Bishopsgate Institute Archive
On Thursday November 3 I will hand over 83 images to Stefan Dickers – Library and Archives Manager at the Bishopsgate Institute. They will be the first images from my collaboration with the Institute that will be available for viewing online. Here are a few from the many hundreds to follow.
Pathway joining Hanbury Street to Old Montague Street. Whitechapel 2001
Child entering newsagents on Brick Lane with his mother, 1984
Two men in conversation. Whitechapel Road 1980's
Man on the District Line. Early 1980's
40 Years On
Last night my exhibition ’40 Years On’ launched the magnificent, the UK’s largest and most democratic photographic festival, PHOTOMONTH.
Bangladesh High Commisioner, Chris Smith & Phil Maxwell. 'East' exhibition. Spitz gallery Spitalfields 1997.
In 1997 my Photomonth exhibition was launched by the then Minister for Culture & Media Chris Smith.
I’ve had a show in this festival each year since it began so I was delighted when Maggie Pinhorn of Alternative Arts asked me to kick this years still larger festival off with my retrospective ’40 Years On’.
The opening of 'East' in Sylhet. Bangladesh 1996
‘East’ was first shown in Sylhet, Bangladesh with the support of the Kothakaly Arts Group. Shortly after the exhibition was officially opened the power failed but was kept going with candles handed out to all the guests.
Most of my PHOTOMONTH exhibitions have been in real rather that cyber space. However I have to confess as a veteran of organising exhibitions in real spaces (with the direction & assistance of Hazuan Hashim) that a considerable proportion of my shows have been ‘online’ in recent years.
Thanks to Rossana Leal, Andrew Grainger, Lohan Emmanuel and Stefan Dickers for making this years show happen!
Pictures of the opening will appear in tomorrows post if I can persuade a few friends to send me some….
Photomontage Editions of 1
Photomontage is as old as photography itself. It has been a powerful weapon against corrupt governments and dictatorships. As a child I remember viewing photographs of John Heartfield’s work produced against the Nazis and Hitler in particular. At the time I thought the work was like an exploding bomb and was amazed at the courage of Hertfield (who was a German citizen). His anti Nazi work has subsequently inspired many other visual artists who challenge ruling elites.
Dhallywood & the Red Fort, 2009
I’ve always been drawn to what I might describe as the ‘hidden organic footprint’ of any urban area. Primarily this comprises of weathered and torn poster fragments which through accidental juxtapositions develop their own subversive narrative of the time. I’ve photographed walls around the world that have provided a basis for my photomontage. For many years I saved darkroom ‘test strips’ with a view to including them into some kind of photomontage. As these ‘strips’ were usually small portraits in themselves they afford many creative opportunities. Since I am now also working on a series of photomontage exploring ‘Globalisation’ in a purely digital format, the mixed media photomontage has an immediacy and creative vocabulary that includes chance. ‘Back to Basics’ with PVA and a digital image overlaid with a fragment of a darkroom image delivers the best of both worlds and an original piece of art, an edition of 1!
Dhallywood & the Red Fort, Photomontage (detail) 2009
All of these limited edition prints will be on sale at my exhibition at the Bishopsgate Institute. They all measure approximately 48.3cm x 33cm and can be viewed by asking one of the librarians.
Poster remnants. Whitechapel 2008
Mermaidman. Poster & photographic fragments. London, 2008.
Triumvirate. Wall portrait with photographic portrait. Photomontage London 2009
Man with three dogs, poster fragments on Brick Lane Wall. Photomontage, London 2008
Blair & Iraq. Photomontage, London 2008
Christchurch Spitalfields From A Rooftop In Hanbury Street
The view below was taken yesterday whilst we were doing a final shoot for our film ‘From Cable Street to Brick Lane’.
Christchurch Spitalfields from a rooftop in Hanbury Street, London 2010
I last visited the rooftop some 25 years ago and got an entirely different view!
Christchurch Spitalfields from a rooftop in Hanbury Street, London 1984
You can enjoy more shots of Christchurch Spitalfields here.
Surrealism Battles Regeneration in Cheshire Street
I’m sometimes asked the question: ‘How do you choose the subject for the day?’. I suspect that people may think there is a carefully sculptured 5 year plan. In reality, like today, I often get diverted from my original idea by taking the ‘wrong turn’ in my archive.
Man examining 'junk' at the Sunday Market in Cheshire Street. London 2002
Making a ‘wrong turn’ can be fatal as you can easily loose 2 – 3 hours through being sucked into the archive. Every picture tells a story (particularly if you were the photographer). Perhaps these diversions are healthy as I become more familiar with my 40 year old archive.
Man examining 'junk' at the Sunday Market in Cheshire Street. London 2002
So todays Photo Blog is a series of photographs which simply caught my attention and continue to fascinate me.
Man examining 'junk' at the Sunday Market in Cheshire Street. London 2002
An amazing combination of objects with a man being drawn into this surreal installation. This was a free show but because of ‘regeneration’ such sites are sadly becoming very rare.
