Sunbathers of Cefalu
In his famed series, Endless Summer, Joshua explores his obsession with beach culture and the notion of nostalgic escapism, offering a reflection on the artist’s own thoughts and feelings of childhood summers spent along the New Jersey shore …memories of never-ending days floating in the water, jumping waves and surfing with his dad. It was a simpler time and one of the only times in my life that I can remember feeling nothing more than uncomplicated happiness. I often long for the simplicity of those days.
For near decades, Jensen-Nagle has travelled the globe in search of sun-soaked moments, photographing beachscapes from different vantage points, often hanging out of helicopters to capture his birds-eye views. Contrasted with modern lifestyle, we find bathers basking in the sun, scattered along the shore, swimming in the sea and escaping the bustle of their everyday life. Jensen-Nagle’s images are prided on happenstance, showing humans completely enveloped by their environment, surrounded by the beauty of the moment, as if it were a far-off dream. His immersive, large-scale photos invite viewers to lose themselves within the frame. My lens is not meant to document a reality but rather attempts to capture a feeling experienced within the moments photographed, allowing the viewer to then reflect on their own memories and dreams. If the viewer can connect to the work on an emotional level, I have achieved my objective. - Joshua Jensen-Nagle
Jensen-Nagle’s imagery is complemented by the artist's signature presentation style; works are Plexi-glass face-mounted to a 2-inch-deep aluminum subframe for a clean, contemporary finish.
