Self – Jamie Price

In Ōtautahi Christchurch-based artist Jamie Price’s first exhibition with City Art Depot, he explores personal connections and histories related to the landscapes of the West Coast/Te Tai Poutini. Price’s elegant yet ambiguous photography is deeply rooted within explorations of memory and space, imbued with the complex and fraught narratives that inform and shape the natural landscape of Te Waipounamu.

Price delves into his family history, placing himself within the lands that were lived and worked on by his grandfather, harking back to a time when the plenty of nature was seen as something to be tamed and taken. Spaces that have been altered or in transition intrigue Price –  how do we identify with places, he asks, that are liminal, in contention, changing.

There is a deliberate slowness in Price’s practice. The selection, set up and long exposure time of each photograph allow for a measured taking in of the scene. Subtle shifts and movements along with overcast dim lighting create a surreal looming softness over the landscapes. We are invited by Price to traverse the ambiguity of these artworks and engage with our sense of self in relation to the land.

Jamie Price is a current Masters of Fine Arts student at the University of Canterbury.

Read more about this body of work in our City Art Reader interview.