CA PITA L INTEREST AUGUST 2 0 1 5 / VOLUME 1 / NUMBER 7 / W W W .RPS.ORG
IM A GE © DEL BA RRETT A RPS
W ELCOM E TO THIS M ONTH?S CAPITAL INTEREST EDITORIA L It may be summer, but RPS London has been as busy as ever. The highlight of the month was the opening of the Bleeding London exhibition, and even the worst tube strike for 15 years didn?t deter more than a hundred Bleeding Londoners and guests turning out to City Hall. Society President, Derek Birch ASIS Hon FRPS, opened the proceedings and we were honoured that Bleeding London author, Geoff Nicholson (shown on the cover with one of his images), came over from LA just to be with us. Congratulations to all the London members who have recently gained distinctions. As it?s the holiday season, there are some delays in getting the success stories, but we?ll be bringing them to you over the next few months, including interviews next month with Keith Houghton LRPS, whose route to L was a Society first, and with London?s latest Fellow Andre du Plessis FRPS. As part of the Society?s aims of promoting photography, RPS London does a lot of work with other organisations. This month Ilya Fisher takes us behind the scenes to show us what she and other London members have been doing with Kick It Out. For those of us who live in London, we are extremely fortunate that we have so many photographic exhibitions on the doorstep, so this month?s Capital Interest has a bumper review section. So what?s next? Our next major event will be CAPITAL EXPOSURE WEEK IN NOVEMBER. If you have any ideas for an unusual exhibition venue or you have work to display but nowhere to show it, CONTACT US and we?ll put you in the ?match-making?system.
BOOKW ORM CORNER PEOPLE IN LONDON by Richard Slater ISBN 978-1-78396-098-9 Review by Simon Maddison LRPS A labour of love, five years in the making, Richard Slater?s People in London is a wonderful photographic record of our city. Kickstart funded and launched at an exhibition at the Royal Geographic Society in September 2014. It records what an exciting, stimulating and colourful place London is. Full of informal portraits and often amusing record images of events, Slater?s well designed book is divided into six sections including Tribes and Faiths of London, Seasonal Festivals and Parades and Street Events. The variety of London is shown in such diverse images as the Primrose Hill Druids procession to the Sikh New Year via the Naked Bike ride, the Clown?s Church and the Buddhist Floating Flower Festival. A London Surprises section at the end of the book introduces us to what indeed are surprises - did you know there is a prostitutes burial ground in Southwark? Invaluable for any photographer wishing to photograph the events is Slater?s calendar giving the months of all the events portrayed in the book. Slater?s time and patience has resulted in a book which is a true celebration of London. - Buy it and visit his website: http://www.photographyrs.com
CONTENTS BLEEDING LONDON : THE EX HIBITION OPENING
3 -6
BLEEDING LONDON : STUA RT' S FIRST W A LK
7 -8
LONDON, TOPICA L : KICK IT OUT
9 - 10
LONDON, CINE
11 - 12
LONDON, STREET : BUSTLING A BOUT BERM ONDSEY
13 - 14
LONDON, STREET : THE W ORLD NA KED BIKE RIDE - LONDON
15 - 16
EX HIBITION REVIEW : CA PTA IN LINNA EUS TRIPE (1 8 2 2 -1 9 0 2 ) - V& A
17
EX HIBITION REVIEW : A UDREY HEPBURN
18
EX HIBITION REVIEW : PHOTOGRA PHERS GA LLERY SOCIA L M EDIA : Events, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Blog, Website
19 - 20 21
BLEEDING LONDON
EX HIBITION OPENING BY BA RRY HOFFM A N LRPS
Have you heard of "Bleeding London" by Geoff Nicholson? No, neither had I until, that is, I noticed that RPS London was planning one of the most ambitious and audacious photography projects ever attempted in London, based around this book. The idea to photograph every street in The Capital was borne out of the Whitbread shortlisted novel in which the book?s main character, Stuart London, walks the entire 58,000 streets of the A to Z. So roll the clock forward to the evening of 8th July 2015 and I found myself in a rather hot and clammy City Hall, face to face with Bleeding London's author Geoff Nicholson and the exhibition's architect and RPS London organiser, Dr. Del Barrett ARPS, who explained she'd had the idea for the project after picking up the novel in an airport bookstore.
Over 12,000 of the photographs would be displayed in City Hall, a prestigious and fitting venue for the exhibition sponsored by Quilter Cheviot Investment Management. And this private view was an evening of celebration and immense pride for the 600 photographers and volunteers who had so diligently and so comprehensively photographed their beloved city.
The President of the RPS opened the proceedings with a few words, followed by more words from Dr Del, and then more words from the author himself. The words almost vanished into the clinking of glasses, the rustle of canapés and the tidal-wave of pride and admiration that washed over the assembled audience. It was a particularly emotional moment when prizes were handed out by Olympus UK for the massive contribution from two prolific photographers. One of whom, Mike Roberts, had raised over £1,000 for the Stroke Association through his photographic efforts - after having had a stroke himself! He walked, with the aid of a stick, to collect his prize to sustained applause. The immense power of the art of image making was palpable and genuinely humbling. After all the words of thanks and a final glance at the exhibition, I headed for home. As I did I thought to myself how remarkable this project had been in so many ways. The exhibition is on until 14th August so make sure you pay a visit. And if you should bump into author Geoff Nicholson, perhaps you could quiz him about his next novel - maybe Bleeding New York, or Bleeding Monte Carlo, or perhaps Bleeding Singapore......where do I volunteer ? ALL IMAGES © CHRIS MANSFIELD
And author, Geoff Nicholson, has been blogging about his trip to London: CLICK HERE TO READ
BLEEDING LONDON
ALL IMAGES © NICK SCOTT FRPS
BLEEDING LONDON
ALL IMAGES © NICK SCOTT FRPS
BLEEDING LONDON
ALL IMAGES © ROGER KELLY
BLEEDING LONDON
STUA RT' S FIRST W A LK BY STEVE REED ?He knew he had to begin somewhere and he knew that in one sense, any place was as good as another, but he scanned the index of his A-Z looking for a street name that sounded appropriate. His eyes fell on a line that read North Pole Road. Next day he went there and started his walk.? So begins the odyssey of Stuart London, one of the protagonists in Geoff Nicholson?s novel ?Bleeding London.? In the book, Stuart sets out to walk all the streets in the city ? and in doing so, inspired reader Del Barrett of the RPS to launch the Bleeding London photo project. On Friday, July 10, a group of RPS photographers ? and author Nicholson himself ? joined guide and RPS member Jen Pedler in following Stuart?s footsteps. The fictional Stuart launched his walking project on North Pole Road, in North Kensington, and followed a route that took him past Wormwood Scrubs prison, up Scrubs Lane and along Harrow Road. Pedler recreated Stuart?s walk, taking in a few extra sights and reading from Nicholson?s novel along the way.
BLEEDING LONDON
Although Nicholson points out that he is not his character, he clearly explored in painstaking detail the parts of London he describes in his book. Many of the businesses Stuart encountered along North Pole Road are still there, as the RPS photographers discovered, and the group was pleased to find a specific tire shop on Harrow Road just as Nicholson portrayed it: decorated with a mural of the staff On their three-hour, roughly five-mile walk, group members took a side trip through Kensal Green cemetery and a small neighbourhood off Scrubs Lane, where they found an old pub sandwiched between houses and now used (or so a neighbour said) as a residence. The group also took a look at brutalist architect Erno Goldfinger?s Trellick Tower and the flourishing Golborne Road market. With Nicholson due to return to his home the next day, after participating in festivities including the launch of the Bleeding London exhibit (running at City Hall until August 14), the walk was a perfect way to cap the week. Pedler is offering to guide others on Stuart?s First Walk on several upcoming dates. CLICK HERE to see her website for more information. Images from top to bottom of article : Janet Phillips, Del Barrett ARPS, Steve Reed, Janet Phillips and Gareth Phillips.
LONDON, TOPICA L KICK IT OUT BY ILYA FISHER
Ilya Fisher describes the events that she and other RPS London members cover for the charity Kick It Out. Being part of RPS London has offered me some incredible opportunities. We all know about the hugely ambitious Bleeding London project. If you keep an eye on the RPS London blog you may have spotted, on February 24th this year, another exciting opportunity; the chance to apply to be part of the volunteer pool of photographers for Kick It Out (KIO). If you are a football fan then you will be familiar with KIO, for the rest of us; it is ?Football?s equality and inclusion organisation?, and it works to ?challenge discrimination, encourage inclusive practices and campaign for positive change?. KIO want their events photographed so it is a great opportunity to enjoy this type of photography. The images remain the property of the photographer and, wherever they are used, the RPS and the individual photographer are credited. I have been fortunate enough to take part in three events, each very different. The first was an exhibition and awards ceremony at London College of Communication. The Foundation Course students had been given a project to challenge discrimination through creating artwork pieces. This evening event started with a chance to view the artwork along with enjoying a glass of wine, followed by moving into the theatre for a discussion on discrimination with members of the KIO team, after which the awards were presented to students, followed by more wine! Roger Kelly, RPS London deputy organiser, liaises and manages the KIO collaboration. He and I were taking the photos with a simple brief to take images of people and artwork.
All images Š ilya Fisher
LONDON, TOPICA L The second event was KIO?s high profile Raise Your Game conference in the Emirates Stadium. It?s an inspiring event mixing young people who want to break into some area of ?The Game?with successful professionals acting as mentors in timed one-to-one slots. Many professions linked to football were represented; we spotted Sky Sports presenters, the England Women?s team coach and the creator of Football Manager game amongst others. Our images were being tweeted during the event which was exciting but meant we could not edit or post process them and the ones they used on their website are these unedited ones too.
My third event for KIO was at Wembley Powerleague for a youth five-a-side tournament. This was quite different to photograph as much of it was of football games in action. They also wanted more formal shots of each team, the awards at the end of the afternoon and a large group photograph of all the teams together. I found photographing the games quite a challenge, the ball moves so fast that by the time I had the focus right, everyone had moved! So, you can see that being involved with this RPS/KIO collaboration is very exciting. KIO is a wonderful organisation and I am fortunate to be involved in this small way. It has offered the opportunity to try new kinds of photography and I?ve found that I enjoy event photography most of all.
All images Š ilya Fisher
LONDON, CINE
LONDON, CINE GROUP LA UNCH Mark Percival LRPS introduces the latest micro-group in the London Region. Image : London, Cine in Action Š Lionel Squire ARPS (From L to R: Abraham Percival; Mark Percival LRPS; Eric Richard; Roger Kelly) We can all take video. Increasingly phones and DSLRs are recording video that is becoming compelling cinematography. Black Swan, The Avengers and 127 Hours have made use of DSLRs. Adrian Tanner?s feature R£DI$TRIBUTORS was filmed entirely using Sony DSLRs and is due for release shortly. The short film Tangerine was thought by many to be one of the best films in this year?s Sundance Festival. It was shot on iPhones.
W HA T IS LONDON, CINE? London, Cine is a new micro-group within RPS London Region. We would like to get RPS colleagues thinking about and engaging with video. RPS has many highly experienced cinematographers within its membership. We would like to reach out to beginners and experienced practitioners and bring them together. As any Cine Director of Photography will tell you, embracing cine skills significantly can improve your ability to see and therefore your still photography can evolve further. A win all round. We are finding our way forward with London, Cine but as doing something is the best way to start, we have a project you can contribute to. We would like you to get involved.
STA RTING W ITH A VIDEO PROJECT
London, Urban i s su p p o r t ed b y t h e Ni k o n Sch o o l
London is such a vibrant and mixed environment. Bleeding London demonstrated that. We would like your video clips. Three clips taken on any video device you have. A smart phone is probably ideal. The first clip shows your home or work street environment (the establishing view). The second clip shows a willing friend or neighbour viewed from the waist up, waving. The third clip, head and shoulders, is this person smiling and saying hallo. Each clip should be no more than 5 seconds long. We will edit these together at the end of August to form a tableau illustrating London?s diversity. Email LondonCine@RPS.org for the participation details. Only video from registered participants will be included in the edit process. Entry is free.
LONDON, CINE FOLLOW ED BY A W ORKSHOP John Tarby FRPS, a highly experienced independent TV lighting cameraman will give his Cine Basics course over three evenings in September. My attending John?s course last year started me on the Cine road. I now practice by creating video blogs for the RPS London web site. John?s workshops are hands-on with a workflow that enables everyone?s clips to be viewed and discussed. John covers the visual basics but introduces sound and lighting in the later sessions. John also provides the cameras for you to use. The numbers able to attend are limited but you can book now (through the RPS web site events pages) to secure your place.
A N ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY If you were a member of the RPS 127 years ago you may have started to see moving pictures, this only 35 years after the Society (later to be the Royal Photographic Society) was formed. Now moving pictures are ubiquitous, the technology awesome. The techniques for getting good results as difficult as ever. Who is London, Cine for? Often video is better done by a team. Our vision for London, Cine is one that enables a ?pop-up?video crew to form and that RPS London activities provide the subject backdrop for video making. The picture illustrating this article shows a Bleeding London launch event video interview in progress being videoed by Roger Kelly with the process photographed by Lionel Squire ARPS. We hope to encourage the experienced cinematographers within the Society to mentor the pop-up video crews? efforts. Additionally we want to plan activities that both experienced practitioners and aspirants will enjoy. Therefore London, Cine is for anyone who is or wants to be engaged with cinematography.
SEND A N EM A IL Engagement with London, Cine starts with an email. Send your email to LondonCine@rps.org and we will send you some further information and keep you informed about planned events and invitations to join a pop-up crew. London, Cine is a new enterprise. Exciting times. London, Cine has produced a short video of the Bleeding London launch event. Click on the link below to watch the video (via vimeo).
London, Urban i s su p p o r t ed b y t h e Ni k o n Sch o o l
LONDON, STREET BUSTLING A BOUT BERM ONDSEY BY NORM A N SM ITH LRPS Strictly, we started in Whitechapel but there?s no appropriate alliteration in that! We met up at Tower Gateway DLR Station and began matters at the The Minories pub which I thought I could recommend as it?s open from 8 am,
however our service was still on snooze control, but that gave me a chance to do the usual administration tasks. With a coffee, eventually, we chatted over the rudiments of street photography which today might be extended to encompass the odd piece of architecture, as passing over Tower Bridge and alongside City Hall would be an opportunity too good to miss. The weather was breezy to start but turned out fabulously for sunbathing. Of course, this means super high contrast to contend with photographically, but you can?t have everything! We also had a good mix of previous street shooters and a number of new recruits, so I was pleased to be able to offer assistance to the newcomers. Tower Bridge is a magnet for tourists all of whom require photographic evidence, so at least one of our number was pressed into service photographing a group with an iPad! We hung around outside City Hall ? mingling with the selfie hunters and camera toting tourists, which is always good ?cover?for the serious photographer. Then we moved on to the curiously named More London passing a cocktail bar and beach area which didn?t seem out of character today. Every new bit of London could be ?more London?so it seems someone couldn?t be bothered to think of a better name. We headed towards the Shard and the first meeting point, at the junction of Tooley Street and Bermondsey Street, which gave the opportunity for advice and review following which we resumed our meanderings southward along Bermondsey Street, like many ?improving?areas, now awash with art galleries, coffee shops and museums. Turning into Tanner Street we crossed the junction with Tower Bridge Road and continued to Maltby Street. The Market here has been developing since 2010 intoUrban a ?full on?istreet foods. London, s sumarket, p p o rmajoring t ed b yin tartisan h e Ni k o nSmoked Sch osalmon, ol fine wines, specialist hams and cheeses will fill the bill and fill you up, literally on a Saturday and Sunday each week. Everything suggests quality in the restaurants and coffee shops and it makes for a distinctly ?up?market, if slightly expensive, experience. Another attraction is the antique shop Lassco which specialises in reclaimed items as well as antiques.
LONDON, STREET
Now that Borough Market has become over popular I was hoping for a slightly easier walk through ?The Ropewalk?but it was still a shoulder rubbing experience. Nevertheless, I took the opportunity to purchase some excellent smoked Salmon and fine Parma Ham without any fuss. Finishing official proceedings at 2 pm many of us found the food aromas irresistible while others continued to explore the surrounding area. Some good comments were received from participants who were already looking forward to the next RPS London Street foray. By the way, I looked for the ?bustle in your hedgerow? but didn?t find it. (A musical reference for those of a certain age!).
CLICK HERE for the results of our walk on the RPS London Flickr Site CLICK HERE to see the July Olympus on line magazine
LONDON, STREET THE W ORLD NA KED BIKE RIDE - LONDON BY NORM A N SM ITH LRPS So what is it about naked people? Well it does catch the attention, but if you look further there is a message in the supposed madness. Turning to event photography, which we sometimes do in the street group, we set out to capture the medium and the message of the World Naked Bike Ride. We arrived early for coffee and chat which gave a chance to absorb the London atmosphere and talk ?event?photography rather than ?street?. There was time to indulge in a little street photography before the main event with the many characters around.
Because it is not widely advertised it is only the hardy few who lie in wait for this one. That?s not to say it isn?t crowded, what with the tourist element there are always a large number of people willing to turn away from the shops, icons and attractions of London to gawp at the riders for a few minutes while they go past. This is not good if you have deliberately lain in wait since the ?many headed hydra?of the crowd manage to succeed in blocking all the best views for precisely the length of time that the riders pass by! Tactful comments and large elbows required. We started at Piccadilly, where several start points combined before moving on to Westminster. The first hundred frantic shots, gave me to the chance to explore continuous auto-focus, not a mode I usually employ.
Urban p p o of r t Parliament ed b y t gave h e Ni o n Schbackdrop ool A short but frustrating tube trip tookLondon, us to Westminster wherei s thesu Houses an k appropriate to the protest message of overuse of fossil fuels and the provision of better facilities for cyclists. Or, put more simply in one case, ?ban cars?!
LONDON, STREET We headed to the Wellington Arch / Green Park for the finish which was more spread out than last year so did not afford the sight of hundreds of cyclist in one cohort. Nevertheless, the message was delivered by the legends being displayed and the event was over for another year. Those with more naked ambition were off to Brighton on the following day to do it all over again. I shuddered to think of the saddle sores after that so I for one wouldn?t be joining them.
CLICK HERE for the RPS London Flickr Site for the results you may be inspired to come along to our next shoot!!
CLICK HERE to see the July Olympus on line magazine
Images Š Norman Smith LRPS
London, Urban i s su p p o r t ed b y t h e Ni k o n Sch o o l
London, Street is supported by Olympus Cameras
EX HIBITION REVIEW S CA PTA IN LINNA EUS TRIPE (1 8 2 2 -1 9 0 2 ) Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 24 June - 11 October 2015 By Adrian McCarthy
LINNAEUS TRIPE : RANGOON, NEAR VIEW OF THE SHWE DAGON PAGODA; NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART, WASHINGTON, EDWARD J LENKIN FUND
LINNEAS TRIPE: MADURA, THE GREAT PAGODA JEWELS, JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1858. THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART.
The early days of photography were very different to today, can you imagine carrying a camera made of wood with a format of 16? by 12? and moreover making your own film and developing it and contact printing it all yourself? That?s what Captain Linnaeus Tripe did when he travelled India and Burma. For it?s time the camera was very sophisticated and included a rising front which is used to capture tall buildings etc. while keeping the camera perfectly horizontal. Captain Linnaeus Tripe Born 1822 in Devon died 1860 had an early army career with the East India Company Army and was trained as a surveyor. He learned photography when on leave for several years in the early 1850s, and later created an ?Outstanding body of work depicting Landscape and Architecture of India and Burma?. The photographs on view trace his early photography in England and his work in India and Burma and show remarkable landscapes and architecture, drawn from two exhibitions the photographs depict an important and interesting period for India, Burma and Great Britain. Bearing in mind that photography was in its infancy the population of Europe would never have seen anything other than a drawing or painting of anything in India or Burma and most would not have seen that either. The pictures must have seemed magical to the viewer of the 1850?s. Working with paper negatives because glass did not perform well in the climate of India and Burma Capt. Linnaeus Tripe made his own film and printed them himself. He carried with him everything he needed to create and preserve his photographs even a portable still to purify water. The images were bound into a series of 50 portfolios each with 120 photographs. To make a negative Captain Linnaeus Tripe would coat a sheet of paper with dilute albumen and applied a light sensitising solution. The photographs were toned with gold after fixing and have a delicate sheen and are clearly not just documentary but artistic as well, many images showed his interest in things of military importance like dockyards, ship repairs and breakwaters. Interestingly the negative process was unable to record cloud detail, and foliage was often recorded poorly Captain Linnaeus Trip did extensive retouching of the negatives to create clouds, and improve the appearance of foliage. There are some examples of his retouched negatives on display. He also had an eye for compositions comparable with the great photographers of later years. He created a 19 foot long panorama with 21 photographs taken around the base of the Great Pagoda at Tanjore (Thanjavur) the first time this had ever been done. Unlike most panoramas where the camera stays in one place and is rotated to create the sequence of pictures in this case the camera was moved around the Pagoda and the camera pointed inwards, he had to use platforms to keep a constant level as the ground is not at a constant elevation around the Pagoda. If you have a chance and are interested in historical photography this exhibition is well worth a visit. Images by kind permission of V&A Museum London.
A UDREY HEPBURN: PORTRA ITS OF A N ICON National Portrait Gallery, London, 2 July - 18 October 2015 By Natasha Bennet Audrey Hepburn was unconventionally beautiful and yet became an icon of modern times. This exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery explores her life and career through portraits.The exhibition has been supported by her sons Luca Dotti and Sean Hepburn Ferrer through the Audrey Hepburn Estate and they have loaned 35 photographs from their personal collection. Her early life, during the war years in the occupied Netherlands, living in fear with little to eat, gave her a thinness that she never lost. We see a photograph of Audrey at age 13 at a dance recital in 1942. She trained to be a dancer in Belgium, where she was born and then came to London when she was 19 to take up a ballet scholarship at Ballet Rambert. Her dancer?s training gave her a poise which is evident in the portraits.
Dance recital photograph by Manon van Suchtelen, 1942; Copyright: Reserved
Audrey Hepburn photographed wearing Givenchy by Norman Parkinson, 1955; Copyright: Norman Parkinson Ltd/Courtesy Norman Parkinson Archive.
In 1948/49, she was spotted in the chorus line in revues by Angus McBean and Anthony Beauchamp. Their photographs established her as an exciting new beauty. Angus McBean?s surreal images for the Crookes sun lotion campaign were very popular and were credited with getting her a screen test for Roman Holiday. By the late 40?s the style of the Audrey Hepburn that we know so well is already recognisable with her dark hair and emphatic eyebrows. The short boyish haircut appeared in the early ?50's and she is promoted as a new independent form of femininity. She is photographed by Richard Avedon for Harper?s Bazaar to coincide with her appearance in the theatre production of Ondine. His black and white image makes her timeless and beautiful. The high contrast gives an almost Warhol effect and emphasises her great bone structure. In the same year, she tested for ?Sabrina? and got the part. Givenchy was the designer on the film and it was the beginning of a life long collaboration. Norman Parkinson photographed her wearing a Givenchy design, a pink dress with a cinched in waist and according to Vogue, ?She has so captured the public imagination and mood of the time that she established a new standard of beauty.?As a model she was a gift to a photographer. Richard Avedon concluded having worked with her on many photo shoots. ?I can only record. I cannot interpret her ... She has achieved in herself her ultimate portrait.? She went on to make many more great films including War and Peace, My Fair Lady, Funny Face and Breakfast at Tiffany?s. All of which are well documented in this exhibition. There are behind the scenes pictures, but the image presented is often similar. I would have liked to see more images of her later life and work for UNICEF, which is touched upon. The images in the show are very beautiful but many of them project the same iconic image. I had hoped to see more variety. There?s an image by Erwin Blumenfeld in which he presents a series of mirror images, so we cannot be sure which is the real Audrey. I also felt at the end of the exhibition that although I had seen some stunning portraits, I hadn?t really seen the real Audrey.
THE PHOTOGRA PHERS' GA LLERY BY JONATHAN TAYLOR Two new exhibitions opened at the Photographer?s Gallery last week, both very different and well worth a visit Shirley Baker: Women, Children and Loitering Men is a fascinating look at Shirley Baker?s work documenting the urban clearances in Manchester and Salford from 1961 to 1981. Shooting mainly in black and white, she chose to show the human side of the communities, facing the destruction of their homes, with compassion and empathy. Shirley Baker, who sadly died last year, was a pioneer post-war photographer, working in industry after she found it impossible to break into the male dominated world of the press and pursuing this and other projects on her own. She was interested in showing more than just the plight of the working class communities and strove to give dignity to a way of life that was under threat as crumbling terraces made way for streets in the sky. Mothers chat in doorways and children play in the street in moments of everyday life. But she was also no doubt interested in the strange urban landscape of peeling wallpaper and graffiti, shown in the framing of her work and, from the exploration of her negatives, was prepared to wait for the right figure to walk into her chosen view.
Shirley Baker, Manchester, 1967 Š Shirley Baker Estate; Courtesy of the Shirley Baker Estate.
Baker?s colour work, beautifully printed from the original slides, shows an interesting glimpse of a different view with new rhythms of hue and texture that she used only for a brief period in the mid 60?s preferring to return to the abstraction of black and white. Anna Douglas, the curator, has presented a thematic exploration of the work where people and places evoke memories; where playgrounds become wastelands and front rooms are broken open to our gaze. She is keen for us to see beyond the mere documentary and possibly sentimental view of history to the graphic style and wit shown in so much of Baker?s observation. This beautifully thoughtful show is enhanced by the slowly evolving sounds of streetscape that composer Derek Nisbet compiled for the exhibition. The accompanying book has all these photographs and more, including many previously unpublished, for you to enjoy at your leisure.
Shirley Baker, Near Upper Brook St, Manchester, 1964 Š Shirley Baker Estate; Courtesy of Mary Evans Picture Library.
THE PHOTOGRA PHERS' GA LLERY We Want More: Image Making and Music in the 21st Century on the other hand, is an exploration of the way photographers have tried to find a view of the current music scene beyond the controlled and often bland output sanctioned by the musicians themselves. The traditional frameworks that created a distance between the image creators and bands and their fans have largely collapsed and new informal channels have opened up. This exhibition shows the work of fifteen photographers each presenting a different view of the musicians and the fans who often create their own commentary on the music scene. They come from all genres of photography. Pep Bonet, perhaps better known for his hard hitting documentary work from around the world, chooses to follow his favourite band Motorhead on tour, shooting the crowd from the stage in a new perspective. Deirdre O?Callaghan?s intimate photos of drummers in their own practice spaces are part of a series meeting dozens of them, the often hidden members of the band, from across the spectrum of genres, eras, and fame. Dan Wilton produces a self-published zine following indie-rock band The Bots on their ten day tour of Europe, capturing the boredom and play of their youth. More intimate portraits with artists include Katy Perry by Ryan Enn Hughes and Lady Gaga by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, both choosing to appear in guises outside their normal personas. Other photographers in this fascinating collection are Roger Ballen, Daniel Cohen, William Coutts, Jason Evans, Gareth McConnell, Ryan McGinley, James Mollison, Ewan Spencer, Lorena Turner and Diane Smith. Set over two floors, one covers images of the artists who, despite the proliferation of photos taken by the public, largely control access to their image backstage and in private. The other is of the fans themselves, intimately seen lost in the music, or in portraits dressed as their idols. There is also a collection of music videos made by photographers, rather than moving image makers showing the increasing dialogue between the two disciplines.
Deirdre O?Callaghan, Pauli ?The PSM? ? Damon Albarn, Jamie XX (New York, July ?14) © Deirdre O?Callaghan. Courtesy of the artist.
Dan Wilton, Mikaiha Cannot Swim. From the series STOB, EHT, 2012 © Dan Wilton. Courtesy of the artist.
The two main exhibitions run until 20 September 2015 Open: Mon ? Sat 10:00 to 18:00, Thur 10:00 to 20:00, Sun 11:00 to 18:00 NOTE: The Gallery now charges £3 / £2.50 concessions, BUT is free until noon Photographers?Gallery, 16 ? 18 Ramillies St, London W1F 7LW
FA M ILIES NEEDED TO PA RTICIPA TE IN EX CITING PHOTOGRA PHIC PROJECT BY CHRIS STEELE-PERKINS HON FRPS Magnum photographer and RPS London member, Chris Steele-Perkins Hon FRPS, is documenting the true diversity of our multi-cultural capital. ?I am currently working on a long term project photographing London families, in their home, who come from all the different countries in the worlds, round about 200, they are The New British? A third of the way through the project, Chris is looking for more families to photograph and hopes that RPS London members can help by introducing him to potential subjects. So if you belong to, or know, a New British family, who would like to be part of this incredible project, email Chris for further details. And the participants get a free photograph! To find out more about the project, see this article from the BBC, check-out Chris?s website or find him on Instagram. #steeleperkins
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