Skirts 2011
Exhibited:• LesRecontres,D’Arles,France,2013• Sleight,BrancoliniGrimaldi,London,UK,2011• ParisPhoto,Paris,France,2011
Oneofart’sdistinctionsistoprovidemaximumemotionusingminimummeans.Somethinginwhichphotographyexcels.Andwhenthephotoinquestionshowsnothing,Hiddenundernexttonothing,Whenitkeepsyoureyesandyourmindsoconstantlyfocused,thenyoufeelyouarenearingthegoal.Thesheermagicofthelightningtransitionfromtwodimensionstondimensionswithoutevenconsideringthreedimensions.Thischasmopenedbeforeme,quitebychance,withouteventrying,whenconfrontedwithsomesmallphotos.Smalltablescoveredwithsmallskirts.Hungonmywall,thesetemplesforcemetobelieve.Inwhat,Idon’twanttoknow,butcertainlyinClareStrand.
PhillipeStarck,2012
Signs Of A Struggle 2001/2002
Exhibited:• SignsOfAStruggle:PhotographyintheWakeofPostmodernism,Victoriaand
AlbertMuseum,London,2011.CuratedbyMartaWeiss.• ClareStrandPhotographyandVideo,MuseumFolkwang,Essen,Germany,2008.
CuratedbyUteEskilden.• ClareStrandPhotograpahyandVideo,MuseumfurPhotographie,Braunschweig,
Germany,2008• BetweenTimes.Instants,intervals,durations,CentrodeArteLaRegenta,Las
Palmas,CanaryIslands,Spain,2011.CuratedbySergioMah.• ImagesRecalled,FotofestivalMannheim,Germany,2009.CuratedbyEsther
Reulfs.
FromtheageofthreeClareStrandwasbroughtupinSouthCroydon.AttheageofeightshevisitedCrawleySportscentreforafamilydayandfromtheredevelopedakeeninterestintrampolining.WhenStrandwasfourteenafamilyfriendmovedwithherboyfriendtoawidebutshallowterracedhouseontheCrawleyBroad-fieldEstate.Sixweeksaftertheirarrivalthecoupleseparatedduetoirreconcilabledifferences.Inthesameyear(1986)theremainsofabodywerefoundintheNewForest.StrandwatchedtheCrimewatchUKappealwithinterest,themurderhadtakenplaceontheBroadfieldEstateandinawidebutshallowterracedhouse.TheNewTownofCrawleyisperfectlysandwichedbetweenStrand’shometownofCroydonandhercurrenthomeinBrighton.TravelingupanddowntheA23shepassestheCrawleyturnoffsnumeroustimesandisremindedoftrampolining,familydaysandwideandshallowmurders.
Gone Astray Portraits 2001/2002
Exhibited:• Xposeptembre,FotografinsHus,Stockholm,Sweden,2004• FantasticRealism,TallinnTownHall,Estonia,2004• MadeinBritain,HuisMarseille,Amsterdam,Holland,2006• Restage,TheArtsGallery,London,Uk,2006• HowWeAre,TateBritain,London,Uk,2008• ClareStrandVideoandPhotography,MuseumFolkwang,Germany,2009• ClareStrandVideoandPhotography,MuseumFurPhotographie,Braunschweig,
Germany,2009
ClareStrand’sGone Astray picturesformtwogroups,thePortraitsandtheDetails.Theproject,proposesaseriesoftwinnedthemes,theUrban/Rural,Fashionable/Unfash-ionable,Poise/Disequilibriumandthefake/documentaryinthecontextofthestreetsofLondon.Theall-pervadingtoneofStrand’sstagedPortraitsisoneofanxietyandvulnerability,invokedinCharlesDickensaccountofbeingayoungchildlostintheCity.
ChrisMullen,2012
10 Least Most Wanted 2012
Exhibited:• Sleight,BrancoliniGrimaldi,London,Uk,2011• PurchasedbyCentreGeorgePompidou,Paris,2012
10 Least Most Wanted,isanexerciseinpreferencesandtheirundoing.Itisaboutre-linquishingcontrolandchallengingone’stasteanddecision-making.SinceIwasyoungIhavecollectedindicativeimagery,whichhascontinuouslyinformedmyphotographicpractice.Thisacthasresultedinacollectionoftattyandadhocscrapbooks.
Mystartingpointwastoemploythesimpletaskofchoosing10imagesfromthesescrapbooks,my‘10mostwanted’.AftermakingthisselectionIdiscoveredbychancethepotencyandpotentialoftheirreverse.Itisthatreversethateventuallybecamethework.Eachresultingpaperfragmenthasbeensuspendedinclearacrylictoallowclearviewingofthe,nowprioritised,reverse,withtheoriginallyselectedimageteasinglyob-scuredtothespectator’sgaze.Aboveallitisthephysicalserendipitousactofmakingaworkthatisofthegreatestinteresttome.Thesimplicityofgoingfronttobackhighlights,formetheshiftbetweenintentionandrealisation,andtheconfoundingofanobjectivebytherandom.10 Least Most Wantedliesatthecentreofanabsurdistuniverse,andmakesreferencetotheperverseconflictsofforcestobefoundinsurrealistwork,inparticularthatofMarcelDuchamp’sworkwithwindow,booksanddoors.
ClareStrand,2012
Flatland/Spaceland 2012/2013
Exhibited:• LesRencontresd’Arles,France,2013• ParisPhoto,Paris,2012
ClareStrand’stwonewbodiesofworkSpacelandandFlatland areanextensionoftheartist’sengagementwiththemonochromaticimage,hereextendingintothecolourmonochromeforthefirsttime.
WithFlatlandandSpaceland,Strandhastakentraditionallyprocessedphotographicpaperandthencutandfoldedittomakethethree-dimensionalandtwo-dimensionalartworksondisplay.Thisphysicalconstructionoftheobjectsisintentionallyvisibleintheworksandconfoundsthe,nowcommonplace,digitalproductionofphotographyandsculpturethrough3Dprinting,Photoshopandmyriadothercomputer-drivenproductionmethods.TheoutcomesofthesemanualprocessesmirrorStrand’smostrecentworks,relyingonfaultstosignalauthenticityandserendipitytorevealherbeliefinthepowerandpossibilitiesofhappenstance.
TheinspirationfortheworksondisplayistakenfromEdwinAbbotAbbot’s1884satiricalnovellaFlatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions.Thenarratorisahumblesquare,amemberofthesocialcasteofgentlemenandprofessionalsinasocietyofgeometricfigures,whoguidesusthroughsomeoftheimplicationsoflifeintwodimensions.Heisthenvisitedbyathree-dimensionalsphere,whichhecannotcomprehenduntilheseesSpacelandforhimself.ThisSpherevisitsFlatlandattheturnofeachmillenniumtointroduceanewapostletotheideaofathirddimensioninthehopesofeventuallyeducatingthepopulationofFlatlandoftheexistenceofSpaceland.
BrancoliniGrimaldi,2012
Gone Astray Details 2001/2002
Exhibited:• MadeinBritain,HuisMarseille,Amsterdam,Holland.,2006• ClareStrandundVideoandPhotography,MuseumFolkwang,Essen,Germany,
2009• ClareStrandundVideoandPhotography,MuseumFurPhotographie,
Braunschweig,Germany,2009
ClareStrand’sGone Astraypicturesformtwogroups,thePortraitsandtheDetails.Theproject,proposesaseriesoftwinnedthemes,theUrban/Rural,Fashionable/Unfash-ionable,Poise/Disequilibriumandthefake/documentaryinthecontextofthestreetsofLondon.Theall-pervadingtoneofStrand’sstagedPortraitsisoneofanxietyandvulner-ability,invokedinCharlesDickensaccountofbeingayoungchildlostintheCityinhisshortstory,GoneAstray,(1853).
“IntheDetails,aswecontemplatethesignsofunseensubterraneanforcesinthecity,thereis,again,aconsciouslyhamstaginess,theshallowflash-litrevelationsofWeegeeandBrassai,forcedtocomplywiththemorewhimsicalprioritiesofanurbannaturetrail.Hereandelsewhere,thereisasensethatStrandisalwayssmilingbehindthecamera,thesoberformalornarrativesdialoguebetweenimageandaudienceareforeverbeingthrownintoconfusion.”
DavidChandler,2009
The Betterment Rooms - Devices For Measuring Achievement 2005
Exhibited:• Work,MuseumFolkwang,Essen,Germany,2005• SenkoStudio,Denmark,2005• ClareStrandRecentWorks,FotografinsHus,Stockholm,Sweden,2008• DeutscheBank,London,Uk,2008
The Betterment Room - Devices for Measuring Achievement isastudyexaminingthevisualidentityandbehaviorofthepostindustrialworker,takingasstartingpointthephotographictimeandmotionstudiesofFrankandLillianGilbreth(1912).Inthisnewstudy,theBlithe,thewillingandthecompliantareequippedwithappropriatemechanismandattachments,setagainstgridsandclockstohelpthestudyoftheirproductivecapacity.Theimageshowever,haveauneasystasis,signalingthatthemodernactivitieswenowcallworkhavebecomemoremysteriousandlessquantifiable.TheCyclegraph seriesbecomesanattempttoanalyseanddeterminethetrajectoriesofStrandsownactivitythroughoutthemakingoftheworkanexerciseinabsurdismthatneverthelesshasitspre-determinedfunction-nomatterhowpointless.
ChrisMullen,2005
Conjuration Films 2009 Exhibited:• ClareStrandVideoandPhotography,MuseumFolkwang,Essen,Germany,2009• ClareStrandVideoandPhotography,MuseumFurPhotograhie,
Braunschweig,Germany,2009• TimeTimeless,HeinzBossertGallery,Cologne,Germany,2009• Sleight,BrancoliniGrimaldi,London,UK,2011• ClareStrandRecentWorks,FotografinsHus,Stockholm,Sweden,2008• Taschenspielertrick.FoumFurFotografie,Cologne,Germany,2012• lianzhoufotofestival,China,2012
Onfourmonitorsfouryoungwomenperformsmall,shop-bought,childrensmagictricks.Theresultingfilmsareloopedandthetricksareplayedoutagainandagain.ThesemovingimagepiecesaredescribedbyStrandas‘MovingPhotographs’makingreferencetoGeorgeMélies’earlyexperiments,fromhisownstanceasstagemagicianandtrickster.
1.Mouth Streamer20092.Head Turner,20093.Egg From Mouth,20094.Brain Floss,2009
BrancoliniGrimaldi,2011
Conjurations 2009
1. Girl in Two Halves2. Aerial Suspension
Exhibited:• ClareStrandVideoandPhotography,MuseumFolkwang,Germany2009• ClareStrandVideoandPhotography,MuseumFurPhotographie,
Braunschweig,Germany2009• TimeTimeless,HeinzBossertGallery,Cologne,Germany,2009• Sleight,BrancoliniGrimaldi,London,UK,2011• TheWondersOfTheInvisibleWorld,NorthernGalleryofContemporaryArt,
Sunderland,UK,2012• FallingUp:TheGravityofArt,TheCourtauldInstitute,London,UK,2012
Girl in Two HalvesandAerial Suspension alludetotrickphotographyanditsfraughtrelationshiptomagicandthevisualisationofthemysterious,theunseenorthespiritual.Theimagesareintendedtobesimultaneouslybelievedanddisbelieved.
ClareStrand,2011
Unseen Agents 2009/2010Exhibited:• ClareStrandVideoandPhotography,MuseumFolkwang,Germany,2009• ClareStrandVideoandPhotography,MuseumFurPhotographie,Braunschweig,
Germany,2009• ClareStrandRecentWorks,FotografinsHus,StockholmSweden,2008• ImagesRecalled,FotofestivalMannheim,Germany,2010• MuseumFurPhotographie,Cologne,Germany,2012InUnseen Agents,thePhotismseriesemploystheuseofthehighstreet,‘AuraCamera’foundin‘SpiritualShops’orFairs,whichpurporttoprovideadetailedstudyofasub-ject’scharacterandenergy.ThelayingofhandsuponametalsensorproducesasmallcolourPolaroidthatbears‘witness’toauraprojectionandetherealentity.StrandtermsthisimageaPhotism (Aluminousimageorappearanceofahallucinatorycharacter).Inthisseriesthereisaperversesenseofdenial,achievedbystrippingawaytheverycolouroftheoriginalphotographicdocument,sonecessarytothedecodingofAurasandEmanations,asextolledbytheTheosophistsand,evenmorerecently,byNewAgePsychodelics.Incontradictiontoo,thesmallworkingPolaroidispromotedtocontempo-rarygallerystatusbyitsambitioussizeandslickproduction.InKirlian StudiesStrandpresentsuswiththeKirliancameraplate(inventedbyseymonKirlian1939todetectmetaphysicalenergyoftheanimateandinanimate).Thecontra-dictionpresentedtousisthatthereisnopictorialoutcome,justthewitnessingoftheprocessitself.Strandconcentratesonthemechanismsofachievingtheimage,ratherthantheimageitself.Moreprecisely,theKirlianapparatusisbroughttobearonthecharacteristicsofthefemalesubjectsinthePhotisms(Hair,Tread,Touch,Breath.)
Exquisite Corpse, 2012
Exhibited:• TheresSomethingHappeningHere.CuratedbyTomWattandJamesReid.BrancoliniGrimaldi, London,Uk,2012• PresentTenseFuturePerfect,FeldbuschGallery,Berlin,Germany,2013.
FashionShootforAnOtherMagazine
ClareStrand’sExquisite Corpsere-imaginesthefashionshootasamacabremedia-tiononsurrealismandmutilation.InfluencedbytheNelsonandBayliss’bookontheElizabethShortmurderof1947,alsoknownastheTheBlackDahliacase.Exquisite Corpse,bothobviouslyandobliquely,referencestheSurrealistimagerythatStrandadmiresandfeelsconnectedto.Theslicingofthephotographicsurfaceinrela-tiontoShortsmutilatedbodybringsaboutacompellingresonance.
BrancoliniGrimaldi,2012
The Seven Basic Propositions 2013
Exhibited:• InternationalPhotoFestival,KnokkeHeist,Belgium,2013
WebworkandMutiMediaProjection2010/2013http://interact.com.pt/17/the-seven-basic-propositions/
The Seven Basic Propositionsisadigitalprojectinspiredby,andutilising,thetaglinesof1950sKodakmagazineadvertisements.Thesesevenselectedproposi-tionspointtotheearlyexcitementaboutthepossibilitiesforphotographyasamassparticipatorymedium.Butwhenremovedfromtheiroriginalcontextandtime,andusedtodriveGoogleimagesearchestheytakeonadifferentmeaning,pointingouttheproliferationofphotographyintoeveryareaofourlives.
Theadvertisingstatementsareunequivocalanddefinite.The Seven Basic Propositions projecthowever,consciouslyandplayfullyrevealstheend-pointofthispromiseandreportsthat,wheneverythingisrecordedandmadeavailabletoeverybody,nothingisreallyuniqueorindividual,andcertainlynothingaboutphotographyisdefinite.
GordonMacDonald,2013
The Ragpicker’s Tower 2013
Exhibited:• InternationalPhotoFestival,KnokkeHeist,Belgium,2013
Strand’scollectionofutilitarianimagery,‘ragpicked’overmanyyears,hascontinuallyinformedherphotographicpractice.In2011,Strandexhibited10 Least Most Wanted (sinceacquiredbyCentreGeorgePompidou,Paris)incorporatingherarchiveforthefirsttimeintoanexhibitedwork.
TheRagpicker’s Towerisa‘totem’toresearchcomprisingofStrand’sselectedissuesofcollectedAmericanpulpmagazines.Themagazinesmakingupthetowerhavebeenmuchconsultedovertime,andtheevidenceofStrand’sspeculativeselectionsareclearlymarkedbydayglowpagemarkers.However,thecontentsofThe Ragpicker’s Towerisnolongeravailableforconsultation,astheyarenowlockedinaverticaltower,fusedinablockandheldinsuspension.ThoughexudingaparticularpulpodourThe Ragpicker’s Towerteetersonuselessness,havingnowbecomeasealedarchiveandnomorethanamonumenttotheactofresearch.
KnokkeHeist,2013
75 Indicative Images - Courtesy Clare Strand Archive
Exhibited:• KnokkeHeist,PixseaAward,InernationalPhotoFestival,Belgium,2013
Installationof75framedimages.
75 Indicative Images - Courtesy of the Clare Strand Archive,isaworkpartlydictatedbythenumberofframesavailable,toherfor,anygivenexhibition.ForthisparticularinstallationStrandhasselected75IndicativeImagesfromherarchive,thoughwhattheseimagesareindicativeofisquestionable?ThosewithpriorknowledgeofStrand’sworkmightbeabletomakeviableconnections.
