I am sure I am not alone in welcoming the second volume of Simon Bernhardt’s idiosyncratic take on urban landscapes:
Square Scapes II.
The flash of recognition that these photographs bring, comes from a place somewhere in our collective consciousness and these images present Simon Bernhardt’s reflection on our shared urban history, Surely, I have seen that factory, that expressway, that McDonalds? Haven’t I?
For over 25 years he has been creating stark minimalist urban landscapes and meticulously organising details within that frame.
For Bernhardt, the square is no passing fancy but “symbolises order, rigour, and precision, and in my opinion is the most beautiful shape ever created”.
Neither vertical nor horizontal, and thereby neither “portrait” nor “landscape,” it demands its own approach to composition.
With a deferential nod to that titan of Australian art, Jeffrey Smart, and an ironic take on modern urban environments.
Square Scapes II continues to explore the playful symbiosis between artist and subject in a way that recalls no other contemporary Australian photographer.