I suppose I could be described as a visual artist with a bias towards stills photography rather than film. I would disagree with this because I don’t hold to rigid definitions around still and moving film. Furthermore disciplines relating to still photography also apply to film.

Man on Brick Lane, London early 1980's

The photograph (above) has been chosen for our film ‘From Cable Street to Brick Lane’. It accompanies a narrative about how the Lane has changed over the years. Hazuan Hashim edits our films and has developed an eloquent language through his use of stills from my 40+ year old archive. His use of stills may also involve a series of frames of the same subject. Stills are not used with reluctance because of any shortage of moving footage. Stills have become an integral part of our ‘film’ vocabulary.

Artist Bob & Roberta Smith working on a piece of work for our film.

In addition to stills a number of artists are creating pieces specifically for the film. For the work above we will be using film and many stills to accompany the narrative of the artist Bob and Roberta Smith.

Bob relates the acccount his father gave him of the time he fought the Fascists at Cable Street. The film has been in production for four years and examines the social changes that have occured in the East End as well as the ongoing fight against Fascism. Since the film was started the skyline (looking west from the East) has changed quite dramatically. The ‘Shard’ building viewed from Whitechapel (below) will soon be the tallest in London.

The Shard building under construction. London, October 2011

Phil Maxwell: 40 Years On – A Retrospective

“It has been my good fortune to record all this life and change continuously for the past thirty years”.

Phil Maxwell – East End Photographer

Celebrating 40 years of Phil Maxwell’s work and its archiving for public use by the Bishopsgate Institute, the exhibition takes you on a journey through his youth in Liverpool to his later life in the East End of LondonHoused in two venues – the Bishopsgate Institute and Rough Trade – you can walk between the two buildings and experience the vibrancy of the East End first hand. This is the East End seen through Phil Maxwell’s lens – his backdrop and canvass against which he’s captured sketches of life, documenting an instant in time and the social conditions and history of his community.

Friday 30 September – Wednesday 30 November 2011

Curated by Hazuan Hashim

Bishopsgate Institute Library
230 Bishopsgate
London EC2m 4QH

Royal Trade East
Dray Walk
Old Truman Brewery
91 Brick Lane
London E1 6QL

Prints from the exhibition are available (with a certificate of authentication signed by the photographer). For purchase please contact Rossana at mercaditoproductions@hotmail.com