Shai Kremer. Fallen Empires
There is a visual history over and under the surface, spoken by the land and its stones and by all the civilizations that have arisen there. Israel is a sophisticated and manipulated palimpsest. Extensively covered by the media, debated by nations, claimed by religions, it is also a case study about the phenomena of empires. (Shai Kremer)
James Hyman Photography is delighted to premier the newest series of internationally acclaimed photographer Shai Kremer entitled Fallen Empires.
Kremer completed his previous series Infected Landscape over a seven year period that followed his MFA from the New York School of Visual Art. Over one hundred images document the many layers of military influence on the social, political and physical landscape of Israel and its neighbours.
His newest work, Fallen Empires, develops these concerns through many previous centuries and traces the walls and monumental ruins of numerous waves of imperialism on Israeli soil.
Kremer's visually compelling compositions recall a long history of military landscape photography that goes all the way back to Roger Fenton, and invokes what has recently come to be termed the 'military sublime'. The landscapes and ruins are sincerely beautiful but are not just aesthetically resonant. They also engage poetically with the issues of the transience of civilization and the legitimacy of imperialism.
Shai Kremer was born and raised in Israel and now lives in New York. He has been exhibited internationally and his work is included in numerous collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the San Francisco MOMA, the Tel Aviv Contemporary Art Museum, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas, and the Contemporary Art Collection of the Société Générale de France.
Kremer was most recently on exhibit at the Tate Modern before touring to San Francisco as part of the exhibition Exposed Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera in 2010.
James Hyman Photography is proud to show Fallen Empires as the London stop on the first international tour and book launch of the series.
Shai Kremer. Fallen Empires.
10 March - 23 April 2011
There is a visual history over and under the surface, spoken by the land and its stones and by all the civilizations that have arisen there. Israel is a sophisticated and manipulated palimpsest. Extensively covered by the media, debated by nations, claimed by religions, it is also a case study about the phenomena of empires. (Shai Kremer)
James Hyman Photography is delighted to premier the newest series of internationally acclaimed photographer Shai Kremer entitled Fallen Empires.
Kremer completed his previous series Infected Landscape over a seven year period that followed his MFA from the New York School of Visual Art. Over one hundred images document the many layers of military influence on the social, political and physical landscape of Israel and its neighbours.
His newest work, Fallen Empires, develops these concerns through many previous centuries and traces the walls and monumental ruins of numerous waves of imperialism on Israeli soil.
Kremer's visually compelling compositions recall a long history of military landscape photography that goes all the way back to Roger Fenton, and invokes what has recently come to be termed the 'military sublime'. The landscapes and ruins are sincerely beautiful but are not just aesthetically resonant. They also engage poetically with the issues of the transience of civilization and the legitimacy of imperialism.
Shai Kremer was born and raised in Israel and now lives in New York. He has been exhibited internationally and his work is included in numerous collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the San Francisco MOMA, the Tel Aviv Contemporary Art Museum, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas, and the Contemporary Art Collection of the Société Générale de France.
Kremer was most recently on exhibit at the Tate Modern before touring to San Francisco as part of the exhibition Exposed Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera in 2010.
James Hyman Photography is proud to show Fallen Empires as the London stop on the first international tour and book launch of the series.