Unearthed: Photography's Roots
Unearthed: Photography's Roots
Dulwich Picture Gallery Gallery Rd, Dulwich, London SE21 7AD
November 11th, 2020–May 9th 2021
Discover the pioneering story of photography from the 1840s to today, told through stunning still lifes of plants and botany.
Our first major photography exhibition, Unearthed traces the rich history of the medium through depictions of nature, with over 100 works by 41 leading international artists. Unearthed: Photography's Roots will reveal the fascinating technical processes and narratives behind these images, showcasing innovations in photography by key figures including William Henry Fox Talbot and Imogen Cunningham as well as several overlooked photographers including rare works by Japanese artist, Kazumasa Ogawa and the English gardener, Charles Jones. Jones’ striking modernist photographs of plants remained unknown for 20 years after his death, until they were discovered in a trunk at Bermondsey Market in 1981.
"Nature is a constant, and there’s a reason that artists through the centuries have always returned to it…We can’t help but be inspired because it’s unwavering."
Curator Alexander Moore, Creative Producer at Dulwich Picture Gallery
The exhibition opens with some of the first known Victorian images by Talbot, with his experiments with paper negatives, and will also feature many works by one of the first female photographers Anna Atkins. Focusing on botany and science throughout, themes range from typology and form to experiments with colour and modernism. The show culminates with more recent advancements in photography, from the glamour and eroticism of artists Robert Mapplethorpe and Nobuyoshi Araki, to experimentations with still life compositions by Richard Learoyd.
Our mausoleum hosts a contemporary installation from renowned video artist Ori Gersht, On Reflection, which reimagines a still life painting by Jan Brueghel the elder, and has never before been on show in the UK.