Tilly Maclister-Smith, Harriet Llyod-Smith "The best New York art exhibitions: from Nari Ward to Gillian Wearing." Wallpaper
‘Mary makes a point to let me know that whatever we see in the image is correct. And it feels like someone whispering “yes” whenever my eyes land on something,’ writes artist Lydia Okrent in the text that accompanies Mary Manning’s new photography show at Canada gallery. That’s precisely what it feels like to view a Manning photograph; incidental poetic moments teased out of the banal, seemingly spotted and captured with a sixth sense. All the photos in this show have been taken between 2019 and the present day, meaning largely during a moment of great solemnity for the world. And yet, there they are, flickers of nascent optimism; budding flowers, a curious swan diving for snacks. ‘Five of the works have watercolour experiments on the backs of the frames. Each of the works has a painting or some ephemera on or inside of the frame. There’s something thrown into the piece before the frame was drilled shut,’ explains Manning, of the ‘cracker jack surprises’ in the show.