Skip to content

East London Markets (2)

October 2, 2016

Here are more photographs of the markets I’ve photgraphed for more than 35 years.

Market cart, Petticoat Lane 1984

Market cart, Petticoat Lane 1984

Brick Lane market

Brick Lane market 2007

Market traders at the Brick Lane Market, Sclater Street 1987

Market traders at the Brick Lane Market, Sclater Street 1987

Lady with shopping trolley

Lady with shopping trolley. Watney market, Stepney 2009

Spitalfields market, Commercial Street, London 1983

Spitalfields market, Commercial Street, London 1983

Sunday market. Brick Lane 2007

Sunday market. Brick Lane 2007

Spitalfields Market. London 1986

Spitalfields Market. London 1986

Man examining 'junk' at the Sunday Market in Cheshire Street. London 2002

Man examining ‘junk’ at the Sunday Market in Cheshire Street. London 2002

Market stall holder. Petticoat Lane. London 1988

Market stall holder. Petticoat Lane. London 1988

Selling goods from a tea chest. Sunday market Bethnal Green Rd. London 2007

Selling goods from a tea chest. Sunday market Bethnal Green Rd. London 2007

Steve Reich In Liverpool

October 1, 2016

On Thursday, Steve Reich attended a performance of his music at Edge Hill Station in Liverpool a few days before his eightieth birthday. It’s hard to imagine a better place to make a site specific performance of Reich’s inspired work ‘Different Trains’. The hosts of the evening METAL have been active in promoting contemporary art and events in Liverpool since 2002.

Reich’s music unwraps the 20th century and describes its language, beats, humanity and horrors; he is now doing the same in the 21st century. Hundreds queued and waited for hours before the performance began after 8pm. Reich soaks up his life experiences and assembles them decisively in his compositions. He has been touched by many events and influences: Bach, Coltrane and Stravinsky come to mind as well as his experiences as a cab driver when he recorded on tape the talk of his passengers.

Reich is a consummate collector of ideas and collaborators. For the performance he worked with Bill Morrison who provided imagery using archive footage. Uncannily it was as if the historic films had been shot specifically for the music. We have all read about the Holocaust and it’s resonated loudly into history, culture & politics. It is incomprehensible and yet with Reich’s music and Morrison’s merciless selection of film it’s as if we are taken into the heart of the abominable nightmare. The Nazis meticulously recorded their genocidal projects. It is impossible to get inside the mind set of the person holding the camera. There is one sequence where the camera appears to hover endlessly in front of a woman’s face and she seems to know we are looking at her over half a century later; her eyes speak through time and tell us to never to let this happen again. But it has happened again and it continues. Reich’s music is an uncompromising plea for humanity against war. Hopefully it will be heard until the end of time.

These photographs were taken on the night of the performance.

People queuing two hours before the performance.

People queuing two hours before the performance.

Local residents were given free tickets to see Steve Reich

Local residents were given free tickets to see Steve Reich

Edge Hill Station

Edge Hill Station

Edge Hill Station

Edge Hill Station

Edge Hill Station

Edge Hill Station

stevereich2016e

One of the first arrivals for the performance

One of the first arrivals for the performance

Edge Hill Station

Edge Hill Station

Edge Hill Station

Edge Hill Station

Edge Hill Station

Edge Hill Station

Part of the audience shortly before the performance

Part of the audience shortly before the performance

Bill Morrison, Steve Reich & Jude Kelly  on stage before the performance

Bill Morrison, Steve Reich & Jude Kelly on stage before the performance (photo Hazuan Hashim)

Guitarist Mats Bergstrom performing "Electric Counterpoint'

Guitarist Mats Bergstrom performing “Electric Counterpoint’

Guitarist Mats Bergstrom performing "Electric Counterpoint'

Guitarist Mats Bergstrom performing “Electric Counterpoint’

London Contemporary Orchestra

London Contemporary Orchestra

London Contemporary Orchestra

London Contemporary Orchestra

London Contemporary Orchestra

London Contemporary Orchestra

London Contemporary Orchestra

London Contemporary Orchestra

London Contemporary Orchestra

London Contemporary Orchestra

Steve Reich (left) shakes a musicians hand after the performance

Steve Reich (left) shakes a musicians hand after the performance

Bill Morrison & Steve Reich  on stage after the performance

Bill Morrison & Steve Reich on stage after the performance (photo Hazuan Hashim)

Steve Reich

Steve Reich

You may also be interested in a short film with music by Lola Perrin (who has been described as “a feminine Steve Reich”:

BARCELONA

 

East London Markets

September 30, 2016

I’ve always been drawn to photograph the markets of East London. They have changed over the years and they are under threat from gentrification but the vibrancy I found 35 years ago is still around.

Sunday market Cheshire Street 2003

Sunday market Cheshire Street 1990s

Sunday market on Brick Lane

Fly pitch on Brick Lane, 2009

Man sleeping in Whitechapel Market

Man sleeping in Whitechapel Market, 1988

Cranes over Spitalfields market

Cranes over Spitalfields market, 20002

Second hand clothes man, Cheshire Street 1988

Second hand clothes man, Cheshire Street c.1988

Man moving a market stall, Whitechapel 2008

Man moving a market stall, Whitechapel 2008

Boy selling vegetables on Brick Lane, 1985

Boy selling vegetables on Brick Lane, 1985

A woman looking through second hand books, Sclater street market 2008

A woman looking through second hand books, Sclater Street market 2008

A man examining the condition of a LP. Sclater Street market, 1986

A man examining the condition of a LP. Sclater Street market, c.1986

Woman with a walking stick, Watney Market 2008

Woman with her shopping, Watney Market 2008

Off The Street & Into The Pub

September 29, 2016

As a street photographer I have always regarded the pub as an extension of the street!

Brick Lane pub c. 1985

Brick Lane pub 1985

George pub, Liverpool c.1979

George pub, Liverpool 1979

Seven Stars pub, Brick Lane c.1995

Seven Stars pub, Brick Lane 1995

Indo Pub, Whitechapel 2004

Window of the Indo Pub, Whitechapel 2004

Inside a pub in Kiveton Park (on Strike), 1984

Inside a pub in Kiveton Park (during the miner’s strike), 1984

Vincent Hayes behind the bar at the Lord Hood pub. London 1980's

Vincent Hayes behind the bar at the Lord Hood pub. London 1980s

Performance artist in the George Tavern, 2008

Performance artist in the George Tavern, London 2008

Two men in a Lodge Lane pub. Liverpool 1980 (Bishopsgate Collection)

Two men in a Lodge Lane pub. Liverpool 1980 (Bishopsgate Collection)

Pub, New York City 2005

Pub, New York 2005

Rose in the Golden Heart pub

Rose in the Golden Heart pub, Spitalfields 2000

Pick Your Labour Party Leader!

September 28, 2016

Today is the conclusion of the Labour Party Conference. Pick your leader!

Niel Kinnock. London 1992

Niel Kinnock. London 1992

Niel Kinnock. London 1992

Niel Kinnock, London 1992

kinnock

Niel Kinnock. London 1992

Niel Kinnock. London 1992

Tony Blair (photomontage)

Tony Blair (photomontage)

Gordon Brown and Tony Blair on Brighton Pier

Gordon Brown and Tony Blair on Brighton Pier, 2003

Tony Blair and John Prescott

Tony Blair and John Prescott at a Labour Party conference, early 1990s

Tony Blair as Jesus

Tony Blair as Jesus. After Caravaggio 2003.

Photomontage with a message and Tony Blair. Demonstration against the war, London 2003

Photomontage with a message and Tony Blair. Demonstration against the war, London 2003

Tony Blair

Tony Blair

Tony Blair

Tony Blair

Tony Blair

Tony Blair

Tony Blair

Tony Blair

Tony Blair

Tony Blair

Gordon Brown c.1994

Gordon Brown 1994

Gordon Brown c.1992

Gordon Brown 1992

eagle2

Owen (aged 4) with his older best friend Tony Blair

Owen Smith (aged 4) with his older best friend Tony Blair

owen-smith

Owen Smith (aged 4) with his pet cat 'Nye' (named after Nye Bevan)

Owen Smith (aged 4) with his pet cat ‘Nye’ (named after Nye Bevan)

Owen Smith during the Miners Strike

Owen Smith during the Miners Strike

owensmithamgen

 

Jeremy Corbyn gives a live BBC interview before the Rally

Jeremy Corbyn gives a live BBC interview before the Rally in Liverpool 2016

Jeremy Corbyn by the statue of Prince Albert shortly before he addressed the rally

Jeremy Corbyn by the statue of Prince Albert shortly before he addressed a rally in Liverpool 2016

Corbyn Plans to replace Her Majesty the Queen once he is elected

The winner!

You May also be interested in:

Five short films supporting Jeremy Corbyn