There鈥檚 a famous Tennessee Williams quote: 鈥淟ife is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by so quickly you hardly catch it going.鈥 We must unplug and savour the things that bring us joy 鈥 from the macro to the micro we must embrace it all. Inside this issue we explore these ideas further.听
Towards Abstraction听| Light, shadow, form and composition are the central elements of Jessica Backhaus’ practice, stripping photography back to its core tenets.听
Visionary Storyteller听| Tyler Mitchell is making waves across art and fashion with portraits of Black life centring on self-determination and the joyous everyday.听
Portrait of Emotion听| Djeneba Aduayom’s bright photographs take bubbles as a metaphor, featuring subjects who find themselves caught in translucent spheres.听
Into the Unfamiliar听| Michelle Blancke takes us into dark, enigmatic and unusual woodland locations. They are all carpeted with mosses and lurid lichen growth.听
Memory Illuminated听| The current Dan Flavin retrospective in Basel demonstrates how a simple fluorescent tube could make a radical impact on the art world.听
Outside Perspective听| A small town on the fringes of Pittsburgh is at the centre of a photo series that asks us to consider what happens behind closed doors.听
Building the Image听| Colourful lights are projected onto various household objects, transforming cluttered spaces into entirely different compositions.听
Creative Destination听| California’s iconic homes are the subject of an architecture book that collates buildings which respond to their natural surroundings.听
Joyful Contrasts听| Sarah Doyle plays with visual harmony. Torn paper, wooden sticks and cut-out circles pop against colourful block-painted backgrounds.听
Places Transform听| French photographer Olivia Lavergne curates ambitious scenes, investigating how rainforests are conjured up within the public imagination.听
Image credits:
1. Sarah Doyle, In Red from the series Getting Warmer. Model: Claire Gunn @ Not Another Agency. Hair and Make-up by Leonard Daly @ Not Another Agency.听
2. Jessica Backhaus, Untitled 11, (2023). Detail. Courtesy Robert Morat Gallery, Berlin.听
3. Jessica Backhaus, Untitled 41, (2023). Courtesy Robert Morat Gallery, Berlin.听
4. Tyler Mitchell, Untitled (Blue Laundry), (2019). Image courtesy the artist. 漏Tyler Mitchell听
5. Djeneba Aduayom, Nyadhuor Deng, The Cut (2019).
6. Djeneba Aduayom, Yoeil from the series Capsulated (2018). Courtesy of Galerie Gomis formerly known as Galerie Number 8.
7. Michelle Blancke, Secret Garden No. 315, (2023).
8. Dan Flavin, untitled (for John Heartfield) 3c, (1990). 漏 Stephen Flavin / 2024, ProLitteris, Zurich. The Dan Flavin Estate, courtesy of David Zwirner Gallery.听
9. Dan Flavin, untitled (to Barnett Newman) one, (1971). 漏 Stephen Flavin / 2024, ProLitteris, Zurich. Collection Carr茅 d’Art- Mus茅e d’art contemporain de N卯mes. Courtesy David Zwirner Gallery.听
10. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Image courtesy John M. Barbiaux.
11. Vlad Hrynko, Untitled (2023). From Foundation (2023 鈥 ongoing).
12. Vlad Hrynko, Untitled (2023). From Foundation (2023 鈥 ongoing).
13. 漏 Bruce Damonte Goto House, Napa County, Iwamoto Scott Architecture.听
14. Sarah Doyle, Portrait of Louisa Jane. Image courtesy the artist.
15. Sarah Doyle, Black, White and Yellow. Image courtesy the artist.
16. 漏 Olivia Lavergne, from Jungles, (2013). Fine Art Print Hahnem眉le, 100 x 100 cm.
