Ian Kemp: Neverlasting

Why would one venture into a landscape that is as isolated and remote as the Altiplano-Puna high altitude desert in the central Andes region of Argentina? Fewer than 1,000 people go there each year. At 3,500 to 5,300 metres above sea level the conditions can change in an instant. Neverlasting, a photographic exhibition by Ballarat-based fine artist Ian Kemp on display at Horsham Regional Art Gallery from 14 September – 24 November 2024, provides the audiences with Kemp’s photographic documentation of some of the world’s most untouched landscapes.

Kemp’s remarkable photography, capturing serene, expansive and almost mythical landscapes, masterfully illustrates the comparative insignificance of individual human lives. Using nature as metaphor, the works in this exhibition depict a world in transition, where beauty is ephemeral and temporary. These are not travel photographs; within these images he explores his subject, the impermanence of human life.

Neverlasting explores the timeless quality of the photogravure process, a technique renowned for its rich tonal depth and intricate detail, elevating fleeting moments into enduring visual narratives. Through each of Kemp’s meticulously crafted photogravure works, the exhibition invites viewers to engage with the tactile richness and historical resonance of the medium, appreciating how it can preserve the ephemeral with both precision and poignancy.

Image: Ian KEMP Cloud and volcano  2023 photogravure print on Arches paper 71 x 55cm Courtesy the artist