In-Secure

Photographer Mark Essner takes snapshots of the world around him, looking for moments of overlooked beauty in forgotten or disused locations. Mark spent part of his life living in Bermuda before returning to Waterloo, Ontario, where he now resides.

Desire

There’s a subtle undertone of urban exploration in many of Mark’s photographs. I rather appreciate this aesthetic – it also reminds me a bit of the photographs of urban explorer Matt Emmett. The way Mark chooses to showcase rusted an abandoned industrial equipment and buildings makes for an unusual but captivating photographic portfolio.

The front page of Mark's art website

Mark especially seems to enjoy looking at industrial spaces. His series of photographs of firemen fighting a blaze in a Waterloo building captures an interesting tension between the visual interest of the event, and the painful or frightening emotions that would undoubtedly be attached to it. As Mark says in his artist’s statement, the images are intended to allow the viewer to see what he sees, translating the spark of photographic interest into something universal.  

Guardian