The Night and the First Sculpture — Alexander Mourant. Published by Folium.
Sculptures constructed from various materials such as wood, stone, and glass are placed in a large space—a dark hall where only the sculptures are illuminated, as if on a theater stage. The hall appears to be part of the artist's family farm. At night, Mourant takes over the space and shapes robust agricultural objects to his will and photographs performances in which his body becomes part of the architectural forms. I think of his family, sound asleep, perhaps not understanding any of this. The farmer's son who became an artist and writer.
The images are beautifully printed on thick, very matte paper. This materiality evokes conceptual art books from the '60s and ‘70s and, combined with the presented scenes, creates a strong connection to Land Art and Arte Povera—movements from which Mourant draws inspiration and explores in depth (see his fascinating Instagram account!).
A true gem of a book and artist.
Awoiska van der Molen is based in Amsterdam. She is known for her monumental black-and-white analogue images that represent her experience of the primordial and psychological space in the world she photographs. Her monographs The Humanness of Our Lonely Selves (2024), Sequester (2014), Blanco (2017), and The Living Mountain (2020) are designed and published by Hans Gremmen, Fw:Books.
awoiska.nl
Instagram: @awoiska_vandermolen