PULSE Art Fair

Ryan James MacFarland (b. 1985) creates photographs that address the intangible and transitory qualities of landscape. His images are born out of an overwhelming obsession with nature and its mechanics, notably Tide Study, a series capturing the moon above bodies of water before nightfall. MacFarland’s compositions are usually devoid of of human presence and are sometimes comprised of triptychs or pairings, or reproductions of the same image arranged in quadrants, forming a central diamond shape, suggesting the symmetry and patterns that exist in nature. His photographs reveal how he sees the natural world and attempt to break down the complex systems of nature to their base elements. MacFarland received a BFA in Photography & Imaging from New York University in 2006, and his work has been exhibited internationally.

Clay Mahn’s (b.1988) painting process is characterized by his use of subtraction rather than addition. By layering paint and subsequently sanding portions of each layer off, his work unearths and reveals forms which seem to already exist. Playfully engaging with elements of language, repetition, and motifs, Mahn’s paintings are deliberately composed while remaining organic. Mahn has exhibited internationally and holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He lives and works in Missoula, Montana.