Vivid use of colour with intense clarity
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Renowned for its raw beauty and intricate detailing; Kirsty Mitchell’s Wonderland series graces London’s Mead Carney for an extended period this month, and is not one to be passed up for lovers of art and photography. Situated in a small intimate gallery in central London, the setting is ideal to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city to become lost in Mitchell’s story-book fantasies, each more breathtaking than the last.
The Wonderland series was started in 2009, in honour of Mitchell’s mother who sadly passed away a year before. Both a coping mechanism for this loss and a tribute to the memories she left her, Wonderland encapsulates the emotional turbulence the artist has been through over the five and a half years it took to reach completion in November 2009. She has a background in fashion design, attending both London College of Fashion and Ravensbourne College of art; with experience at the famed fashion house Alexander McQueen. She worked as a senior designer for Karen Millen up until her mother’s diagnosis with terminal cancer, during which she rekindled her passion for the photographic arts, consequently leaving her job to commit to the completion of the Wonderland series. This background in artistry and design has lent itself admirably to creating the vast and detailed sets for her pieces; which Mitchell worked on often for months when leading up to a new picture.
Inspired by the fairy tales that her mother used to read her years ago, and imbued with a whimsical sense of wonder; Mitchell presents 74 differently themed escapes into another world. Covering the seasons, goddesses and voyages to new lands – her ideas are executed with meticulous detail. Known to wait a full year for the right flowers to bloom for a picture, and working from minimal finance and help during the process, Mitchell’s creations are awe-inspiring to behold – especially in their true form as fully printed, high resolution behemoths that can be found in the exhibition. Knowing that every flower is hand sown, every prop is hand cut – makes the work that much more incredible to witness.
The vivid use of colour and intense clarity of her images sets them apart from others in her field. With two international awards under her belt, a worldwide social media following and a host of prestigious names talking about Kirsty Mitchell and Wonderland (such as Harper’s Bazaar and Italian Vogue), enough attention has been drawn to her to become an ambassador for Nikon, and be in a place where she can finally achieve her dream of producing the Wonderland book – which should be produced for the end of this year.
The current exhibition in Mead Carney is a small selection of roughly 19 pieces, available for purchase through the gallery, which is free to enter and browse. Below is a sample of Mitchell’s work, all which can be found in the London based exhibition:
Kirsty Mitchell’s Wonderland series is available to view and purchase at Mead Carney gallery in London, exhibiting 7th of May – 13th June.
