Emotions of the Sun
In an immense collaboration between Magnum and Veuve Clicquot, eight photographers across five continents were given one assignment: to interpret the force and beauty of the sun.
Alex Webb
C-Print
24.5 x 32 in (paper size) - Edition of 10 + 4 Artist Proofs
32 x 44.5 in (paper size) - Edition of 7 + 2 Artist Proofs
44 x 62 in (paper size) - Edition of 5 + 1 Artist Proof
When prompted to produce a body of work on the Sun, Alex Webb immediately thought of Oaxaca, Mexico, a city that is very close to his heart, and well known for its striking, vibrant colors. Beyond its remarkable beauty, Webb explains that the place also carries a distinctive cultural legacy: the mythology of the Mixtecs, one of the many indigenous peoples of Oaxaca, much of which centred around an acute consciousness of the Sun. Webb chose to make his photographs in the early morning and late afternoon when, in his words, “the crystal-clear mountain light” suffuses Oaxaca’s neighborhoods and illuminates the remarkable red, orange, and yellow buildings. Deep shadows often crisscross the streets.
The city breathes and inspires a sense of joie de vivre, with its unique light, and lively streets and markets. Inspired by the city’s architecture and everyday scenes, Webb created a series filled with solar symbols. The colors, light and energy of the place and passers-by alike, allowed him to create multi layered compositions, theatrical scenes that are filled with solar energy, rich and golden light, and extraordinary, bold colors. Webb describes Mexico as a place “where color seems almost embedded in the culture”. His photographs capture the mood and atmosphere created by the colors themselves, each filled with their own emotional component: happiness, excitement, and, sometimes, mystery.
Cristina de Middel
Archival pigment print
Edition of 5 + 2 Artist Proofs
30 x 40 cm (paper size)
90 x 120 cm (paper size)
For this series, De Middel set out to explore multiple aspects of the Sun: its shape and brightness, the shadows it casts, its color. In Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, De Middel created a phantasmagorical universe symbolizing the Sun and the emotional impact of sunlight. Amidst sand dunes and expanses of water, drawing on strong lighting, metaphorical shapes and bright colors, she created a theater of life, exuding warmth and abundance. With her trademark, conceptual approach to photography, De Middel stages scenes in the spirit of magical realism, in which a bright, yellow balloon, a lone horse, and golden threads convey a sense of utter stillness, or as if lightly brushed by a mystical wind. As if in a dream, all these elements come to life. Through her whimsical, imaginative lens, De Middel creates images that delicately and poetically convey feelings of joy, fulfillment, and freedom. In the presence of her epic tableaux, the viewer feels an overwhelming sense of plenitude and contentment: a lightness of being.
Lindokuhle Sobekwa
Archival pigment print
40 x 50 cm (paper size) - edition of 7 + 2 Artist Proofs
80 x 100 cm (paper size) - edition of 3 + 2 Artist Proofs
Lindokuhle Sobekwa is known for his distinctive, visual storytelling, which often revolves around his own, personal stories and those of others in his everyday surroundings. This project is very much based on his personal and intimate approach. Sobekwa worked in his native country, South Africa, where he was inspired to shoot during the Spring, a time that, in his own words, is “like sunrise: a time when everything starts to live again, to flourish, a period full of joy.” He began photographing in September, when Spring arrives in South Africa and the days are getting longer and brighter, beautifully capturing the stunning sunsets and sunrises that the region is famous for at this unique time of year. His delicate photographs bear witness to the deep and spontaneous bond that unites humans with nature. His exquisite portraits of blossoming flowers, in rich and bright colors, are an ode to the sun, and to the fertility, joy and abundance our nearest star brings to the world. The series makes palpable the gentle caress of the spring sun, and the sheer energy of nature. Sobekwa’s warm and graceful images, full of light and vibrancy, are, as he explains, “a reflection of what we see with our human eye”.
Nanna Heitmann
Archival pigment print
40 x 53,3 cm (image size) - edition of 8
60 x 80 cm (image size) - edition of 8
120 x 160 cm (image size) - edition of 3
To best represent the Sun, Nanna Heitmann chose to photograph the otherworldly desert of the Bardenas Reales, in Spain. With its chalk and sandstone formations, eroded by water and wind into unique reliefs and canyons, this exceptional landscape provided the ideal setting for her explorations. Inspired by the resplendent colors of this extraordinary realm, Heitmann delicately staged a series of magical moments. To conjure the right mood and emotions, she chose to work in low, slanting sunlight, when the desert turns a softer shade of yellow. Using a length of orange fabric, she symbolized the warm sun rays that connect us to one another and give energy and life. Her pictures convey a feeling of contemplation and connection to something greater than ourselves. In these theatrical mises-en-scène, human beings and the sun are in perfect osmosis: in the vastness of our world, they are one. This series conveys a sense of calm, awe, and introspection, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the beauty of nature, and to find moments of stillness and appreciation amidst the chaos of life.
Newsha Tavakolian
Archival pigment print
Unique artwork
60 x 80 cm (paper size)
100 x 70 cm (paper size)
With this series, Newsha Tavakolian invites us to experience a sunny day in her native Iran. The morning light filters through the window of a minimally decorated bedroom adorned with yellow curtains and a neatly arranged bed, filling the room with warm light, serenity and solar optimism. On the bed, a poetic arrangement of native lemons provides indoor sunshine, and a delicate hint at the place in which these photographs were created. The day continues in the sun-drenched sand, where a solar glow bathes the curvaceous dunes. A woman gazes meditatively at the sun, above the horizon. Like a gentle reverie, the sequence invites us to feel the warmth of the sun on the sand. In another dream-like moment, a woman swims in a pool, surrounded by delicate sunflowers, as if in a purifying bath. These images provide a deep sense of relief, and hope. Through this visual fable based on the emotional power of the sun, Tavakolian explains that she wanted to tell a story of female power, hopefulness, and new beginnings. She was inspired by a book titled Conversation in a Garden by Iranian writer Shahrokh Meskoob, in which two intellectuals discuss Persian gardens, concluding that “the garden is inside you.” In this same enlightened spirit, Tavakolian’s soulful vision of the Sun as a soothing and nurturing presence makes us realize that its warmth and light are, indeed, inside each and every one of us.
Olivia Arthur
C- print
40 x 50 cm (paper size) - edition of 8
60 x 75 cm (paper size) - edition of 8
120 x 150 cm (paper size) - edition of 3
Olivia Arthur’s photographs were made in rural France during the last days of summer. They evoke inner peace, simple joys, and the poetry of childhood memories. Her photographs were inspired by the saying "Make Hay While the Sun Shines”: to bring the Sun inside, and make the most of every favorable opportunity. In these bucolic, ethereal photographs, haymaking and the end-of-summer sun come to symbolize seizing the moment and getting the most out of life. Arthur chose hay and straw bales as a starting point to showcase the positive energy that everyone feels with after a summer of sun, a time when people interact with nature more than any other season. Arthur finds ephemeral sculptures in the yellow grass, made from natural elements. In one particularly intimate and gentle photograph, the sun tenderly embraces a body and projects it as a delicate silhouette onto the hay, blending the elements in a sensuous ballet.
Steve McCurry
Digital C- print, printed on Fujiflex Crystal Archive Super Gloss paper
20 x 24 in (paper size) - edition of 30
30 x 40 in (paper size) - edition of 15
40 x 60 in (paper size) - edition of 10
“The Land of the Rising Sun,” as Japan is commonly known in the West, is represented with a bright red sun sitting at the heart of its flag. Amaterasu, the Goddess of the Sun, is one of the most revered deities (kami) in the Shinto tradition. Indeed, the Sun holds a unique place in Japanese culture, which is in no small part why Steve McCurry traveled there to reflect on the meaning of the Sun for him. His series focuses on the universal icon that is Mount Fuji, an active volcano and the tallest mountain in Japan, that has been an endless source of inspiration and fascination over the centuries for painters and, more recently, photographers. McCurry discovered Fuji-san’s perfect cone for the very first time on this visit, and was instantly captivated by its sheer, monumental power and beauty. This series of landscapes, featuring both Fuji and the majestic Sun over the cycle of a single day, is reminiscent of the Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (1830) by the influential Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai, which depicted the volcano from various perspectives and in all weathers, through the seasons. In a similar spirit, McCurry chose to portray Mount Fuji at various times of the day, timing his shots carefully so that the sun would be low, not too bright, and not in the same frame as the mountain, allowing for a gentle color palette and stunning reflections in the nearby lake. McCurry’s choreographed images include a human presence in each landscape, a humble witness of nature’s unparalleled beauty, symbolizing a profound harmony. Shining bright, the sun stands as the source of all life. And as it sets, a beautiful Japanese lantern takes its place through the night.
Trent Parke
Archival pigment print
Edition of 10
60 x 40 cm (paper size)
120 x 80 cm (paper size)
The Sun holds a significant place in Trent Parke's photographic work. These mesmerizing portraits of the Sun were shot in Parke’s hometown of Adelaide, during the Australian summer. For this series, Parke chose to merge two great forces of nature: the ocean and the sun, both of which he describes as “symbols of universal energy”. Capturing the Sun at its most impressive, setting towards the horizon, Parke created mesmerizing monumental photographs of the symbiosis between humankind and nature. His photographs of human lives in close connection to the elements, shaped by the passage of time, are akin to lyrical fiction. Parke visited the ocean front, where people gather to enjoy the summer sun, socialize, go diving, and play - making the most of the water under the golden sun. Against the sun’s fiery rays, impressive silhouettes make striking photographic motifs. The ocean becomes a sumptuous canvas. The Sun, an almighty presence, stands as the lead in this cast of characters, providing a divine backdrop for the ocean, birds and humans alike. In a spirit of deep mindfulness, these photographs exude happiness, peace and serenity.
Adelaide, Australia, 2023
