James Mollison: Playground

Metropolis Magazine

Paul Makovsky

While on assignment, Mollison expanded the project to include schools in Kenya and eventually trekked around the world, photographing playgrounds in more than a dozen countries. He found an incredible diversity in the schools but, also, a universality in the children's play—particularly with boys.

American Photo

Jack Crager

In previous projects ranging from closeups of apes to group shots of rock-fan disciples, Mollison has shown glimpses of individuality within swaths of sameness, in which detailed study reveals layers of insight. This series continues the trend, depicting schoolchildren romping on playgrounds throughout the globe; their environs vary wildly, from the wilds of Kenya to the cramped modernity of Japan, but their unbridled energy is constant.

PDN

Conor Risch

The images are scenic and delightful, illustrating both the common activity of recreation and the differences in the places children have available to them. Some are wooded, others paved and urban. Some look posh, others hardscrabble. Some are majestic. Some aren’t playgrounds at all.

Huffington Post

Priscilla Frank

The photos recall the scenes of fun, embarrassment, relaxation, disappointment and anxiety that plague the playground for a growing brain. Although, in retrospect, the notion of playtime tends to acquire a rose-colored glow, Mollison reminds us of the intensity and calamity that often occurred between classes. The photographer set up his camera during school breaks, capturing multiple frames and then collapsing them into a single composite image, in which a constructed "play narrative" is created.

Hyperallergic

Allison Meier

His images capture the similarities of youthful play across social boundaries and national borders, but also the deep divides of class and privilege that are often put in place long before we’re old enough to understand their implications.

Slate

Jordan G. Teicher

While Mollison’s photographs provide a look at how different schools in the U.K., for instance, look compared to those in Kenya, they’re not merely architectural studies. The photographs are teaming with children, and looking at them, you can watch scenes unfold and relationships develop.

Tory Daily

The Editors

The scenes are breathtakingly beautiful and an intriguing snapshot of life in countries as varied as India, Bhutan, Bolivia, Israel, Norway, Italy, Japan and the UK.