Maslen & Mehras' collaborative practice explores ideas that revolve around the meeting point and overlapping of nature and culture. In the Mirrored and Native series, Maslen & Mehra have found themselves immersed in non-digital photographic techniques, in an age of digital photography and Photoshop trickery. For these series they create temporary interventions in natural and urban landscapes, which they then capture with a medium format film camera. The imagery from both these series suggests a place where we can have our cake and eat it too. A paradise where we strive to co-exist with the flora and fauna of the planet and a place where we can live in our urban realities but somehow still remain connected to nature.

In the Native Series, Maslen & Mehra research fauna that are, or once were, indigenous to the country in which they are photographed. Mirrored sculptures of animals are placed in built urban environments and often reflect the man-made structures around them.

Examples from the Native series include a Camargue Horse in front of the Louvre, Paris; a European Wolf and Red Squirrel in the Docklands, London; Lynx in an abandoned graffiti-covered warehouse in Berlin. A specific example is European Wolf Red Squirrel - Docklands - London 2007, sculptures were placed in the highly urban Docklands city business district of London. The last European Wolf in the United Kingdom is purported to have died in 1743. The native red squirrel population has been devastated by the introduction of the hardier grey squirrel however small groups of native reds survive. The red colouring on the squirrel was achieved by finding the reflection of a bright red post box.

The image Camargue Horses – Pompidou - Paris 2006 was taken in front of the high-tech modern Pompidou Center designed by renowned architects Rogers and Piano. The Camargue horse is an ancient breed, believed to be, descended from prehistoric horses that lived during the Paleolithic period. Wild Camargue horses are found only in South-Eastern France.

Alongside other projects M & M are continuing to develop the Native series. When they know they will be visiting a particular city they prepare to take work with them. They research their subject matter, fabricate the sculptures and take equipment with them. Logistically it is not as easy as it may sound. These days it is getting more and more difficult to take photographs in public spaces due to heightened security. When M & M tried to take pictures in London they were frequently stopped by security guards. It seems that in order to place a tripod anywhere you need a permit. Initially they avoided the issue by finding loopholes. You are permitted to take pictures on the banks of the River Thames as this is not private property. This was fine at first but M & M found it somewhat restricting in scope. They ended up getting the permits required and timing the shoots for Christmas Day and New Years Day to avoid lots of people and attention. In Paris it was too difficult to obtain information regarding the correct procedure. So M & M were like vigilantes taking shots at the crack of dawn and trying not to attract attention. Future locations for this series include Istanbul.

This work takes the form of prints on aluminum in two sizes 160 x 120cm and 72 x 52cm. The prints have a hanging profile on the back. The large recycled advertising light-boxes are freestanding and or wall based 194.5 X 135 X 10 cm each. The light-boxes require a power supply.

For the Mirrored Series, M & M photograph or appropriate imagery of people, which are then fabricated into mirrored sculptures. The sculptures are set up in various compositions in different contexts and re-photographed with a medium format camera. The Mirrored series sees people from an urban context placed in a more natural environment. As city dwellers go through their day to day lives it is easy for one to forget about the experiences of wide open spaces, clean air, the smells of plants, the sounds of birds etc.. The Mirrored series relocates these people in mid stride, mid conversation to an altogether incongruous context.

Skateboarders appear in the scrubby bush of Western Australia, Catwalk models strut on a volcanic beach in New Zealand, Commuters walk amidst the wildflowers of the Mojave Desert. The juxtaposition of highly urban people placed in more natural landscapes result in works that raise issues of human existence on earth and alludes to the impermanence and fragility of mankind.

This work takes the form of prints on aluminium in two sizes 160 x 120cm and 72 x 52cm. The prints have a hanging profile on the back. Large light-boxes, which are freestanding and or wall based 194.5 X 135 X 10 cm each. The light-boxes require a power supply.