Beetles+Huxley, London, are hosting the first ever London exhibition of Alec Soth’s Sleeping by the Mississippi. Coinciding with聽a photobook published by MACK, (originally published by Steidl in 2004), it is one of the defining examples of the form, representative of contemporary photography at its best. The boundary-pushing volume carries the documentary style into new depths, whilst offering an unprecedented source of immersion for each and every reader. As renowned Magnum photographer Martin Parr notes: 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to believe that the first edition of Sleeping By The Mississippi appeared only in 2004, so swiftly has the book become a classic of our time.鈥 The tumultuous and brooding landscape of America is captured and presented bound in printed linen as a truly mesmerising experience. Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota and Missouri are amongst the spellbinding locations 鈥 each of which is laid open through cinematic intimacy.
13 years on, the compositions are just as affecting, with American iconography at the fore, and a poetic sense of character that is both haunting and ethereal. The show pulls upon this romanticised format in large-scale photographs that聽present an eclectic mix of individuals, landscapes, and interiors. The gallery聽include over 25 of the works, including one never-before-exhibited image.
Alec Soth: Sleeping By The Mississippi,聽20 September – 21 October, Beetles + Huxley, London. For more information:
Credits:
1. 聽HARBOR MARINA (MORNING), MEMPHIS, TN, 2000.聽ALEC SOTH (Born 1969).
