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Nick Brandt

British, b. 1964

Nick Brandt is an English contemporary photographer who has primarily worked in Africa. The themes in Brandt’s photography often relate to the destructive impact that humans are having on the natural world and how future generations will inherit the remnants of a once-vibrant planet. Brandt prefers not to use zoom lenses because he feels the animals he photographs are best captured up close.

Brandt studied painting and filmmaking at the Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design in his hometown of London. In 1992, he moved to California, where he became a successful music video director, working with artists such as Michael Jackson, Jewel and Moby. In 1995, while filming Michael Jackson’s “Earth Song” video in Tanzania, he was overcome by the beauty of the wild animals. In 2000, he embarked on a project to document the struggles of East African wildlife living in a landscape that is being overrun by exploding human populations and exploited for its natural resources. He filmed animals in the wild using an approach similar to studio portrait photography, reinforcing that animals are sentient creatures not so different from humans.

Brandt has frequently returned to Africa throughout his career. His acclaimed 2004 book, On This Earth, was followed by two more successful books, A Shadow Falls and Across the Ravaged Land, in 2007 and 2011. During work on the last in this trilogy, in 2010, he co-founded the Big Life Foundation, which fights to protect the animals and ecosystems of a large area of Kenya and Tanzania.

In 2019, Brant published This Empty World, bringing to light the ever-increasing destruction of the East African wilderness, where animals can no longer survive in the wake of human progress. It was his first time using color photography. His 2021 book, A Day May Break, captures the impact of climate change and environmental loss on humans and animals.

On 1stDibs, find Nick Brandt’s photography, prints and more.

Elephant Mother and Baby at Leg, Amboseli – Nick Brandt, Africa, Elephant, Art
By Nick Brandt
Located in Zurich, CH
NICK BRANDT (*1966, England) Elephant Mother and Baby At Leg, Amboseli 2012 Archival Pigment Print Sheet 142 x 178 cm (55 7/8 x 70 1/8 in.) Edition of 10; Ed. no. 4/10 Print only Nick Brandt is a contemporary English photographer. His work focuses on the disappearing natural world. Since 2001, he has photographed the changing African continent and established a style of portrait photography of animals...
Category

2010s Contemporary Nick Brandt

Materials

Archival Pigment

Elephants Walking Through Grass, Amboseli – Nick Brandt, Elephants, Photography
By Nick Brandt
Located in Zurich, CH
NICK BRANDT (*1966, England) Elephants Walking Through Grass, Amboseli 2008 Platinum print Image 58.42 x 106.68 cm (23 x 42 in.) Sheet 76 x 111.2 cm (29 7/8 x 43 3/4 in.) Edition of ...
Category

Early 2000s Contemporary Nick Brandt

Materials

Platinum

Halima, Abdul and Frida, Kenya
By Nick Brandt
Located in Madrid, ES
Halima and her husband lived in northeastern Kenya, where they raised livestock including camels. After 5-6 years with only one rainy season, the drought in 2013 was especially bad. ...
Category

2010s Nick Brandt

Materials

Photographic Paper

Patrick and Flamingos, Zimbabwe, 2020
By Nick Brandt
Located in Madrid, ES
Patrick Chamutita Patrick has been a fisherman in Zimbabwe for 5 years, but the declining water levels in Lake Chivero is now making it difficult for him to continue fishing. The fis...
Category

2010s Contemporary Nick Brandt

Materials

Archival Paper

Bupa and People in Fog, Kenya, 2020
By Nick Brandt
Located in Madrid, ES
Nick Brandt is an English photographer who focuses his work around humanity’s destruction of the natural world. He spent nearly two decades photographing African wildlife and former ...
Category

2010s Contemporary Nick Brandt

Materials

Archival Paper

John and Mak, Kenia, 2020
By Nick Brandt
Located in Madrid, ES
JOHN AND MAK, ZIMBABWE, 2020 John lives with his wife Margaret, and their nine grandchildren in central Zimbabwe,. They have a small farming plot. Like so many others there, the main challenge is not having access to water. The family walks two kilometers every day to collect water. And because of the prolonged droughts, their small farming plot remains unplanted. It has become difficult to feed everyone, so even in their old age, they survive by doing manual labor jobs. A century ago, there was an estimated 10 million...
Category

2010s Contemporary Nick Brandt

Materials

Archival Paper

Najin and People in Fog, Kenya, 2020
By Nick Brandt
Located in Madrid, ES
Najin and People in the Fog - Najin and Fatu Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kenya Najin is one of the last two northern white rhinos in the world. When her daughter, Fatu dies, the species...
Category

2010s Contemporary Nick Brandt

Materials

Archival Paper

Lucio and Chascas, Bolivia, 2022
By Nick Brandt
Located in Madrid, ES
LUCIO VELA Lucio, a farmer, lives with his wife and daughter. In 2021, floods on a scale never before seen in the area, swept away everything in their path. Lucio lost all of his cr...
Category

2010s Contemporary Nick Brandt

Materials

Archival Paper

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Nick Brandt art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Nick Brandt art available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Nick Brandt in paper, archival paper, photographic paper and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the contemporary style. Not every interior allows for large Nick Brandt art, so small editions measuring 25 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Graham Nash, Michael Wolf, and Nick Veasey. Nick Brandt art prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $4,993 and tops out at $12,806, while the average work can sell for $8,654.
Questions About Nick Brandt
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Nick Brandt is a professional photographer and well-known for his powerful black and white photography. His themes center around the disappearing natural world and how mankind is destroying it. Brandt has also created three books featuring his photographs and is the co-founder of Big Life Foundation, a group dedicated to protecting animals and the ecosystem of a large area of Kenya and Tanzania. On 1stDibs, find a variety of original artwork from some of the world’s top artists.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Nick Brandt has used a number of different types of film and cameras over the course of his career. He’s been known to shoot some of his projects with medium-format black and white film. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Nick Brandt photography from some of the world’s top sellers.

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