For his first solo exhibition at Wedge Gallery, Dead End, Alan McFetridge culminates work from his research project on fire ecology shot across Australia and Canada. A hauntingly beautiful array of large-scale photographs and camera-less photograms creates an acute awareness of fossil fuels danger to social, economic and political stability.

In these new works, which includes his latest photobook, On the Line, McFetridge moves from a distant overview of aftermath to make contact with fire itself. On The Line refers to an ecological frontier. A battle line descibed by a typology of burnt standing trees from a climate heating event in the boreal forest. This book cements McFetridge’s purpose to explain the urgency for political will to balance humans effect on the rest of nature.

Funded in part by the Environmental Awareness Bursary from the Royal Photography Society.

5.30pm arrivals for 6pm start.

RSVP in store, by phone: 02 9262 7996, email, or via Eventbrite.

Born in rural New Zealand, Alan McFetridge‘s interest in photography was encouraged by his father and extended family. At 19, moved to London and co-formed the power pop band The Neverending Starts. Under the guidance of Magnum photographer David Hurn, applied to study Photojournalism at the London College of Printing. That summer, met photographer Tim Flach, changed paths, to become Flach’s full-time assistant. By 2004 work on self-initiated projects such as London’s Du Cane Court had been shown at The National Portrait Gallery, The Royal Photographic Society, Photo District News, Communications Arts, Creative Review and the Association of Photographers. This exposure provided a springboard for over decade of commissions for global brands such as Lexus, Volkswagen, Sony, Toyota and Nike.
In 2016 he received the Royal Photographic Societies Environmental Awareness Bursary. Transitioning into a new role of investigation by working closey with key scientists. Specifically, those engaged with human footprint since 1951, a recommended begining of the propsed Anthropocene Epoch. The resulting work illustrates fire ecology and urban development to express urgency for adaption. The project, Dead End, is now in its fourth year which now incorporates North America and Australia. The first printed output is On The Line was published in 2019.