Description

Born in 1959, Mark Power was part of a British generation shaped by American influences. Since 2012, Power has travelled across the US to create a complex visual narrative of a country in the midst of change, from his perspective as an outsider. By the time he completes his project in 2022, it will cover a 10-year period, including Obama’s second term, Trump’s first, and the start of whoever comes next. Power’s work grapples with the complexities of American culture and politics as they are manifest in the landscape.

Now we can all take pictures, with varying degrees of ability, it's what we do with our cameras that counts

Mark Power
© Mark Power | Magnum Photos

Mark Power’s complex, meticulously crafted images – usually made with a large format camera – have earned him a reputation as one of the forerunners of British photography. Power’s interest in photography began as a child, when he discovered his father’s rudimentary enlarger made out of an upturned flower pot, a domestic light bulb and a simple camera lens.

He went to art school, a foundation course at Loughborough College of Art (1977-78) followed by a BA in Fine Art at Brighton Polytechnic (1978-81), specialising in painting and drawing in the landscape and liferoom. He turned to photography in 1983, following a two-year trip exploring South-East Asia and Australia.

Known for his seminal work exploring the far-flung locations esoterically described in the BBC’s iconic Shipping Forecast, Power has adeptly expressed the peculiarities of social culture in places as varied as Britain, Poland and America. Power lives in Brighton, on the south coast of England. He joined Magnum Photos as a Nominee in 2002, and became a full Member in 2007.

© Mark Power | Magnum Photos

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