Sculpture, remnant (Lebanon), 2008

Artist Curtis Mann collects found photographs depicting conflicts in the Middle East and Northern Africa, then bleaches and scratches the surface of the images, removing information to create new meanings from his source material. The scrapes, scratches, and crumples compel the viewer to slow down and consider the work beyond its surface.

With a background in mechanical engineering, Mann has always had a curiosity for the paper, chemicals, and inks used to produce photographic images. Though it would be easier to reproduce his aesthetic digitally, he feels that the physical processes of bleaching, tearing, and handling the print have a strong metaphoric meaning and conceptual connection to the ideas of erosion, imperfection, destruction, and erasure that are present in the work.

Curtis Mann is a pioneer in his approach to using alternative processes to encourage contemporary and conceptual ideas. Sculpture, remnant (Lebanon) is a striking handmade print that dissects photographic conventions and would be an exciting addition to your collection.

C-print
Image Size: 11 x 14 inches
Paper Size: 11 x 14 inches
Edition of 15 + 2 AP
Signed and numbered by the artist

Curtis Mann (b. 1979, Dayton, Ohio) is a pioneer in his approach to using alternative processes to encourage contemporary and conceptual ideas. Best known for appropriating images of strife and conflict from various photo-sharing websites such as Flickr and transforming them into obscured, abstract compositions using bleach and varnish. Curtis Mann’s finished works resemble the remnants of explosions—the type of thing that you’d find lying in the ashes of a great conflagration. Mann holds an MFA in Photography from Columbia College Chicago and a BS from the University of Dayton. A 2008 solo show of Mann’s work was exhibited at Kusseneers Gallery in Antwerp, Belgium, along with exhibitions at the Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago; the Silverstein Gallery, New York; Lisa Boyle Gallery, Los Angeles; and Jen Bekman Gallery, New York. In 2008, his work was exhibited at the New York Photo Festival in an exhibition curated by Lesley Martin of Aperture. His work was featured in the Whitney Biennial, New York, in 2010. Mann is represented by the Kavi Gupta, Chicago, Illinois.