Following in the footsteps of great American colourists such as William Eggleston and Stephen Shore, Belgian photographer Harry Gruyaert was one of the first European artists to take advantage of the creative potential of colour imagery.听Western and Eastern Light, Gruyaert’s听debut exhibition at , examines the breadth of the Magnum photographer’s portfolio.
Travelling听extensively听from the comfort of his Volkswagen Kombi for 30 years,听Gruyaert’s oeuvre presents striking and diverse documentation of places and people throughout听Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and America.
As well as the 1960s colourists, Gruyaert was influenced by the听emergence of the Pop Art Movement in New York. His filmic, jewel-hued scenes promote the power and motion of colour in a two-dimensional format;听at times the intense shades are suspended in a flurry of movement, and at other times, they are thick with suspense. Through his densely layered and painterly compositions, Gruyaert produces a vibrant and enigmatic dialogue with听elements such as texture, light, colour and architecture.
The images selected for Western and Eastern Light听draw distinct chromatic听parallels between disparate locations: scenes of听automobiles lit by sunset tones in Los Angeles are compared and contrasted with the earth-coloured walls of buildings in听Ouarzazate. Promoting the importance of colour and composition further is each photograph’s negation of its sitter or sitters’ identities. The faces of each individual are听often concealed by objects, shadows or听angled shots; their personas hinted at by their contextual surroundings.
Harry Gruyaert,听Western and Eastern Light,听until 27 June, Michael Hoppen Gallery, London.
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Credits
1.听Harry Gruyaert, USA, Los Angeles, 1982, 漏 Harry Gruyaert / Magnum Photos.
2.听Harry Gruyaert, Egypt, Cairo, 1988, 漏 Harry Gruyaert / Magnum Photos.
3.听Harry Gruyaert, Morocco, Ouarzazate, 1982, 漏 Harry Gruyaert / Magnum Photos.
