Still shots of unstill life

HOW do you capture the passing of time?

Well, photographer Ian Kemp aims to ask that question as part of his upcoming photo exhibition at the Mercure.

From Monday, 1 August to Sunday, 11 September, Kemp will display over 20 photos depicting the stillness of seasonal nature for his collection titled Nerverlasting.

He said the pieces share a common theme of transience and passing familiar to his body of work.

“It reminds me of the mortality of human life and that’s why there’s a bit of darkness there but it’s darkness through mystery,” he said.

“We don’t know what’s ahead which is good because if you did, you’d just be working towards a known outcome and our lives aren’t like that.

“I reckon this is my best work to date, and I like that it’s not static. I like the idea of experimenting to see the different impacts.”

The collection was developed from early 2021 with Kemp visiting natural landscapes around the region.

For Nerverlasting, he used unfamiliar post-production techniques via brushed aluminium and photogravure prints.

A launch for the exhibition will be held on Thursday, 4 August, presented by Ballarat International Foto Biennale CEO Vanessa Gerrans.

Kemp said he hopes attendees will appreciate the photos for more than just their aesthetics.

“I want people to stop for a minute and think about their life and not live it like they’re going to live forever,” he said.

“I want them to stop and pause and look at what’s there, to take the lesson from the nature that’s in those photos and apply it to yourself.”

“The most I can hope is that rather than responding in a binary way, they can think what’s the artist’s saying? how are they saying it? And was it worth saying?”