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Thomas Mailaender, Dolphinus, 2010. Lambda print, 15 x 10 cm (23 x 32 cm with frame). Courtesy of the artist and Roman Road. (c) Thomas Mailaender
Exhibition
Thomas Mailaender: Gone Fishing
4 Mar 2016 – 15 Apr 2016
Regular hours
- Friday
- 11:00 – 18:00
- Saturday
- 11:00 – 17:00
- Wednesday
- 11:00 – 18:00
- Thursday
- 11:00 – 18:00
Cost of entry
Free
Address
- 69 Roman Road
- London
- E2 0QN
- United Kingdom
Comprising a collection of nineteen photographs and fictional letters, Thomas Mailaender’s Gone Fishing tells the modern-day tale of a young man who evades assuming his new responsibilities as a father.
About
Exhibited for the first time at Roman Road, Thomas Mailaender’s Gone Fishing (2010) tells the modern-day tale of a young man more enthused by having fun with his friends than the joys of parenthood. Through a compilation of photographs and fictitious letters to his young partner, Mailaender paints the candid portrait of a man who has fled from his home and prolongs a trip away with his friends to escape his new responsibilities.
The series comprises nineteen typed letters each matched with a picture of the young father carrying out activities that are suppose to excuse his absence. These photomontages, made from amateur images gathered from the Internet, show the dad hiking, swimming with dolphins and celebrating his ‘catch of the day’ to expose a few of the banal exploits. In each of the portraits Mailaender has Photoshopped his own face onto the subject in the picture, adding to the humour and consistency of the project.
One of Mailaender’s fortes is his ability to conceive curious and creative curated projects imbued with humour and originality. The ceiling of the gallery room will be exceptionally lowered, mimicking the usual height and size of a single household garage: a clue as to what the artist has envisioned. The walls, ceiling and floor of the space will be covered in brick effect wallpaper, creating the environment of a man cave in which the fictional character’s story is told.
