DAVID NADEL
Burns
Blue Sky Gallery, Portland
04.12.2013 - 29.12.2013
Artist David Nadel’s series Burns is a poignant study of the remains of scorched forests in northwest Montana. Over the past five years, Nadel has hiked the rugged terrain of the Swan, Apgar, and Whitefish mountains in order to photograph the aftermath of wildfires. The charred trees against the white snow create a monochromatic, almost abstract aesthetic, yet closer inspection reveals the sharp details and subtle colors captured by the artist’s large-format view camera. For Nadel, these images acknowledge the loss of what once was while simultaneously drawing our attention to new, awe-inspiring landscapes:
“The ‘Burns’ depict order in a landscape that is chaotic, stark and devastated. The remains and monuments of a once colorful forest redefine beauty in the landscape.”
David Nadel was born in Massachusetts, and holds a BFA from Purchase College. His work has been exhibited at the Soho Photo Gallery in New York, Pingyao International Photography Festival in China, and +Kris Graves Projects in Brooklyn. He is currently represented by Sasha Wolf Gallery in New York City and lives and photographs in Montana.