 |
|
Clare Richardson (British, 1973)
|
 |
Clare Richardson
Sylvan, Untitled XX 2002
|
|
| |
|
Biography |
|
|
|
|
Clare Richardson, born in London in 1973 began her practice working freelance as a photographic assistant to the likes of photographers Liz Collins and Rankin amongst others, before channelling her experience into her own work. |
|
|
|
|
Her first solo exhibition, 'Harlemville' held at White Cube in 2001 concentrated on a series of images that forms a greater body of work centred on a small community in North America. Structuring their lives around the philosophical writings of the Austrian philosopher, Rudolf Steiner and the Waldorf schooling system that he created, the community encourages freedom of expression and imagination that in turn imbues an uninhibited self-confidence and self-awareness that generally goes un-echoed in the mainstream American society within which they are based. |
|
|
|
|
Richardson spent 18 months observing the community first-hand and found their reverence for nature and the 'confident quietness' of the place captivating. Steiner's philosophy focused on the educative development of a child, with a back to nature simplicity that in turn encourages free expression, creativity and play. The images created by Richardson evoke a nostalgic moment of 'innocence' when a child becomes totally preoccupied within their personal play-world, but in turn provides cinematic reference to films such as Golding's 'Lord of the Flies' and Reiner's 'Stand by Me'. |
|
|
|
|
Steeped in a tradition of narrative fine art photography that instinctively suggests names such as Gregory Crewdson, Justine Kurland and Walker Evans - Richardson's imagery relies heavily on close observance and chance, as opposed to the constructed reality that is particularly apparent in the works of Crewdson and Kurland. |
|
|
|
|
To date, Richardson has exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London (2002), as part of the John Kobal Photographic Prize at the National Portrait Gallery, London and in a major touring exhibition in Canada 'Regarding Landscape' (2002). In 2000, Richardson was the Spitfire Summer commissioned artist at the Imperial War Museum and Steidl have produced a publication on the Harlemville series which is now available. |
|
|
|
|
return to artnet.com