Ben Thomas - Young and ...

BEN THOMAS

CHROMA, YOUNG AND …

BEN THOMAS

CHROMA, YOUNG AND…

PORTRAIT – Photography by Byron Bowman Kehoe, 2018

BEN THOMAS La galerie Duran|Mashaal a le plaisir de présenter une sélection des plus récentes photographies de Ben Thomas, tirées de la série CHROMA. Cette deuxième exposition solo de Ben Thomas à Montréal est intitulée « Young and … ». Thomas y intensifie son questionnement portant sur la dichotomie entre les individus et le rapport inhérent à leur environnement. De l’île de Procida, en Italie jusqu’aux plages de Sydney, Ben Thomas interroge l’allure et l’attrait de la jeunesse et l’intemporel de la vie côtière.

Thomas voyage d’une partie du globe à l’autre afin d’observer comment ce phénomène se manifeste dans les comportements, les modes de vie, et les idéaux, ainsi que la manière dont ces derniers influencent les structures et cultures qui perdurent et celles qui évoluent. De point de vue général, l’objectif de son travail est de créer des œuvres alliant une esthétique forte et unique et une narration révélatrice. Selon Ben Thomas, le facteur le plus important dans sa progression aura été de constamment suivre sa propre vision, et de le faire sans compromis.

Décrivant son style comme « hyper-réaliste », il crée des œuvres qui non seulement défient les limites de la construction même d’une photographie et de sa perception, mais remettent aussi en cause la place du sujet; son travail étant le plus souvent centré sur l’urbanisation. Ben Thomas veut amener les gens à réfléchir à la relation qu’ils entretiennent avec leur environnement, et de quelle façon cela peut les affecter.

Ben est un « Hasselblad Master » et a récemment collaboré avec Hasselblad, Apple, McLaren Formula 1, Pantone, Wired, The New Yorker Magazine, Sony, Singapore Airlines, Paradiso Art Hotel Ibiza, Penguin Books and Chronicle Books.

Duran|Mashaal Gallery is pleased to be exhibiting Ben Thomas’ second solo show in Montréal. a selection of photographs from his most recent series ‘CHROMA , YOUNG AND….’. With ‘Young and…’ Thomas intensifies his ongoing study that sits at the intersection between people and place. Both Procida Island, Italy and the beaches of Sydney, Australia feature in the new annex to the series that sets out to explore the ageless, youthful allure and pull of coastal life.

Thomas travels from one side of the globe to the other to observe how this phenomenon manifests in behaviours, ways of life and ideals and how they impact on the structures and cultures that endure and those that evolve. In general, the aim of his work is to create artworks with a strong and unique aesthetic as well as a revealing narrative. According to Ben Thomas, the most important factor in his progression has been to constantly follow his own vision, and to do so without compromise.

Describing his style as “hyper-realistic”, he creates artworks which not only challenge the boundaries of the very construction of a photograph and its perception, but also question the place of the subject; his work being mostly focused on urbanization. Ben Thomas wishes to bring people to reflect on how they relate to their environment, and the way in which this can affect them.

Ben is a “Hasselblad Master” and he recently collaborated with Hasselblad, Apple, McLaren Formula 1, Pantone, Wired, The New Yorker Magazine, Sony, Singapore Airlines, Paradiso Art Hotel Ibiza, Penguin Books and Chronicle Books.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

VARIABLE DISTANCE, 2020. Archival pigment print, 45” x 60” ed. 3; 33” x 44” ed. 3; 24” x 32” ed. 5; 18” x 24” ed. 10

BONDI HEIGHTS 2, 2018. Archival pigment print, 60” x 40” ed. 3, , 43” x 28” ed. 3, 33” x 22” ed. 5, 23” x 15” ed. 10

BONDI HEIGHTS 3, 2018. Archival pigment print, 40” x 60” ed. 3, , 28” x 43” ed. 3, 22” x 33” ed. 5, 15” x 23” ed. 10

YOUNG AND…., 2020. Archival pigment print, 45” x 60” ed. 3; 33” x 44” ed. 3; 24” x 32” ed. 5; 18” x 24” ed. 10

LITTORAL ZONE, 2020. Archival pigment print, 45” x 60” ed. 3; 33” x 44” ed. 3; 24” x 32” ed. 5; 18” x 24” ed. 10

PROCIDA, ITALY

SMR, 2019. Archival pigment print, 45” x 60” ed. 3; 33” x 44” ed. 3; 24” x 32” ed. 5; 18” x 24” ed. 10

Procida 1, 2019. Archival ink on paper 60” x 45” ed. 3; 44” x 33” ed. 3; 32” x 24” ed. 5; 24” x 18” ed. 10

Unknown Journey, 2019. Archival ink on paper 60” x 45” ed. 3; 44” x 33” ed. 3; 32” x 24” ed. 5; 24” x 18” ed. 10

Trichotomy, 2019. Archival ink on paper 15” x 23” ed. 10, 22” x 33” ed. 5, 28” x 43” ed. 3, 40” x 60” ed. 3

After The Smoke and Rain, 2020. Archival ink on paper 15” x 23” ed. 10, 22” x 33” ed. 5, 28” x 43” ed. 3, 40” x 60” ed. 3

AUTRES/OTHERS…

Flowers in Milan, 2019. Archival ink on paper 15” x 23” ed. 10, 22” x 33” ed. 5, 28” x 43” ed. 3, 40” x 60” ed. 3

Rouge, 2018, Archival ink on paper 15” x 23” ed. 10, 22” x 33” ed. 5, 28” x 43” ed. 3, 40” x 60” ed. 3

The Look Of Love Is In Your Eyes, 2019, Archival ink on paper 15” x 23” ed. 10, 22” x 33” ed. 5, 28” x 43” ed. 3, 40” x 60” ed. 3

Coin Parisen, 2019. Archival ink on paper 15” x 23” ed. 10, 22” x 33” ed. 5, 28” x 43” ed. 3, 40” x 60” ed. 3

Tonal Cause, 2018, Archival ink on paper 15” x 23” ed. 10, 22” x 33” ed. 5, 28” x 43” ed. 3, 40” x 60” ed. 3

Santa Cruz Cruise, 2018, Archival ink on paper 15” x 23” ed. 10, 22” x 33” ed. 5, 28” x 43” ed. 3, 40” x 60” ed. 3

Published by DURAN | MASHAAL www.duranmashaalgallery.com