This striking black and white photograph depicts two figures in traditional religious attire, their faces obscured by headscarves, holding a religious artifact between them. The stark, dramatic lighting and contrasting shadows create a powerful sense of mystery and solemnity. The composition is centered and symmetrical, emphasizing the ritualistic nature of the scene. The overall aesthetic suggests the artist's intention to explore themes of faith, identity, and the sacred. This image likely reflects the artist's engagement with the cultural and religious traditions of a specific community or region. ...
John Stezaker was born in Worchester, in 1949. He lives and works in London.
A cult figure in post-war British art, through a range of techniques made up of sparse and rigorous actions, Stezaker re-examines the role of the photographic image in contemporary culture, challenging its unreliability as a document of reality or a stronghold of memory, investigating the drift of its meanings. In his studio in London, the archive of images collected and catalogued obsessively by the artist are implemented as genuine readymades, transformed through juxtaposition, re-framing, and other editing tools to form small to medium-sized collages, seductive yet on the verge of the disconcerting. ...
The Approach is co-directed by Jake Miller and Emma Robertson. Located in Bethnal Green above The Approach Tavern, for over twenty years it has operated an internationally recognised programme from its East London base. The gallery is known for discovering artists and establishing their careers as well as making inter-generational curated group shows a strong focus. The list of represented artists includes the Estates of important overlooked female artists Heidi Bucher and Maria Pinińska Bereś, as well as seminal British collage artist John Stezaker, together with established and emerging artists including Magali Reus, Peter Davies, Lisa Oppenheim, Sandra Mujinga, Pam Evelyn, Sara Cwynar, Sam Windett and Caitlin Keogh. Over the years the gallery has operated parallel programmes in additional gallery spaces in London’s West End (The Approach W1) and in Shoreditch (The Reliance). The gallery is currently based solely in its original East End location and continues to expand its programme, showcasing its represented artists in the main gallery space, and both represented and non-represented artists in The Annexe, a smaller, more experimental space at the back of the building. ...
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