Observations and Orchestrations

Kerry J Dean

‘Observations and Orchestrations’ is the culmination of 14 years of Kerry Dean’s ongoing fascination with the people and topography of Mongolia. She is drawn back time and again by the uncomfortable and incongruous beauty that she finds in the clash of traditional and contemporary culture. Themes that recur in the work very often start with chance encounters, which then become obsessions sparking a series of orchestrated images shot over several years. A troop of small girls making their way to school, every one with a synthetic froth of brightly coloured poms poms in her hair, a lingering trace of the communist education system. Cars and trucks seemingly marooned in the desert and wrapped in printed cloth to protect them from the intemperate climate.

Through this process of discovery and creation Kerry has built close and intimate relationships that have allowed her to go deeper into the heart of Mongolia, to see beyond the yurts and eagle festivals, capturing the every day domestic acts that are extraordinary and theatrical but rapidly changing and disappearing under a tide of urbanization and digitisation.

The working process that Kerry has evolved through her time in Mongolia has influenced all her projects and in many ways the name ‘Observations and Orchestrations’ captures the essence of her approach to photography.

Kerry has also extended her work in Mongolia to include moving image, directing her first short film documenting the 'Fair' cashmere project, which supports the livelihoods of nomadic herding communities in the remote Gobi desert.

Kerry has participated in solo and group exhibitions internationally, and has been selected as part of the 34th edition of the International Festival of Fashion, Photography, and Fashion Accessories in Hyères.