Robert Mann Gallery Opens 'The Bridges of Michael Kenna' Exhibition for Fall 2025 Season

Sayart

sayart2022@gmail.com | 2025-09-09 08:45:46

Robert Mann Gallery has opened its fall 2025 season with "The Bridges of Michael Kenna," a comprehensive exhibition running through October 18, 2025. The show features the renowned photographer's impressive documentation of bridges spanning across the globe, offering a unique perspective on human engineering achievements throughout history.

Bridges serve as vital connectors that span rivers, link cities, and transport us beyond what was once considered impassable terrain. Where there was once only a dividing line, a river too wide, or a ravine too deep, these structures now create pathways through space. While people cross bridges daily, often without much thought, Michael Kenna has spent decades photographing these remarkable structures with extraordinary artistic vision.

Kenna's first exhibition at Robert Mann Gallery took place in 1997, coinciding with the release of "The Bridges of Madison County," a touching love story about a photographer tasked with documenting historic bridges. Kenna shares this fascination for capturing these architectural marvels, explaining his artistic philosophy: "Bridges are usually geometric and stationary, made up of straight lines, verticals, horizontals, and other angular constructions. The universe is in constant motion, fluid and organic, uncontrollable and unpredictable. The abstract relationship between the two, almost like yin and yang, can be visually stunning and continues to fascinate and attract me."

The exhibition showcases bridges of various scales and purposes, from major international landmarks to intimate local crossings. Large-scale structures include the Sydney Harbor Bridge (Study 1) in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and the Brooklyn Bridge (Study 1) in New York, spanning multiple waterways, traffic lanes, and railway lines. Smaller, more intimate bridges featured in the show include the Banbury Canal Bridge in Oxfordshire, England, and the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Italy, which extend shorter distances and are reserved exclusively for pedestrians.

Each bridge presented in the exhibition carries its own historical significance and represents a moment in time that may one day be replaced. Kenna masterfully captures the history of each bridge, often photographing during dawn or dusk hours, while establishing their enduring place in the world. Through his lens, what was once the end of the road becomes a place of passage, and what was once isolation transforms into connection. The landscape is no longer defined by separation but by the possibility of crossing.

In "The Bridges of Michael Kenna," the artist's meticulous attention to each composition is evident from image to image, where every detail is carefully considered to express the relationship between the bridge and its surrounding territory. The photographs presented in this exhibition represent more than 50 years of Kenna's exploration of this compelling subject matter, showcasing his evolution as an artist and his deep understanding of these architectural subjects.

"The Bridges of Michael Kenna" is being presented alongside the artist's exhibition "Japan: A Love Story" at the International Center of Photography, running from August 27 through September 28, 2025. An additional reception with the artist will take place on Friday, September 26, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

The exhibition can be visited both in person and online from September 4 through October 18, 2025. Gallery hours are open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Saturday from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM by appointment. Robert Mann Gallery is located at 508 W 26th St, Suite 9F, New York, NY 10001, and more information is available at www.robertmann.com.

WEEKLY HOT