Review
Ba Hons Photojournalism and Documentary Photography This is a special free publication and edition made for the University of Gloucestershire's celebratory Arts Festival (organised by the School of Art & Design and part of the University Festival) by soon-to-be-graduates from the Photojournalism & Documentary Photography degree programme. Review has been photographed, edited, designed and produced by final year (level 6) students. The photography that you view on the following pages, displays their documentary representations of communities, people and place expanding on their individual interests and major project works. Review is the fourth publication in an ever-expanding annual series of Photojournalism & Documentary Photography newspapers that demonstrate and showcase the professional aptitude and photographic insights of our talented students. As the Academic Course Leader, I am always interested in how the different individuals within the group approach subjects and manage to process and translate their intentions with photography: in such diverse and thought-provoking ways. With Review, we see extracts from larger and more in-depth folios of work that serve as a flag to other images of value and worth. The photography that follows reflects well the students' desire to rise to the challenge, step out of their comfort zone and with support and close professional mentoring and teaching, be able to make impactful and well considered series that communicate with passion and effectively to audience. Review is a fitting end record of their multiple journeys through three years of hard work at university. Now the real work begins! From photographs of the countryside and the city, new towns to countries in transition, homelessness to refugees, activity to stasis, individuals and the family, infrastructure and leisure, Review addresses some of the key themes and issues that we experience and face collectively. There is dynamism to these images and a depth that displays commitment and a desire to make photographs that matter, to be noticed. I hope that you enjoy this small selection of images and projects by our creative students on our BA Photojournalism & Documentary Photography course. We wish them well in the next stage of their careers within the world of work, fully prepared and ready to succeed in their quests to contribute and share their future documentary narratives with us all, as professional photographers. Please feel free to contact myself if you have any questions regarding these photographs or the course itself. Anthony Lam | alam@glos.ac.uk Academic Course Leader BA Photojournalism & Documentary Photography http://uniglospjd.wordpress.com University of Gloucestershire Centre for Art & Photography Hardwick Campus St Paul’s Road Cheltenham GL50 4BS
Contents
Emanuela Chis - The Now: A Romanian Portrait
2-5
Jacob King - Calais Hinterlands
6-7, 18-19
Aaron Chown - Stuck in Calais
8-9, 20-21
Liam Turnbull - POWER
10-11
Becky Thorp - Ownership
12-13
Lisa Richards - Compendium
14-15
Conor Clarke - Last Resort
16-17
Luke Johnston - Our Neglect
22-23, 42-43
Chris Wiltowski - The road beneath my feet
24-25
Bethany Jennings - purlieu
26-27
Lewis Mitchell - Champions
28-29
Sam Quinton - The Sport of Strongman
30-31
Lily Thomson - Born sl6
32-33
Jessie Edwards-Thomas - Being Me
34-35
Amy Jones - Zu Family
36-37
Conor Pitchers - Survival
38-39
Matt Cross - Inan Khurt
40-41
Project Index
44-45
emmma@emanuela-chis.co.uk
jacobking-photography.co.uk
aaronchown.co.uk
liamturnbull.co.uk
beckythorp.co.uk
lisarichardsphotography.com clarke-street.format.com
luke-johnston.com
chriswiltowski@gmail.com
bethanyjenningsphotography.tumblr.com
lewismphoto.blogspot.co.uk
samquinton.com
lily-thomson.co.uk
jessieedwardsthomas.co.uk
amyjonespjd.wordpress.com
crossshots.co.uk
Emanuela Chis
3
5
Jacob King
7
Aaron chown
9
Liam Turnbull
11
Becky Thorp
13
Lisa Richards
15
Conor Clarke
17
Jacob King
19
Aaron chown
21
Luke Johnston
23
Chris Wiltowski
25
Bethany Jennings
23 27
Lewis Mitchell
29
Sam Quinton
31
Lily Thomson
33
Jessie Edwards-Thomas
35
Amy Jones
37
Conor Pitchers
39
Matt Cross
41
Luke Johnston
43
Emanuela Chis The Now: A Romanian Portrait Located in Eastern Europe on the edge on the Balkan area, Romania is a country rich in natural resources, with an astonishing biodiversity and beauty. Yet it is in a perpetual state of continuous development, change and regeneration. After a few years of living abroad, I went back to Romania to find out how people now live and to discover what is left of their traditional culture and to question where are we heading, where are we now as a nation and people. After the collapse of the communist regime the country was looking forward to the future, to the newly acquired freedom that so many had died for, but in the following years many were left homeless, jobless, worthless, industry slowly collapsed, while government and political parties were too busy arguing and shuffling positions. A sense of chaos and despair reflects the big proportion of the population struggling to live on the fringes of daily routine and "normality." The discrepancy of the economic and social classes is becoming wider, the abyss between having too much or nothing at all, seems to be deeper and endless. The question still remains: when will change happen? Jacob King Calais Hinterlands Late February 2016 marked the beginning of the eviction process of the southern part of the Calais refugee camp, also known as the "jungle". Courts in France had ruled allowing demolition to begin, citing the southern area of the camp needing to be cleared because of its close proximity to the motorway, a draw for many wishing to gain access to the UK via the vehicles destined for it. For the men, women and children residing in the camp now, their future is uncertain. Europe's borders are increasingly tightly monitored and the #RefugeesWelcome movement seems to stop at the door of its political leaders. Having been displaced from war-torn nations across the Middle East and North Africa, thousands still rely on Calais, where "jungle" after "jungle" has appeared and been cleared since 2002. With very limited space, this post-jungle era is more desperate for some; others have been able to settle in the growingly congested northern part of the camp. For the rest nearby Dunkirk may be the only other option. This photographic narrative aims to show the aftermath of the destruction of the south side of the camp, and the toll it has taken on the land and the refugees currently still residing and living in the "jungle".
Aaron Chown Stuck in Calais Nicknamed the "Jungle" is a camp located just outside the french town of Calais. The encampment is where refugee migrants live while they attempt to enter the United Kingdom. In January 2016, 125 container housing units for 1,500 people were placed in the camp by the French Government, in hope to increase the quality of living and sanitation conditions. In the following months after the containers were erected, the homes of around 200 people on the south side and next to the main motorway were bulldozed. The camp has become a waiting ground, with the inhabitants stuck in a state of limbo between countries. My images focus in on the solitude waiting of the inhabitants and how their technology (mobile phones) divert their attention from their situation. Technologies power to communicate and connect people no matter where you are is a evident in the camp and is a life line for many.
Liam Turnbull Power In our modern day civilisation, we have a need for energy; and we are drastically burning through our non-renewable fuel options. Power Stations are often described as a blot on the landscape, ruining the views that the natural landscape possesses. As something that is necessary in 21st century life, viable replacements for growing energy needs have to be found. However, as we continue to use up the precious little coal, gas and oil reserves left in the world, we have to wonder if movements to the likes of wind, hydro and solar power are coming too little too late. Have we already made too much of an impact on our landscape and earth as a whole for the effects to be irreversible? Becky Thorp Ownership This series of work is a documentation of the different architecture landscapes of Milton Keynes, a new town. It details the interaction of people within the heavily directed landscapes that make up this peculiar utopian vision of place. New towns were built to alleviate and sustain the ever-growing population of the United Kingdom. Milton Keynes is the largest new town of many that were built across the UK in the 1960s & 70s. The photographs document the monotonous repetition of functional and Modernist housing; and investigates the unique personalisation of these homes. Showing, in spite of planned directives, how we eventually make our own individual marks upon the land. Lisa Richards Compendium Compendium: noun, plural compendiums, compendia [kuh m-pen-dee-uh] 1.A brief treatment or account of a subject, especially an extensive subject; concise treatise. Latin: that which is weighed together. Compendium is designed to be a labyrinth of brief information concerning the instrumental involvement of Kew Garden's Herbarium and Fungarium within the British Empire; the lasting influence of geopolitics and significance of taxonomy.
Bethany Jennings Purlieu Purlieu:(usually plural) a neighbouring area; outskirts. Purlieu is a narrative series of images taken on a remote peninsula Scoraig, on the edge of Scotland. Scoraig is often referred to as a "settlement" that is located next to Loch Broom. It is also known for its remoteness, reachable only by small boat or a five mile sturdy walk across the Scottish moors. With a population of around 70 people, the Peninsula holds outstanding natural beauty and an idyllic form of bonding and togetherness for those that live there. The photographs present a way of living often forgotten; is it an idyll that the children and adults commit to and love or are there other impacts on their lives that may negate the wonder of the land and its environs? Sam Quinton The Sport of Strongman What is Strongman? “Strength athletics� is closest to a dictionary definition. The aim is to move heavy objects scored by time, reps or maximum weight. Strongman competitions take place over five or six events with each round placing the athletes based on how fast they completed the course, how many reps they achieved or how much weights they lifted. Unlike static events such as weight or powerlifting, Strongman requires more than just pure strength. A winning Strongman is often times not the strongest, but the most well rounded, well prepared and mentally tough athlete in the competition. My images aim to show this and document an increasingly popular sport.
Chris Wiltowski The Road Beneath My Feet Lincolnshire is an oddity. It is a county without any direct links to London and thanks to this, life tends to roll along at a pace more akin to the 1980s than the blistering pace of the 21st century. Despite this there are still signs of modern infrastructure creeping in, "Superfast Broadband" is being rolled out across the county and will cover almost every house in Lincolnshire by the end of 2017. The roads themselves are telling of the times as they are now vital to the county's economy, as such they are kept in good working order to keep the produce flowing to where it is needed. Thanks in part to these changes attitudes are steadily changing. It hasn't changed the people all that much, as the majority are still more than happy to stop and have a chat; even if you are a stranger. But, the times they are a changin' and the information age is here to stay. This project is a love letter to the Lincolnshire countryside and to show some of the oddities it contains. Conor Clarke Last Resort The time and effort put into car parks' construction seems to be overlooked by their many users. The intricate details, designs and colours included on the top floor are deemed banal, taken for granted and often, just used as a last resort. In fact, recently, the car parking fees in Cheltenham have been asked to be lowered, as people don't utilise them regularly enough. Local councillor Klara Sudbury even goes as far to say that people might find it easier to drive in and out of an open air car park, than drive up various levels of an enclosed multi story one. This is possibly why the top floors get used in a sparing way. I am left to wonder why the upper levels look so uniform and colourful if nobody is inclined to park there. Maybe it is just a reward for driving all the way up and then having to walk to the lift or stairs in the rain. Lewis Mitchell Champions Cheltenham Town FC were top of the National League with 92 points ahead of their match with FC Halifax at Whaddon Road stadium on the 16th April 2016. Local rivals Forest Green Rovers were behind in second place with 86 points, and required a victory away at Woking to stand any chance of catching the Robins with three matches to play. An early summers day ensured a large crowd of over 5,000 turn out in red & white to support their local side as they strive to bounce back to the Football League. The fans were rewarded for their loyal support as Dan Holman ensured the champions elect headed into halftime 2Â0 up. Excitement flared up on the terraces behind the goal as news began to spread of Wokings penalty equaliser in the second half, before fans had already flooded onto the pitch after victory at Cheltenham, news broke of a late Woking victory, crowning Cheltenham Town as National League Champions of 2016. Amy Jones Zu Family My images are about a modern middle class Chinese close-knit extended family living in central Beijing. The photographs aim to provide an insight into the Zu family encompassing culture, food, daily lives and their views on education. Throughout my series, I aim to document and bring across the relationships between each family member and the sense of how the family simply is, showing the importance of family and the closeness of that bond. The project provides a much needed personal view into aspects of a culture that is completely different to here in the UK. Yet has at its core the family as central to culture and being human.
Jessie Edwards-Thomas Being Me Being me is a body of work that explores the binary approach to gender our society consciously and unconsciously applies to individuals. This body of work explores the foundations of identity which are solidified in illusion, performance and hidden behind masks. The photography and moving image created, document the stories of transgender people within the slowly but ever constantly transforming gender culture of the U.K. The work highlights issues surrounding trying to live life true to oneself as a transgender person, along side the rigid social constructs of our communities. The project has created a platform to question identity - the place for different types of identities in different parts of life. How do we choose who we are? The work deals with issues surrounding memory, transition, loss, growth and belonging which connect each and everyone one of us - regardless of what is on the surface. Lily Thomson BORN SL6 "The impact of the closure of the shelter in Maidenhead has been huge. The volunteers would do anything for you. We had hot meals, a safe place to sleep and felt secure for 5 days a week. We were warm and dry and everyone got on. They even helped us with getting medical and psychological help. Which is why its closure was unprecedented. We never did get an explanation why it was taken away." "I ain't a greedy bloke. I don't want a riverside apartment or anything like that. I just want to get the shelter open again. I just want what is right. When it comes to all of these letters and pieces of paper they keep handing us about the injunction, possession notices and so on, they're only doing it to cover their own backs. They're doing so to appear as if they're being proactive, providing a solution that will make their "problem" go away. "When, in fact, they have created new ways of ignoring us and pushing us out. They aren't giving us any option or solution when we're asking for their help. Instead, they're just making us disappear" Conor Pitchers Survival To see it all as clearly as possible should be the first role of a photographer; the clearest aspect for me is how we survive and how we evolve and how we package our intuitive vision socially, how we understand hope and hopelessness. Those that are ‘down and out’ are the most open people I have met, perhaps it is their vices or their way of conditioning or who they are as people, it is of interest to me how they exist in a highly pressured and segregated community which is part of a much larger, secure community.
Project Index Cover image: Jacob King Design: Becky Thorp
45