Housed in Los Angeles, Dries Van Noten’s flagship store not only serves as a luxe retailing experience but also as a dwelling in which the designer exhibits and presents personally curated works by other artists, designers, and artisans that have enthralled him in a gallery coined as the “Little House”. The latest presentation, which is being held from June 24th till August 5th, is of photographer Jim Mangan, whose work is most analogous with landscapes of the American West captured on 35 mm film in the ‘BLAST’ series—serving as the main focal point of Dries Van Noten’s newest presentation. Shedding a renowned appreciation and spotlight on the series, having been originally published alongside its accompanying film in 2015, a creative collaboration appears between Mangan and the late renowned rally car driver, Ken Block, with this showcase serving as a tribute in his memory as well. 

The photographs from this series depict the Southern Utah landscape in all its earthy grittiness, beautifully disrupted by the prominent rally car driven strategically chaotic by Ken Block, leaving a cloud of dust and tire tracks in its trail—solidifying its touch on the topography. In an effort of bringing these still photographs to life, put into movement with its accompanied film (directed by Mangan), the series invokes a robust understanding of an unspoken interaction between man and nature. The film leers into eerily uneasy music with striking chords opening with an instant dust storm, visuals eponymous with the series name, as the car engulfs the rough monotonous Utah terrain in dust—showcasing a fluid interaction between people and nature (both seemingly reactive) but seamlessly forges a harmonious amalgam between the two. 

The exhibition is currently open from June 24 until August 5th at Dries Van Noten’s ‘The Little House’ in Los Angeles.

THE LITTLE HOUSE
451 N. La Cienega Blvd.  Los Angeles CA 90048 
T: (310) 880 – 6125 

Tuesday – Saturday 11:00 AM-6:00 PM