Kelly Richardson: Pillars of Dawn

Taking cues from 19th-century painting, 20th-century cinema, and 21st-century planetary research, acclaimed Vancouver Island based artist Kelly Richardson crafts prints and videos that offer imaginative glimpses into the future which prompt a careful consideration of the present.

For over a decade, Richardson has made works which speculate on what lies ahead given our current trajectory, often by imagining sublime, apocalyptic landscapes that have become inhospitable to humanity.

Exhibiting across two galleries, Pillars of Dawn presents us with a scenario seemingly from the near future, in which all of our points of orientation are placed in doubt. The works ask us not only ‘how did we get here?’ or ‘what have we done?’ but ‘what have we become?’ and ‘what can we do – collectively?’ For Richardson, there can be no more urgent a set of questions.

Image Credit: Pillars of Dawn (detail), 2017, C-print, Supported by Arts Council England and NICAP