Rob and Nick Carter, Transforming Landscape Painting,  2013-2017, 2.5-hour looped film, monitor with player, frame, 99 × 81 × 13 cm (39 × 32 × 5 in.), edition of 12 + 5 AP. Courtesy Ben Brown Fine Arts © Rob and Nick Carter 2018

LONDON.- Celebrated British artists Rob and Nick Carter are exhibiting their acclaimed Transforming series at Masterpiece 2018, from 28 June – 4 July. 

The husband-and-wife artistic duo present all twelve Transforming artworks together for the very first time, with Ben Brown Fine Arts, creating a mesmerising body of work consisting of twelve slow-moving, looped films each taking as their starting point an iconic painting, drawing or photograph.  

Rob and Nick Carter, Transforming Landscape Painting,  2013-2017, 2.5-hour looped film, monitor with player, frame, 99 × 81 × 13 cm (39 × 32 × 5 in.), edition of 12 + 5 AP. Courtesy Ben Brown Fine Arts © Rob and Nick Carter 2018

In this series Old Master works are brought to life through digital animation. Using artists such as Ambrosius Bosschaert the Elder, Jacob van Ruisdael and John Constable as a starting point, the Carters aim to re-engage with such works and create a unique intersection between art of the past and cutting edge computer-generated imagery. 

The Transforming series was originally informed by the knowledge that museum visitors look at a work of art for an average of between two and four seconds. In an attempt to inspire visitors to examine artworks for longer it became the Carters’ ambition to create a body of work that rewarded viewers for the extra time spent looking. Through the subtle introduction of new and interesting elements the artists want to slow the viewer down, draw them in and make them look more closely at the artwork. The works range in duration from 30 minutes to 3 hours, with one moment in each resembling the original painting, drawing or photograph. As the films move and develop over time, the viewer is invited to notice subtle changes, with occasional real-time activity bringing the works to life.  

 Rob and Nick Carter, Bronze Tree Stump, 2016, patinated bronze, 48 × 183 × 127 cm (19 × 72 × 50 in.), edition of 12 + 3 AP. Courtesy Ben Brown Fine Arts. © Rob and Nick Carter 2018

Rob and Nick Carter comment: “It is not uncommon now for people to move around galleries and fairs at a swift pace, with their phones out ready to capture artworks and maybe even the descriptions if they’re particularly interested. We therefore enjoy seeing viewers take a second glance at the Transforming works, taken aback with surprise when the content of the paintings move, encouraging them to examine the works in greater depth, for a longer amount of time. The Transforming series has been ten years and 65,000 man hours in the making, so we thoroughly look forward to seeing all twelve artworks exhibited as a whole for the first time at Masterpiece this year.” 

The Carters will also be hosting a talk at their Masterpiece stand A22] entitled Transforming – Bringing Old Masters to Life Through Animation on 3 July at 1pm, exploring [insert a summary line about the talk once confirmed]. 

Rob and Nick Carter, Transforming Five Tulips in a Wan-Li Vase, 2017, 32-minute looped film, framed iPad, 43 × 38 × 7 cm (17 × 15 × 2 3/4 in.),  edition of 12 + 5 AP. Courtesy Ben Brown Fine Arts © Rob and Nick Carter 2018

Other 2018 projects for the Carters include exhibiting Bronze Tree Stump and Transforming Landscpae Painting in the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition; their Bronze Oak Grove installation is being displayed at Berkeley Square; whilst in Lancaster Gate the artists are celebrating the opening of their own private exhibition space, RN at 5A. 

The Carters are a husband-and-wife artistic duo that have been collaborating for the past 20 years. The Carters’ work is housed in the collections of The Frick Pittsburgh, The Mauritshuis, The Frans Hals Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum, The Städel Museum and Fondation Custodia. They are the only living artists to have shown a work at the Frick Museum, New York, Transforming Still Life Painting in 2013–14 as part of the show Treasures from the Mauritshuis. Collectors of their work include the David Roberts Foundation and Sir Elton John.

Rob and Nick Carter, Transforming Landscape Drawing, 2014-2017, 2.5-hour looped film, framed iPad, 40 × 50 × 5.1 cm (15 3/4 × 19 1/2 × 2 in.), edition of 12 + 5 AP. Courtesy Ben Brown Fine Arts © Rob and Nick Carter 2018

Rob and Nick Carter, Transforming Portrait Painting, 2016-2017, 20-minute looped film, monitor with player, frame, 112 × 71 × 14 cm (44 × 28 × 5 1/2 in.), edition of 12 + 5 AP. Courtesy Ben Brown Fine Arts © Rob and Nick Carter 2018

Rob and Nick Carter, Transforming Vanitas Painting, 2012-2013, 2.5-hour looped film, monitor with player, frame, 48 x 61 x 8 cm. (18 7/8 x 24 1/8 x 3 1/8 in.), edition of 12 + 5 AP. Courtesy Ben Brown Fine Art © Rob and Nick Carter 2018

Rob and Nick Carter, Transforming Nude Painting, 2013, 2.5-hour looped film, computer, frame, 81 x 119 x 10 cm. (31 7/8 x 46 7/8 x 4 in.), edition of 12 + 5 AP. Courtesy Ben Brown Fine Arts © Rob and Nick Carter 2018

Rob and Nick Carter, Transforming Still Life Painting II, 2016, 40-minute looped film, framed iPad, 33 × 43 × 6.4 cm (13 × 17 × 2 1/2 in.), edition of 12 + 5 AP. Courtesy Ben Brown Fine Arts © Rob and Nick Carter 2018

Rob and Nick Carter, Transforming Flowers in a Vase, 2016, 70-minute looped, film, monitor with player, frame, 67 × 61 × 11 cm (26 3/8 × 24 1/8 × 4 3/8 in.), edition of 12 + 5 AP. Courtesy Ben Brown Fine Arts © Rob and Nick Carter 2018

Rob and Nick Carter, Transforming Flowers in a Vase, 2016, 70-minute looped, film, monitor with player, frame, 67 × 61 × 10 cm (26 3/8 × 24 1/8 × 4 in.), edition of 12 + 5 AP. Courtesy Ben Brown Fine Arts © Rob and Nick Carter 2018

Rob and Nick Carter, Transforming Still Life Painting, 2009-2012, 3-hour looped film, computer, frame, 71 x 58 x 13 cm. (28 x 22 7/8 x 5 1/8 in.), edition of 12 + 5 AP. Courtesy Ben Brown Fine Arts © Rob and Nick Carter 2018

Rob and Nick Carter, Transforming Diptych, 2013, framed iPad, 2 parts, 28 x 25 x 3 cm. (11 1/8 x 9 7/8 x 1 1/8 in.) each, edition of 12 + 5 AP. Courtesy Ben Brown Fine Arts © Rob and Nick Carter 2018