Bio

Jonathan Ducrest (b. 1976) was born and raised in Switzerland, where his interest in photography was ignited with a point-and-shoot camera he received from his parents. The mountain vistas, atmospheric conditions, and dramatic scenery of the towering Swiss landscape, provided him with his earliest subjects. In 1998 he relocated to the United States, where he settled in New York City. There, he expanded his practice into the urban canyons and architectural wonders of the metropolis, which drew parallels with his earlier scenes of nature's awe-inspiring power. In 2013 Ducrest moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of new photographic discoveries. The West Coast's varied topography—deserts, oceanic horizons, and local styles—have provided a fresh set of artistic challenges, while also bringing together the varied strands of his visual palette from twenty-five years of experimentation and creative investigation. Ducrest's compositional skill, discerning eye, and cinematic sensibilities have made him one of the foremost practitioners of landscape, travel and urban photography working in the Los Angeles area. After 23 years in the U.S., he returned to his native Switzerland in early 2021. He spends his time between Zürich and Los Angeles. A self-taught artist, Ducrest also manages all of the technical and editing processes requisite for contemporary digital photography. For specific projects, he also shoots on film. Ducrest's work has been collected extensively, by individuals, and major collectors, including Netflix. His photographs have been featured in many television productions—Disney-ABC, Warner Media and Apple. In 2020, he received a citation award for Petrol Station 2018, from the renowned American Institute of Architects, during the AIA/Architectural Photography Awards. In the early days of the lockdown in Los Angeles, Jonathan decided to document life in a seemingly empty city of angels. The result was Lockdown L.A., a photographic essay published in September 2020, with a second edition in April 2021. In early 2021, Saatchi Art named him one of 21 artists to watch in 2021. In May 2022, he received two awards from the American Institute of Architechs Los Angeles for his images “Woman on a Bridge” and “Wrap de Triomphe”. The Royal Academy of London selected his image “Out of Gas” for their summer exhibition on the theme of climate, the edition sold out within a month. Jonathan collaborates extensively with Switzerland Tourism, showcasing his native homeland through his images. In spring 2023, his book Lockdown L.A. was one of the winning titles at the Belfast Photo Festival. In August 2023, reFocus Awards named him Photographer of the Year in the architecture category for his series on the 50th anniversary of La Muralla Roja designed by Ricardo Bofill. In spring 2024, Ducrest held his first solo show in Palm Springs, titled “Sculpted Spaces”, it focused on his passion for architecture.