Baronian is pleased to present Dying Butterfly a solo exhibition of Matthew Porter (b. 1975, Pennsylvania, US). 

As with much of Porter’s work, the accumulation of images creates an experience of cinematic romanticism tempered by the realities of our time and an underlying mood of concern. In some of the photographs we see animals hidden in trees, or lurking behind rocks. Dwarfed by their natural surroundings, they appear grafted onto their surroundings, like extras in establishing shots. Also included is a black & white photograph of a large black Peterbuilt highway tractor, suspended and upside down, its weight and strength inverted. The former image speaks to dwindling wildlife, the second to recent abundance.

A man stands under a tree wearing a thong, a gas can in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. Perhaps he’s consolidating his resources, dressed for life under a blistering sun and a warming climate. The image seems absurd at first glance, yet the reality it posits is a future that’s one part possible reality, the other a ridiculous post-apocalyptic genre piece. 

A few hours climb above Telluride, Colorado, nestled into a rugged canyon, sits an angular ruin. An abandoned ore mill, a relic of a forgotten industry, but stabilized in its current state, it appears almost like a fictional creation, or an enemy lair or compound.

The selection of pictures in the exhibition are presented like an album of songs, connected by their recurring themes or visual style, and assembled by the artist during a discrete period of production. Seen together, they form less a coherent narrative than a series of glimpses into possible storylines, or interconnected subjects.