Douglas Mandry
After the Ashes #12, 2023
Coal transfer on archival pigment print
130 x 86.7 cm
Serial unique, Edition of 2 plus 1 artist's proofs
In constant dialogue with his means of making, subject and surroundings, Mandry opens up new ways of engaging with the world around us.
Douglas Mandry (CH) experiments with the potential of photography, he is interested in the influence of science and technology on our pictorial and spatial conception of nature. Mandry questions materiality. By using physical materials and printing methods, he examines notions of tangibility and permanence.
The title “The Wind from Nowhere” is an homage to the 1961 science fiction novel by J.G. Ballard. It describes natural disasters and how tragedies can bring people together in ways no normal experience ever could. Part of the solo exhibition is his newest series Retardant Panels. In an era of anthropocentrism, this new body of work intends to remind us that the romantic vision of nature is no longer the one of a single human being but rather a quest for collectivity. The co-existence of industrial development and natural ecosystems has led to drastic changes, both in our perception of the idea of nature, and our awareness of this recent evolution. In this series, Douglas Mandry conveys a constellation of materials related to the rainforest – found photographs of what used to be the closest representation of paradise, wood, and industrial elements. The series Retardant Panels follows the line of Mandry’s critical, yet poetic approach. The artist invites us to reflect on the possible entwinement of both loss and craving for control that defines our modern society.
Furthermore, the solo exhibition shows works from other series that illustrate the special way in which the artist deals with topics that are often unnoticed even though they have a major impact on life.
