Holdsworth, Dan

Commissioned by Audemars Pigeut, whose founders had settled in the Vallée de Joux in 1875, British photographer Dan Holdsworth (born 1974) photographed this idyllic Swiss valley over a period of seven years. This publication tinkers with the timeless setting and its relation to the history of timekeeping.

Mapping the Limits of Space surveys English photographer Dan Holdsworth's 20-year career. Since 1996 Holdsworth (born 1974) has explored the territories produced by humankind's changing relationship to the ecosystem in the Anthropocene era, and since 2012 he has worked with academic geologists to map the exact contours of Alpine glaciers, using drones, lasers, photography and high-end software used by the military and universities. His use of digital mapping data expands the photographic process and explores the changing nature of human perception as our understanding of science and technology evolves. While Holdsworth's work is deeply informed by the uses and applications of the newest technologies, he also refers openly to the history and tradition of landscape photography. His sublime detailed depictions of our environment create otherworldly landscapes which defy the passing of time and confront us with their vastness and our own mortality. Produced in collaboration with the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, this publication also presents Holdsworth's most recent body of work.