PHIL MAXWELL

River Boats

August 17, 2012

The man and the boy depicted in these photographs have an intimate knowledge of the river. The man works from the waste management barges which remove London’s waste to a landfill site. The boy navigates his passengers on rivers in Bangladesh.

Lighterman at a Waste transfer station. RIver Thames 2002

Boy with his passengers. River. Bangladesh 1991

Photomonth 2012

August 16, 2012

I love the bold and evocative portraits that are the trade mark of Street Artist Ben Slow’s work. His portraits provoke questions as well as igniting the urban landscape with images that are the antidote to the sanitised imagery of advertisers with their gigantic corporate hoardings.

I’m delighted that we will be collaborating on some wall space in Rough Trade East in Dray Walk, off Brick Lane for this year’s Photomonth East London. I’m supplying images to Ben for him to work with, delete and develop into one composition. Framed examples of my work will be incorporated into the final piece. The theme of the exhibition is ‘Protest’. Given the fact that there is a long history of protest and plenty to protest about today it will be interesting to see how it all turns out.

This is an exciting way for me to work as the final concept and composition is very much in the hands of Ben who is expert in working in restricted and challenging spaces. Below are examples of the work I have given to Ben so far.

The image below was taken at the start of a large demonstration against unemployment thirty years ago in Liverpool. The image has always had a fascination for me as I’ve always thought of the principle figures as if they are looking forward to a better future. The young man with the CND and clenched fist emblem is stating a position shared by everyone else in the photograph who are marching for change. I have roughly reworked the motif on his back into a number of photomontages reflecting different causes.

Liverpool protest (CND). Early 1980's.

Liverpool protest (Don't Attack Iraq), photomontage. Early 1980's.

Liverpool protest (Bread Not Bombs), photomontage. Early 1980's.

Liverpool protest (End Israeli Occupation), photomontage. Early 1980's.

Liverpool protest (Stop Racist Murders), photomontage. Early 1980's.

Liverpool protest (No Poll Tax), photomontage. Early 1980's.

Liverpool protest (Stop The War), photomontage. Early 1980's.

I will probably make a single piece of work from the above images trimming each image down to the three main figures and adding colour to the poster on the back.

Anti racist demo, John Scurr School, London, mid 1980's

The above photograph was taken during a BNP election meeting. The lone protester (Dino Patel) seen here was part of a much larger group behind the photographer. His sudden appearance in front of the group of policemen was a spontaneous invitation to take his photograph!

Eight policemen walk past a Ben Slow. London 2012

Eight policemen walk past a Ben Slow. Photomontage, London 2012

The ‘No War For Oil’ series below runs with a series of photomontages following the original photograph below. The universal appeal of the message is complimented by the different faces appearing in the subsequent photomotage.

Man with a message. Demonstration against the war, London 2003

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

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

The unusually alligned row of police officers invited the photomontage below. ‘Not in Our Name’ was one of the slogans of the anti war movement – as well as the title of the film I directed with Hazuan Hashim.