The classic British butterfly house acts as the backdrop to Alexander Mourant’s Aurelian, an evocative study of the passing of time and the slippery nature of memory. “These hot, artificial environments are used through the work to probe the nature of experience, such as an assembly point, or an artist’s studio, as an envisioned idea where time is not absolute but continuously contained and all-encompassing,” says the 23-year-old, who recently graduated from Falmouth University.
Aurelian has its roots in an extensive editorial project called Cairo to Cape Town: Africa’s Plastic Footprint, which Mourant worked on in collaboration with the Raw Foundation. Over the course of five months, he travelled throughout Africa in a 4×4, documenting the shifting cultural and geographical landscape. “I think the most inspiring aspect was the realisation of how diverse our planet is. But crucially, how the environment is genuinely threatened,” he says.
On his return to the UK, the experience of the epic journey began to take shape in a different form. Drawing on the literature he had read throughout his trip, he was struck by the ephemerality of his memories and an intense longing for the tropical landscape he had left behind. “Since returning, the familiar had become unfamiliar. I sought not to simply photograph, but to explore through this desire, the time and space in which I found myself,” he explains.
Container with atmosphere, from the series Aurelian, 2016-2017 © Alexander Mourant
Aurelian marks a change from Mourant’s previous projects, which are more documentary in nature. “In the process of reviewing my recent photographs, I grew frustrated with the lack of interaction between the work and the viewers; there was no sensation, the photographs felt soulless,” he comments.
Working solely with medium and large format film for this project, he chose to experiment with a slower-paced, more conceptual approach that explores the metaphysical qualities of photography, one that he plans to continue on a trip to Japan.
alexandermourant.com This article was first published in the August issue of BJP, which is available via www.thebjpshop.com
Untitled II, from the series Aurelian, 2016-2017 © Alexander Mourant 
Untitled VI, from the series Aurelian, 2016-2017 © Alexander Mourant
Aurelian has its roots in an extensive editorial project called Cairo to Cape Town: Africa’s Plastic Footprint, which Mourant worked on in collaboration with the Raw Foundation. Over the course of five months, he travelled throughout Africa in a 4×4, documenting the shifting cultural and geographical landscape. “I think the most inspiring aspect was the realisation of how diverse our planet is. But crucially, how the environment is genuinely threatened,” he says.
On his return to the UK, the experience of the epic journey began to take shape in a different form. Drawing on the literature he had read throughout his trip, he was struck by the ephemerality of his memories and an intense longing for the tropical landscape he had left behind. “Since returning, the familiar had become unfamiliar. I sought not to simply photograph, but to explore through this desire, the time and space in which I found myself,” he explains.
Aurelian marks a change from Mourant’s previous projects, which are more documentary in nature. “In the process of reviewing my recent photographs, I grew frustrated with the lack of interaction between the work and the viewers; there was no sensation, the photographs felt soulless,” he comments.
Working solely with medium and large format film for this project, he chose to experiment with a slower-paced, more conceptual approach that explores the metaphysical qualities of photography, one that he plans to continue on a trip to Japan.
alexandermourant.com This article was first published in the August issue of BJP, which is available via www.thebjpshop.com
