Alexander Mourant was born in Jersey, Channel Islands in 1994. Having studied at Bryanston School he progressed to BA (Hons) Photography at Falmouth University, graduating in July 2017. He has previously worked as an intern for Simon Roberts and Nadav Kander. Alexander has also exhibited a variety of work, most notably with CCA Galleries, Mall Galleries and in a duo show with Andy Hughes RCA held at the Royal Geographical Society in London, May – June 2017. Last year, Alexander was commissioned by RAW Foundation to join their epic journey from Cairo to Cape Town. His practice since revolves around the continuous nature of experience, largely in a response to his time spent in Africa. He regularly undertakes commissioned work whilst pursuing personal projects.
Aurelian
‘Aurelian’ explores the interior space of British butterfly houses. These artificial environments are used throughout the work to probe the nature of experience, as an envisioned idea where time is not absolute, but continuously contained and all encompassing. By employing cultural objects and contemporary abstraction, the work holds a dynamic tension — questioning one’s spatial sense — stimulated through colour, form and materiality.
Photographs of the accompanying cultural objects disseminate elements from the butterfly houses — by transferral of condensation — to either historic or contemporary vessels. Simultaneously, they explore a metaphysical connection whilst insisting on their separation. Alexander’s photographs, though bold and unusual in colour, make visible a reality which is enduringly elusive and indescribable. They testify to their own reality and postulate another more concealed experience.
The work draws from a variety of personal sources, but most importantly, Alexander’s four month sojourn through the heart of Africa. In a sense, each photograph is autobiographical, helping to decode the fabric of space, essentially how ‘here’ and ‘there’ is in a perpetual dialogue. The work can be seen as an initial investigation into photography’s metaphysical potential.
To view more of their work please visit their website.