Aesthetica Magazine Issue 90

August / September 2019

There has never been a time in human history when things have been so interconnected. The climate crisis is connected to the economy, which is in turn connected to trade and tariffs, and so on and so forth. We are living in an age of alternative facts, fake news and misinformation. We are more divided than ever before, and politicians use populism to disintegrate battles won for justice and equality. Watching programmes like Years and Years or The Handmaid’s Tale fills me with fear because I think: are we really that far from this? Could these dystopian fictions become reality?

Inside this issue, we bring you the latest from Parley for the Oceans. This is a fantastic non-profit organisation that is serious about eradicating single-use plastic and saving the seas. It has teamed up with artists, fashion brands and designers worldwide to make positive change. There is no need to buy water all the time; carry an empty bottle. The same goes for coffee cups. We could cut down on landfill waste considerably through these simple measures. Looking further back, it has been 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Ute Mahler and Werner Mahler have a retrospective coming up at Fotomuseum Den Haag, which looks at their work in the former GDR alongside more recent pieces. The show is compelling because surveillance was part of everyday life for these photographers. It’s interesting to note the similarities between then and now, given the level of voyeurism and observation in today’s world. We must ask important questions about privacy and boundaries.

The following photographers are featured inside this issue: Kyle Thompson, Kyle Jeffers, Sebastian Weiss, Rebecca Reeve, Studio Brasch and cover photographer Alessio Albi, alongside our annual feature, Next Generation, completed in partnership with London College of Communication, University of the Arts London. This is your opportunity to see the breadth and scope of new work being produced today. Finally, Nina Wiedemeyer, Curator from the Bauhaus-Archiv, gives us the last words.

Shop

Intimacy with Nature

Next Generation is an annual collaboration with London College of Communication, featuring seven new talents entering the photographic sphere.

Spatial Experiments

The renowned Dutch fair returns, providing a space for photographers that are testing uneven ground through bold, abstracted compositions.

Illusory Narratives

Examining the use of photography to question the nature of accepted truths and subjective realities, the images sit between fact and fiction.

Pockets of Colour

Picking up on small strips of colour within manufactured locations, Kyle Jeffers builds up textures through costume, props and layouts.

Unlimited Possibilities

Studio Brasch works across fine art and conceptual projects, as well as brand campaigns, visual communication and direction.

Changing Definitions

Sculpture’s new talents consider the boundaries of the medium and its environmental impact, working with data and electricity, metal and sound.

Forms of Recluse

Kyle Thompson produces photographs that depict feelings of solitude and loneliness in today’s hyper-digitised climate.

Looking Outwards

Rebecca Reeve’s series Marjory’s World comments upon our increasingly urban existence – a sense of disconnect from the natural world.

Social Documentary

The German Democratic Republic was a country ruled by surveillance and constant monitoring; photographs provide a window into the era.

Taking Responsibility

A non-profit organisation takes charge of ocean health through major collaborations with artists, promoting plastic-free lifestyles.

Striking Depictions

Alessio Albi’s close-up portraits draw attention to finer bodily details – capturing them with mesmerising intensity and heightened colours.

Dramatic Architecture

Sebastian Weiss is an architectural photographer who sparks dialogues with buildings. Glass and concrete come together in fluid structures.