The Temple Of Artemis At Ephesus - Dan Mumford
This Friday sees the opening of our latest exhibition. Wonders showcases the incredible talents of British artist Dan Mumford & Chicago favourite Andrew Ghrist and is based around the seven wonders of the world, both modern and ancient. Wonders is open from 10-6 on Friday 11th December 2015 until Sunday 3rd January 2016.
The Lighthouse Of Alexandria - Dan Mumford
The Statue Of Zeus At Olympia - Dan Mumford
This Is The End Of All We Know - Dan Mumford
What was your inspiration for this show? It seems to be quite different in tone from your previous work, while still containing familiar elements.
I have to give Credit for the theme of the 7 Wonders to the guys at Galerie F! We had discussed doing a show early this year but the content wasn’t locked in till around a few months ago. I previously did a landscape diptych called ‘This is the End, Of all that we know.’. Which in itself was an extension of a few pieces i had done throughout the last few years where i was basically trying to create visions of a sort of… beautiful apocalypse, scenes of destruction or decay, but beautifully. So when it came time for this show I knew I wanted to revisit this, as most of the time i create work based in Pop Culture, movies, videgames, comics etc. To be honest I don’t normally get a chance to have complete artistic license like this, and the idea of the 7 wonders was the perfect starting point.
The seven wonders of the world is a fascinating subject and it allows for a lot of interpretation, especially the ancient versions. Do you prefer to rely on found imagery or create from scratch?
Well originally I was going to be creating a mixture from both the ancient and modern wonders, but then i thought that actually basing it in the Ancient realm as a set meant there was pretty much complete room for artistic license. Theres no real right or wrong way to depict these places, there are many images of them of course, but ultimately no one is going to question the depiction itself. If something is based in reality i do like to use imagery as reference, as my work is to an extent realistic i like to try and get aspects correct where i can. This was far more open though, and it was a mixture of using reference and purely working stuff up on my own. I generally use quite a bit of reference, so this was quite liberating.
The wonders seem to be a sort of travel guide for the ancient and modern world. If you could create a list of your own wonders, what would you include on there?
I think it has to be places to would clearly make you lose your breath, Niagara, The Grand Canyon, on top of the Empire State Building looking down, The Shard in London is quite an amazing building too. I think its about experiences and making you realise how tiny you are. These days we are certainly moving upwards towards the sky, and our modern monuments are these gigantic buildings. I have never been, but Dubai as a whole looks something out of a scifi movie. I do wonder if they will stand the test of time though, whilst a natural beauty like the Grand Canyon will always be there.
Mega City One - Dan Mumford
You are working alongside local hero Andrew Ghrist on this show, are you excited to see his take on the subject?
Absolutely. Andrew has an incredible ability to create beautifully flowing pieces with intense detail, and he’s quite young too, so to imagine where he will be with his work in the next few years is mind-blowing. I haven’t seen anything he has come up with for the show yet, but i can’t wait to see them all in person.
Are you excited for your trip to Chicago?
Yes! it is my first time to Chicago. And its always great to be able to come over for a show like this, would have been a real downer if I was stuck at home in London on opening night.
What are your plans while you are over here? Bring a jacket.
As of right now i don’t actually have any major plans other than the show, I haven’t had a chance to plan anything! I am only over for about 3 days, and one of those will be spent signing all the prints and getting all that in order, so i’m thinking I might just go with the flow while I am over. Obviously will be great to get to see the gallery and hang out with everyone there, really looking forward to that. I am however very aware that its probably going to be absolutely freezing…but hey, I live in the UK, it can’t be that much colder right?….
