Nadav Kander (b. 1961)聽is聽a master image maker.听He is a Prix Pictet award-winner whose work is held in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery and Victoria & Albert Museum. Kander has photographed presidents, celebrities and cultural figures, as well as turning his lens to landscapes, from China鈥檚聽Yangtze聽river聽to Chernobyl. Last year,聽the major survey exhibition聽The Edge of Things, curated by Fany Dupechez,聽brought together some聽of聽his most celebrated pictures 鈥 including聽portraits of director Werner Herzog, actor Rosamund Pike and the late David Lynch. Acclaimed art writer聽David聽Campany described聽this work as: 鈥減ensive, laden with possibility.鈥澛燱hatever聽the聽genre, whomever 鈥 or wherever 鈥 the subject: 鈥減eople and places are permitted to keep their secrets.鈥
Now, London鈥檚 Flowers Gallery presents After Dark 鈥 a show that neatly demonstrates Campany’s point. The exhibition includes three projects, including the ongoing Dark Line 鈥 The Thames Estuary, which is dedicated to the聽second-longest聽river聽in the UK, extending 215 miles from聽Gloucestershire through nine different counties.听Kander鈥檚聽atmospheric compositions document聽the River Thames at聽its point of connection with the聽North Sea.听The waterway plays a central role聽in the city鈥檚 complex history, and the聽images are a metaphor for聽the聽weight of聽London鈥檚 past, encouraging us to think about聽鈥渢he聽countless聽generations who have voyaged, fought, traded, loved,聽lived and died聽on its banks.鈥澛燭here鈥檚 also a personal factor, as Kander explains:聽鈥淲hen alone, there is nowhere I’d rather be than beside large bodies of slow-moving water. I feel myself, quiet and alive as emotions come and go.鈥
This聽slow聽sense of聽pace is key to After Dark. Elsewhere, The聽Colour Fields聽series聽takes its name from聽the abstract painting聽style that聽emerged in New York City during the 1940s and 1950s聽鈥 think Mark Rothko, Barnett Newman and聽Helen Frankenthaler.听Yet聽Kander鈥檚聽images聽aren鈥檛 completely detached from reality. They聽depict聽land and seascapes 鈥 from Colorado and Indiana to Copacabana Beach and Santa Monica 鈥撀爁ading into the night sky.听The聽long-exposures sometimes take up to one聽hour聽to complete, and the results聽are聽compelling, bordering on surreal.听鈥淭here is no natural lighting circumstance that聽would render a field falling into darkness 鈥 these are manmade views, lit by manmade light,鈥 Kander notes.听鈥淪imple planes of colour and texture are brought forward, greatly reducing any reference to nature.鈥
Finally,聽Kander debuts聽a聽new聽series of聽photographic etchings聽called聽Treow,聽depicting聽dormant trees in winter.听The title derives from聽an Old English word which not only means 鈥榯ree鈥 but 鈥榯rust鈥 and 鈥榩romise.鈥 Here again,聽ideas of patience and renewal come to the fore. This exhibition encourages pause and contemplation; it is a testament to Kander鈥檚 enduring ability to show familiar subjects anew.
After Dark is at Flowers Gallery, London, from 5 September – 11 October.
Words: Eleanor Sutherland
Image Credits:
1. Atlantic Ocean III (Copacabana Beach), Brazil, 2003 漏 Nadav Kander. Courtesy Flowers Gallery
2. Field XV, Colorado, USA, 2003 漏 Nadav Kander. Courtesy Flowers Gallery
3. Pacific Ocean IX (Gladstones 4 Fish), Santa Monica, USA, 2001 漏 Nadav Kander. Courtesy Flowers Gallery
4. Field II (Ford Dealership), Indiana, USA, 2001 漏 Nadav Kander. Courtesy Flowers Gallery
