Changing Lanes

About

Presenting a combination of his most iconic shots alongside a series of new photographs captured throughout the pandemic, the exhibition is at once an anthology to the wild west and an homage to the very best in dramatic cinema. With many of the featured images being inspired by Hollywood hits – from American Beauty and Fargo, to Thelma & Louise and Bonnie and Clyde – ‘Changing Lanes’ takes the signature storytelling of David Yarrow to a new level with an array of icons, including Cindy Crawford, Cara Delevingne, Ciara and Russell Wilson.

Acting as a metaphor for David Yarrow’s evolution as a contemporary artist, ‘Changing Lanes’ marks a shift in focus from the art of capturing the natural world to the power of visual storytelling. With all featured images of the wild being punctuated by the narrative of the mythical cowboy or the final frontier, David Yarrow’s latest work plays with cultural iconography, transcending borders and transporting viewers beyond to a world where sublime natural beauty, history and cinematic drama collide.

On creating the work on show within ‘Changing Lanes’, David Yarrow commented “storytelling, whether behind the scenes or within the photograph itself, has always been a vital component to my work and Changing Lanes is representative of that. There are so many photographs that I’ve taken in the last year that I don’t think I could have made a couple of years ago. I have always fought for my work with wildlife to offer a little more, but in many ways, my latest images have been even more of a challenge because the stakes are much higher. There are so many moving parts, multiple characters and so many talented people not to let down; it’s a style of photography that I’ve found to be so exciting”.

Maddox Gallery Creative Director, Jay Rutland, also added “David has an exceptional talent for capturing one-of-a-kind and era defining moments. His commitment to his craft has seen him endure frostbite in an effort to get the perfect shot, and his latest body of work is no different. David persisted throughout the pandemic, shooting within the Americas as much as feasibly possible to create a collection of images that are as visually arresting and storytelling as those shot when the world was entirely open. We’re excited to be hosting his latest show, Changing Lanes, and to hear the stories behind what is set to be another iconic collection of photographs”.

As part of the exhibition, David Yarrow will also be releasing an exclusive image captured only a couple of weeks ago in South Africa at the lion sanctuary of wildlife conservationist and media personality, Kevin Richardson. Entitled ‘Catwalk’, the photograph features an adult male lion called Vayetse surrounded by Zulu tribespeople and will be sold in aid of the Kevin Richardson Foundation to support the protection and conservation of the lion population.

On creating and capturing the image, David Yarrow commented “In building the story, my instincts were to play on the vibe of a Paris Catwalk - after all, we had access not just to any cat to strut down our catwalk, but the King of Africa; a magnificent adult male lion. I have been to enough fashion shows in my life to know that it’s a theatre and the attendees tend to be united in their passion and behaviour. There may be more cultural refinement in the Paris fashion shows than at a club football match, but both theatres attract collective tribes”.

Kevin Richardson also added “the image is a metaphor for a time when lions will be admired and photographed by all, just the same as a model on a catwalk is; a time when a lion can strut its stuff without fearing for its life. I am hoping that this image will stimulate the imagination of all who are lucky enough to see it in the flesh and perhaps understand how important it is for us to protect ‘The King of the Jungle’ for future generations to come”.

Changing Lanes will be available to view from the 19th of November to the 5th of January at Maddox Gallery, 112 Westbourne Grove, London, W2 5RU as well as online at www.maddoxgallery.com