Jessie English’s upcoming exhibition at Standard Space, titled The Book of Hours, is a reference to the 15th century illuminated manuscripts produced by monks for use by laypeople. The artist’s own devotion lies deep in the physical act of original photography and is expressed in a series of large-format, multi-exposed mural photographs that neatly tie process to artistic intent – at a time when this type of handmade work is increasingly rare.
English took the photos over three years on her travels with a plastic Holga camera. The 17 pieces in the show are just a fraction of the 40 rolls of film she has taken so far as part of this larger and ongoing project. She approached this work with the belief that the devotional practice of photographing landscapes can stand in for our loss of connection to the landscape itself.
