Cyrus Mahboubian is a British-Iranian artist known for his contemplative approach to photography and his continued use of analogue materials, especially polaroid. He has stated that his intentionally slow process is a response to the increasing influence of technology in modern life. He has been invited to teach and speak on the subject of analogue photography at venues such as Tate Britain and The Photographer's Gallery.
Polaroid by Cyrus Mahboubian
Mahboubian is redefining analogue photography. He creates socially aware pieces but each one feels romantic, like a self knowing nod to the historical art form that has been taken over. Some of his portraits are extremely intimate and clear, though he does not shy away from abstraction either. His work demonstrates a constant artistic investigation into the mode of photography itself, exploring the world and people as much as exploring ways to push the possibilities of what photography can do. He does this not only technically with his camera and subject, but thematically with his use of photography for social change.
We are delighted to have received 3 Polaroids donated from the artist. Each one a beautiful and soft scene, in which the Polaroid method gives a fleeting sense, the feeling that the artist has taken a snapshot of the world he lives in and frozen a moment.
Polaroid by Cyrus Mahboubian
Mahboubian highly acclaimed shows in London, Paris, Moscow, Istanbul, Dubai and LA, thisartist is in his prime and one of the most successful in his generation. In 2014, West Hollywood art gallery De Re Gallery held a solo exhibition of Mahboubian's photographic series 'Muse'. The exhibition received favourable reviews by critics in Los Angeles and was included on LA Weekly's list of "5 Artsy Things to do in L.A." which compared the naturalistic style of Mahboubian's work to that of the film director Éric Rohmer. That same year, Chelsea Arts Club Trust awarded Mahboubian the position of Artist-in-Residence at the Gate Theatre in London. He was commissioned to produce an exhibition for the theatre's production of 'The Body of an American' based on the true story of the U.S. military's 1993 operation in Mogadishu.
This year, Mahboubian co-founded MIGRATE with friend Sandra Nuoramo, a photobook and exhibition presenting new photography exploring global migration by eight international photographers, which received extensive press coverage including BBC News, The Guardian and Global Citizen. In an interview with The Guardian, Mahboubian was quoted as saying, "Living in London, we find ourselves largely detached from the ongoing refugee crisis, despite its staggering scale. I wanted us to inspire fellow Londoners to have a conversation about it." The exhibition took place at Omeara in London Bridge from 29 August to 2 September.
Polaroid by Cyrus Mahboubian
Don't miss your chance to purchase work by one of the world's most prolific photographers, buy your ticket here now before they sell out. The photographs will be on display at theprintspace, Shoreditch from 12th – 24th October, with a Private View taking place at 7:30pm tonight.