“Three Nature Studies”
Stephen Gill

Celebrating this special occasion of the issue of “IMA vol.28 Stephen Gill”, IMA gallery is happy to present to you a Stephen Gill solo exhibition, “Three Nature Studies”.

Stephen Gill was born in Bristol, England in 1971. From around 1999, he produced many works in response to the neighbourhood of Hackney in London. In 2005, he founded his own publishing house, ‘Nobody’ and is now an internationally recognized photographer, highly praised for his uniqueness approach to his chosen subjects and attention to detail for his works and his books. He moved to the south of Sweden in 2014 and since has been creating work in his new environment.

This exhibition consists of three selected series including his most recent works, “The Pillar” (2015-2019), “Night Procession” (2014-2017) and “Talking to Ants” (2009-2013), showcased with his books published from Nobody. The former two works were made in Sweden, as an attempt to visualize the invisible activity of nocturnal animals, birds along with plant life. He set up a camera equipped with a motion sensor within nature and mechanically captured the movements of the birds and animals. With “The Pillar”, he planted a pillar in the middle of a vast land and pulled the birds down from the sky. These photographs seem to situate themselves opposite to the idea of a “decisive moment”, allowing space to invite chance and unpredicted events far away from the hands of the photographer. The images change our conventional ideas of what photography is and take us back to our childhood, a time in our lives filled with imagination and sensitivity. With “Night Procession”, he used the plant extract of the trees from the forest to assist nature in speaking for itself. (The works exhibited are collotype print reproductions of the master prints). Furthermore, “Talking to Ants” is a series of images photographed with a camera in which he placed small objects and insects collected in London inside the film chamber of the camera. Through these works, we catch a glimpse of the frame of mind in which Stephen Gill was pulled into, observing tiny objects and living creatures, also seem to lead us to a parallel world.

Up until now, he published 20 titles from his imprint, Nobody. Burying the books, printing the trace of the bicycle tire on the inside of a book… His unique book making process is closely connected to his artistic practice. Here, we were able to display the books, including those that are out of print alongside the most recent editions; some of which are available for sale during the exhibition. We hope you can feel and enjoy this insight into Stephen Gill’s sincere and often playful approach to these photographic series and books at this exhibition.

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Three Nature Studies

The fascination with nature as a young boy living in the city of Bristol soon merged with and photography, this transition was somehow seamless and the two quickly intertwined along with a love of music. In my adult life nature continued to have a strong pull and often subconsciously I was latching onto nature and channeled through my work.

All series in this exhibition have in part attempted to collaborate with nature and relinquished aspects of the picture making to nature itself. Talking to Ants in part combines inner city life and traces of the nature it holds. Night Procession attempts to extract and step into a parallel nocturnal world that sits alongside our own. The Pillar pulled birds downwards from the sky and gave way to the birds to present themselves.

Stephen Gill
May 2019

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Cooperation: Benrido