Exhibition Review: Nadav Kander: The Thread
Priozersk XIV (I was told she once held an oar), Kazakhstan, 2011, from the series Dust Chromogenic print, printed 2022, 48 1/4 x 58 3/8 inches, Copyright Nadav Kander, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York
Written by: Belle McIntyre
“There’s a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread.” from “The Way It Is” by William Stafford.
Atlantic Ocean III (Copacabana Beach), Brazil, 2003, from the series Colour Fields Chromogenic print, printed 2022, 38 x 78 3/8 inches, Copyright Nadav Kander, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York
One could reasonably wonder how the wide-ranging subject matter of this prolific photographer is connected. I think the answer becomes obvious. It seems quite clear that Kander’s thread is his own curiosity and search for meaning embedded in places and cultures unknown to him. This exhibition on view at Howard Greenberg Gallery through June 10 includes 9 landscapes and thirty portraits from the 1990’s -2020’s. The landscapes are from his extensive travels and in depth observations of the various locales. His projects included here are the Yangtze River in China, the Arctic Circle, Chernobyl, and the Thames Estuary. The images are quiet, mysterious and arresting – demanding and rewarding close attention. One wants to see and know more.
Arctic Circle I, 2006, from the series Arctic Circle Chromogenic print, printed 2022, 29 1/2 x 48 3/8 inches, Copyright Nadav Kander, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York
Likewise, the portraits reveal a remarkable sense of the humanity and sensitivity of each one of his subjects. Kander’s and a skillful mastery of a wide variety of styles and printing processes has allowed him to employ techniques uniquely specific to the sitter. His subjects include heads of state (Prince Charles IV, Barak Obama, Desmond Tutu), actors (Chiwetel Ejiofor, Patrick Stewart, Eddie Redmayne, Jodie Foster), film makers (Werner Herzog, David Attenborough, Martin Scorsese, David Lynch), cultural icons (Jane Goodall, Boy George, Alexander McQueen, Julian Assange) and assorted unknown yet compelling faces. The unknown faces are treated with the same care and attention as the more celebrated figures.
Rosamund Pike II, Los Angeles, USA, 2014. Pigment print, printed 2022 Image size: 26 x 22 inches. Paper size: 26 x 22 inches, Copyright Nadav Kander, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York
The most striking portrait is of Rosamund Pike covered with delicate vine-like shadows in a blue pigment print. The portrait of Alexander McQueen looks unsettlingly prophetic and Boy George has never looked more vulnerable or tragic. Kander seems to be seeing inside of his people and allowing them to show themselves to us. It is an intense experience to be surrounded by these illustrious characters. And, like the landscapes, one wants to see more.
Untitled IV, part 1, 2 & 3 – Triptych, 2015, from the series Dark Line – The Thames Estuary Pigment print, printed 2022, 70 3/4 x 31 7/8 inches each, Copyright Nadav Kander, Courtesy Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York
Photo Editor: Miller Lyle
