose of all my photos is to capture the power of nature and convey it in a way that inspires someone to feel passionate and connected to the image," Lik said in the statement.
"Certain textures and contours found in nature lend themselves beautifully to black and white photography,” said Lik. “The intensity of contrasting light and dark spaces was surprising, but made for some of the most powerful images I’ve ever created."
