Time spent enjoying the beauty of the natural world is vital for our mental health. In recent years, we’ve seen growing research on the benefits of “nature-based practice” for wellbeing and it has become a tool for therapeutic practice. This can involve everything from mindful walking to more structured intervention. One study showed that it can lead to “significant reductions in depression and anxiety scores, as well as improvements in physical measures such as lowered blood pressure.” Now, British visual artist Claire Luxton applies this to her breath-taking installation. The multidisciplina ..read more

The relationship between humans and nature is a theme we’ve seen crop up in a number of recent exhibitions, from Human/Nature: Encountering Ourselves in the Natural World at Fotografiska New York to Soulscapes at Dulwich Picture Gallery. This perhaps reflects the ways in which we’ve become more attuned to the environment in recent years because we’ve seen countless headlines about the catastrophic impact of the climate crisis – from devastating floods to destructive wildfires. It is also becoming clearer that the outdoors is integral to our wellbeing, with recent research from King’s College L ..read more

Submerged tulips. Distorted cloves of garlic. Segmented grapefruits. These are the visual motifs of Danish photographer Henriette Sabroe Ebbesen’s latest monograph Self Reflection, published by Disko Bay. Across mirrors, reflections and illusions, the artist examines how perception can be twisted and subverted. The artist asks questions about how individual viewers see the world, testing the boundaries between reality, fantasy and the surreal. Each image is naturally distorted, using reflective surfaces on hand. By placing nature, the body, fruits and flowers in a shared context, Ebbensen simu ..read more

“Black and white are the colours of photography. To me, they symbolise the alternatives of hope and despair.” With these words, the late documentarian Robert Frank (1924-2019) muses on the poignancy of the monochrome image. Tones of light and shadow were the first palette for artists, following the invention of the camera obscura in 1826. Hundreds of years later, practitioners continue to revere this fundamental aspect of the medium for its simplicity and ability to convey the truth. Frank’s Trolley – New Orleans (1955) is a prime example, clearly drawing attention to the reality of racia ..read more

Mallorca-born abstract artist Alejandro Javaloyas is based in Toulouse. He employs a minimalist approach to delve into the sculptural potential of a painting surface, and utilises veneered plywood as a canvas as well as an integral part of creative expression. A: In Issue 118 of Aesthetica, we display Light Magenta Circle Against Blush – Violet Gradient Background. How does this piece help you to express the sculptural potential of a painting surface? AJ: The piece leverages the shape of a bent veneered plywood arch to explore the sculptural dimensions of a painting. This small-format work bre ..read more

Electronic waste (e-waste) refers to devices with batteries or plugs that are discarded because they are no longer “wanted”, “functional” or have become “obsolete.” According to Statista, over 50 million metric tons is generated around the world. It’s a staggering statistic that is only on track to escalate, with numbers projected to reach 75 million in 6 years’ time. It’s due to today’s rapid technological advancement and consumerism, where we are constantly striving for better and newer gadgets. The effects on people and the planet are devastating. The World Health Organisation lists a numbe ..read more

A house with yellow windows on the coast of Kent. Familiar brick terraced houses on the outskirts of Leeds. Dimly lit portraits, overcome with colour palettes tending towards dark green, hazy blue and simmering turquoises. These are just some of the mesmerising shots to be found in this season’s selection of photobooks. From Sebastian Sabal-Bruce’s evocative urban landscapes, to Gabriel Moses’ visceral, emphatic images, each of these photobooks tells a story of its own. Discover our top five picks. Sebastian Sabal-Bruce: After the Moon | Damiani The essence of the first monograph by New York ..read more

Do sculptures dream? This is the question posed by Scottish Turner Prize-winning artist Martin Boyce (b. 1967), whose work explores the intersections between design and urban planning. Boyce’s visual language is something special: it relies on asymmetry and disruption, both of which are key ingredients to his original Turner Win more than a decade ago, and his latest exhibition Before Behind Between Above Below, now on display at Fruitmarket, Edinburgh. Here, the artist reimagines the iconic gallery through interventions that engage with “architecture, proximity and intimacy.” This is a show t ..read more

Red tendrils descend from the roof of the gallery and cling to chairs dotted around the room. However, if we look at this scene from another perspective, we see that disparate pieces of furniture anchor an amorphous red mass collecting above our head. The structure obscures the light and overwhelms the room with spiky, threatening strands and shadows. From far away, it’s hard to tell what it’s made from – is it gaseous? Or a cluster of ruby cobwebs – but the scene becomes much clearer once our eyes land on the seating arrangement. Entering such a visually busy room draws attention to the empti ..read more

Yan Wang Preston (b. 1976) is an award-winning artist interested in identity, landscapes, migration and the environment. Her major art projects include Mother River (2017), a photographic odyssey documenting the entire length of the Yangtze, as well as Forest (2010-2017), a photographic project that investigated the politics of recreating forests and “natural” environments in new Chinese cities. Preston started the project in Chongqing by following the developments of the old transplanted trees, noticing their status change, becoming “trophies, decorations and a commodity to raise property pri ..read more