"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes."
– Marcel Proust
Voyages by Anderson & Low
14 March to 25 June 2017
Free entry
The Science Museum Group's collection of historical ship models has been dramatically reimagined for a new exhibition by internationally-acclaimed fine art photographers Anderson & Low.
Voyages, which opens at the Science Museum on 14 March, represents a surprising reinterpretation of a much-loved collection charting the development of maritime history. Looking at these models through the protective sheeting that covers them has had a radical effect on both scale and context. Anderson & Low have used this additional layer as a prism, to separate out a new spectrum of fantastical narratives.
Created using only ambient light, the resulting photographs resemble monumental Turner-esque seascapes and draw on the recurring themes of fantasy, artifice and perception common in Anderson & Low's many varied works.
Having been displayed for almost half a century before the decommissioning of the Science Museum's Shipping Galleries in 2012, the models have been subject to careful conservation over the intervening five year period. This new series of photographs by Anderson & Low gives new life to a valued part of the UK's national collection.
Ian Blatchford, Director of the Science Museum Group, said:
"Anderson & Low have found entirely new and original stories to tell of these old objects. I am thrilled that the Science Museum Group's collections have been re-imagined and revealed in such an incisive and profound way."
Anderson & Low said:
"These inner dramas were present all along, awaiting discovery by any who looked for them. One of the singular parallels in the history of science and art is that one can look at the world in a different way, and re-imagine what it might be. Turner said 'I paint what I see, not what I know to be there.' The physicist William Bragg said 'The important thing in science is not so much to obtain new facts as to discover new ways of thinking about them."
Voyages, a book by Anderson & Low featuring 43 full-colour plates and contributions from Science Museum Group Director Ian Blatchford and Dr David Rooney, the Museum's Keeper of Technologies and Engineering, will be published to accompany the exhibition. RRP £40.
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About the Science Museum
As the home of human ingenuity, the Science Museum's world-class collection forms an enduring record of scientific, technological and medical achievements from across the globe. Welcoming over 3 million visitors a year, the Museum aims to make sense of the science that shapes our lives, inspiring visitors with iconic objects, award-winning exhibitions and incredible stories of scientific achievement. sciencemuseum.org.uk
About Anderson & Low
Jonathan Anderson and Edwin Low have been collaborating as 'Anderson & Low' since 1990. Their work are noted for large stylistic shifts between different projects that are all underpinned by recurrent thematic elements. Recent projects include Manga Dreams, which has been exhibited on four continents, and On the Set of James Bond's Spectre. Public collections of their work include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Victoria & Albert Museum, London; National Portrait Galleries of both the UK and Australia; Museum of Fine Art, Houston; Baltimore Art Museum; Akron Museum, The National Gallery of Australia, the US Olympic Center, and Museet Fotokunst, Denmark. They were also official artists for the London 2012 Olympiad. andersonandlow.com
About Discover South Kensington
Discover South Kensington brings together the Science Museum and other leading cultural and educational organisations to promote innovation and learning. South Kensington is the home of science, arts and inspiration. Discovery is at the core of what happens here and there is so much to explore every day. discoversouthken.com
