Broken Spectre
Richard Mosse's ways of seeing
What a week!
Work has been hectic, and it’s been hard to focus since November 6, so I was happy we had a photography doubleheader in Madison last week. As I mentioned, we screened D.W. Young’s documentary Uncropped at ArtLitLab on Thursday. I loved this film and really can’t recommend it enough. I was unfamiliar with photographer James Hamilton, and the oral history of the Village Voice was fascinating. Documentary fans, I think you’ll enjoy this. You can stream Uncropped online. Please check it out.
On Friday night, photographer Richard Mosse gave an outstanding lecture at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. It’s always exciting when photographers come to town, especially when it’s someone you admire. Richard was in Madison to open his latest exhibition, Broken Spectre, at the museum. I’ve written before about how photography teaches us to see. I was reminded on Friday how impressive it is that some artists imagine new ways to look at the world with a camera. I don’t know how he gets his ideas.
Richard has built a career by leveraging scientific imaging technologies to create experiences of aesthetic power. I’ve been a fan since I picked up his 2012 book Infra, which is a remarkable body of work. Broken Spectre is similarly filled with stunning visuals that lay bare the incredible destruction humans wreak upon the planet. Not many artists work like Richard; he’s a true original. Here, he explains the Broken Spectre project:
Richard and I have corresponded periodically over the years, and I was happy when MMoCA Museum Director Paul Baker Prindle invited me to introduce Richard’s lecture on Friday night. It’s an honor to be asked to do something like this, and I was pleased to say a few words about an artist I respect so much.
Getting a major photography event like this in Madison is rare, and I was looking forward to the talk. Not surprisingly, Richard delivered in spades. He’s an excellent speaker and an engaging storyteller, and the audience was rapt with attention as he explained his work, which is a fascinating synthesis of art and documentary. I’m sure many of you are familiar with Richard’s photography, but I wanted to share my introduction with those who aren't.
Thank you, Paul, for inviting me to introduce tonight’s lecture.
Good evening, everyone. I’m Andy Adams, curator and director at FlakPhoto Projects, a community hub focused on conversations about photography and visual culture.
Richard and I met online in 2009, and I have followed his career with interest since then. It is a genuine treat to see his work at MMoCA.
Before we begin, I want to say a few words about Richard.
Richard Mosse is one of the most innovative and thought-provoking photographers of our time. He is known for his striking images that challenge our understanding of documentary photography. His work spans conflict zones, environmental crises, and human migration, merging art and activism in powerful, visually arresting ways.
Richard frequently employs advanced photographic technologies, which are often implicated in the forms of displacement and violence he explores. In doing so, he invites us to reflect on the complex relationships between subject and medium.
Richard’s photographs challenge us to reconsider what it means to bear witness. His talent for turning complex and often hidden subjects into powerful visual experiences has earned him widespread acclaim, establishing him as a key figure in contemporary photography.
Whether capturing the migrant crisis on infrared film or documenting rebel warfare in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, his images compel us to confront harsh realities while inspiring empathy and reflection.
Tonight, we are fortunate to hear directly from Richard as he shares insights into Broken Spectre, which reveals the complex networks involved in the deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest. I am thrilled he is here, and I know you are, too.
Richard Mosse’s Broken Spectre is on view at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art from November 15, 2024, through February 16, 2025. See this show!
One more thing…
I showed this video last year, but it’s worth re-watching. “My power, if I have any,” says Richard Mosse, “is to be able to show you the things that I’ve seen in a more powerful way than perhaps the pictures you’ve seen in the newspaper of the same thing.”
Please make some time to explore Richard’s website. You can learn more about his work on the Jack Shainman Gallery website and follow him @richardmosse_ on Instagram. Let me know what you think about these pictures. Thanks for looking!
Mosse somehow manages to call attention to serious issues and concerns while simultaneously making some of the most stunning photographs and prints I've ever seen.
Thanks for this post (and thanks Substack for recommending it to me before it’s too late) - I’m now planning a trip from Chicago to Madison to see this exhibition, and the museum and city in general.