Two gallery experiences that reminded me why I make images

Tilmans is still the GOAT, some pictures from my time away. And a new website.

I've just emerged from a bout of Europitis. We who live in the southern hemisphere get it when we return home and talk too much about the way of life in Europe. I think I get a hall pass because I did live there for a couple of years. But in all seriousness, I did get actually sick on my return, coupled with an annoying amount of jetlag. I was stuffed. Shinfo or not, the trip was great, and a big wave to everyone I met and got to hangout with.

The trip took me to my "second home" of Amsterdam, Paris for fashion week, and a lovely few days in Copenhagen, where I did not want to leave the Mfpen store and ate classic Danish breakfasts every day.

I had two very profound gallery experiences on this trip that I can't stop thinking about.

The first was the Wolfgang Tillmans retrospective at the Centre Pompidou. My gosh, there is something about Tillmans' work that speaks to me on levels I didn't even know existed. I'm always left with as many questions as I have major revelations. There was this one photograph -- an image of (think self portrait) of a pink t-shirt and black pair of Adidas shorts. The shape, it makes, the color, the composition is just beautiful.

This is what gets me about his work: how can someone be so prolific at image-making and genre-bending, with such sheer volume of work, yet have it be so cohesive and connected? His work really makes me think of photography as this vessel of communication, this ongoing conversation that spans time, nuance, environment and circumstance. To be honest, I struggle to articulate in words what I feel about his work. I'm better off in a deep and long conversation. But for the sake of words on a page: go visit this show if you are in Paris. Spend hours there, take breaks, revisit, absorb and think. If you've been, or do go, let me know your thoughts.

The second experience came when I took the train from Copenhagen central out to Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. I love train rides to rural areas outside major cities, particularly to galleries and museums. I have fond memories of doing this in Tokyo, and in New York, taking the train upstate to Dia Beacon (I think this is my favourite place in the world).

Anyway, The Louisiana is beautiful -- the building alone sends sparks through my brain. After going through each exhibit, I then meandered through the sculpture park. There was a piece called Self Passage by George Trakas, a site specific pathway around the grounds. The thinking alone just grabbed me. I finished my time by walking through the Richard Serra piece in the sculpture gardens. Standing inside those massive rusted walls, I felt completely turned around but somehow grounded at the same time. Serra, alongside Jeff Wall, Thomas Demand, James Turrell, Viviane Sassen and Dana Lixenberg, are all artists who have left a deep impact on me after experiencing their works in different galleries and exhibitions. It's an unpredictable thing that happens to me, but when it does, it shifts something fundamental about how I see.

I also visited a Turrell piece in Copenhagen, but generally no photos are aloud of his work, which I respect. And I also visited Richard Avedon show ‘The American West’ in Paris which was also exceptionally good.

I've spoken at length about my belief in how important museums and galleries are to cities and culture. I love the democratic nature of a larger museum. And when travelling, if you're feeling overwhelmed in a new city, a gallery or museum can feel like a sanctuary.

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These experiences got me thinking about communication, which brings me to something recent. My longtime friend and collaborator Dan Leigh worked on a redesign of my website. As I move more into directing, I wanted to clearly showcase this area of my work. So we split the site into two sections, with both sides scrolling independently.

But the real thing I keep coming back to is this: I believe a massive part of being a photographer, director or creative labourer is communication -- not just in the work you're making, but how it's communicated, right down to the details of how you talk with people, how you write, and so on. It's really the glue of what we do.

You can check out the site here.

I love replying to comments about making images and the industry ins and outs. Especially if you've had one of those gallery experiences that just rewired something in you -- I'd love to hear about it.

Thank you for reading, and for the continued support, I’ll leave you with a few extra pictures!