There must have been times when we’ve all had the urge to throw our mobile phones down the toilet and escape to somewhere remote, and get some peace away from the pressures of a society which is always clamouring for our attention in one way or another. This kind of isolation isn’t a choice for some people, but rather a way of life, and some of photography’s most respected names have been exploring the far corners of the globe to provide a window into the lives of peoples who live off the grid. Instead, their worlds are dominated by ancient traditions and customs which maintain an essential, central place in their day-to-day existence.
Origins showcases images by Rankin, Jimmy Nelson, Steve McCurry, Jean-Claude Moschetti, Mario Marino, Xavier Guardans and Claire Rosen, who have been on a journey of discovery to rival anything in National Geographic. Nelson, for example, has visited 35 different tribes in 44 countries during his career to seek out examples of beauty in these communities. Moschetti’s work, on the other hand, has seen him embark on a darker mission into the West Africa region, where he gained access to secretive rituals and voodoo cults. Alongside the photography, sculptural and conceptual works from Andries Botha, Patrick Colhoun, Khaled Zaki and Gunjan Gupta will inhabit a replica of traditional Ndebele tribe grass hut at London ‘anti-gallery’ Heist — the organisers of this illuminating exhibition, which is up and running now and will continue until 30 April.
Xavier Guardans
Rembes
Window Series, 2006
22″ x 22″
Jean-Claude Moschetti
Fate #01
70 x 56 cm
Claire Rosen
Red and Green Macaw No. 7301
Birds of a Feather, 2012
Patrick Colhoun
Gash (Ceramic and Internal Illumination)
Mario Marino
Gunjan Gupta
Bori Throne
Xavier Guardans
Merisho
Window Series, 2006
22″ x 22″
Jimmy Nelson
Gogine Boys
Goroka, Eastern Highland
Papua New Guinea, 2010
74 x 62 cm
Patrick Colhoun
Triptych of Cohorts (Hand Painted Ceramic)
Jimmy Nelson
Hilao Moyizo Village,
Omo Valley
Ethiopia, 2011
74 x 62 cm
