Owen Gump
THE EPHEMERAL NATURE OF INTERRELATED THINGS
11.08. – 15.09.2013

“The ephemeral character of connected things” is the name of a surfboard that will be on display at the Kunsthalle Bremerhaven from August 11th, 2013 to September 15th, 2013, alongside photographic works by the Californian artist Owen Gump. The board represents the only constant and invariable thing in surf culture - the wave is short-lived. However, it also symbolizes a way of life in which nature is seen as grandiose but still compliant.

Owen Gump, 33 years old, is a Bremerhaven scholarship holder. He lives in Berlin, was a scholarship holder for several years at the Düsseldorf Art Academy under Prof. Thomas Ruff and studied at the Academy of Visual Arts in Leipzig under Prof. Piller.

Owen Gump uses various techniques for his photographs. In Bremerhaven, the artist presents a selection of works of landscapes, oceans, architectural perspectives and irritating natural phenomena. People hardly play a role. They are at best extras, with one exception: the surfers - and the surfboard, a theme that has occupied the artist for a long time. Owen Gump shows a world that suggests that nature can be controlled by humans. On the other hand, however, the images that are now being presented in Bremerhaven make it very clear that human forms of life and lifestyles, the “cultural work” of humans, seem helpless or powerless in the face of the majesty of nature. The images show photographic sections of nature and Gump makes comments on interventions in nature, but always keeps his distance. This reinforces the impression of mystery and enigma.

To mark the presentation of the artist’s works, a new edition is being published in a print run of 10.

Klaus Becké

Curated by Klaus Becké.