After months living alone in the subzero temperatures of remote Iceland and Norway, Wellington photographer Ethan Grigg returns to his home town to present his first solo show, Alone.
Ethan says the exhibition title reflects his experience of tramping solo through these barren landscapes and the very landscapes themselves. ‘They’re like nothing we have here in New Zealand. The land is volcanic and barren. There’s no tree line, nor at times, any sign of life.’
In an attempt to capture the true essence of a Nordic land void of people, Ethan experimented with both film and digital. ‘I put a lot more thought into my film photographs for obvious reasons, whereas with digital I have no reservations about pressing the shutter. Working with both allows me to view the landscape in two distinct ways.’
Perturbed by the fact that more and more often we see landscape photography featuring people, Ethan has tried to return the landscape to its place as the central subject. ‘No matter how small or distant a person is in a photograph, it still changes everything.’ Ethan lets the landscapes speak for themselves and captures their primordial nature.
Alone
209 Left Bank, Te Aro, Wellington
12 – 18 April