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Bruce Davidson

Wednesday, May 4th, 2011

Visited the opening of the wonderful Bruce Davidson show at Chris Beetles Gallery last night.

Bruce Davidson: CATHY FIXING HER HAIR IN CIGARETTE MACHINE MIRROR WITH ARTY AT THE OCEAN TIDE BATHS AND BAR, CONEY ISLAND, 1959

Bruce Davidson: CATHY FIXING HER HAIR IN CIGARETTE MACHINE MIRROR WITH ARTY AT THE OCEAN TIDE BATHS AND BAR, CONEY ISLAND, 1959 (©Bruce Davidson/Magnum)

There’s not much to say about Bruce’s work that hasn’t already been said, but as ever it is a great pleasure to see real prints of such great work, and respect is due to Giles for putting on a fine show.

Davidson’s mixture of humility and perseverance, and his genuine affection for people, glow out of every picture here. No exhibition can ever encompass in full the long term projects Bruce engaged in – the two years of East 100th Street for instance – but selection is always the curators greatest skill, and the essence of his work is captured well here.

Bruce Davidson: MAN AND WOMAN REFLECTED IN CAR WINDOW, LONDON, 1960

Bruce Davidson: MAN AND WOMAN REFLECTED IN CAR WINDOW, LONDON, 1960 (©Bruce Davidson/Magnum)

It was another of those times when I wished my bank balance could absorb the price of a print. I reckon, for what it’s worth, that these prints are great value for money. I can’t see Bruce’s work doing anything but increase in value as the years pass.

Tags: exhibition, gallery, london
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Emily Allchurch and Laura Noble

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

Visited the Diemar / Noble Gallery last night to see Emily Allchurch talking about her work Tokyo Story with Laura Noble. Emily has recreated a series of prints made by the 19th century Japanese artist Hiroshige for the collection One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.

Tokyo Story 3: Night Harbour (after Hiroshige)

Emmily Allchurch, Tokyo Story 3: Night Harbour (after Hiroshige)

As usual, you can find out everything you need to know about the project by the application of a little Google so I won’t go into it here.

Hiroshige 'Tsukudajima from Eitai Bridge'

Hrioshige, Tsukudajima from Eitai Bridge (2nd Month, 1857), from the Brooklyn Museum - click on the picture to visit the museum website

I recommend a visit to the gallery before 7th May to have a look at the pictures for yourself. They’re worth it. I enjoyed the thoughtful, playful nature of the work and hearing Emily talk eloquently about the project was a rare bonus.

Tags: gallery, london
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Exalted Company

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
Robin Bell's Silver Footprint

Robin's book

When I picked up Robin’s book at the London opening of his show last week I was chuffed to see he’d elected to put my picture on a spread opposite a Bill Brandt. What a complement!

Robin Bell's Silver Footprint

Bill and me

I don’t know if it’s fate taunting me after I mentioned Brandt in this blog last month, but now I come to think about it, it’s a little intimidating. Quite a lot to measure up to! Still, all in all I’m thrilled.

For anyone who hasn’t been following the story: Robin is the man I have been using for my printing recently. He’s probably the most respected printer in London and, to mark his 35 years in the darkroom, he selected some favorite pictures to go in an exhibition. I was very flattered to be asked to contribute, especially considering the exalted company I would be amongst. The book is effectively the catalogue of that show.

The book is available from the gallery.

Tags: books, exhibition, gallery, london, robin bell
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Robin’s ‘Silver Footprint’ show moves to London

Wednesday, October 21st, 2009

Robin Bell’s Silver Footprint show is moving to the Richard Young Gallery in Kensington, London – and it includes the picture of mine that Robin chose:

Kapitulska, Bratislava. November 2003.

Kapitulska, Bratislava. November 2003.

I’m looking forward to the opening, and seeing the book which the exhibition has spawned. Drop by if you’re in London, the show is on from 5th to 28th November at the Richard Young Gallery.

Tags: exhibition, gallery, london, robin bell
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Galeria Paz y Comedias

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

Had a good meeting with Teresa and Laureano at Galeria Paz y Comedias in Valencia on Thursday.

First of all, this is a beautiful gallery. In these days, when galleries try to make themselves resemble a white cube as much as possible, it’s refreshing to find a gallery that allows the beauty of the building to come through. It’s located on the second floor of a stunning Valencian art nouveau apartment building which has the trademark mosaic tile floors intact.

Galeria Paz y Comedias is a unique space

This must be troublesome on occasion when it comes to selecting work that won’t fight with the decor, but works brilliantly for most shows.

Teresa Legarre, gallery owner and curator, was also a breath of fresh air. She was appalled by my Spanish, of course, but very helpful, knowledgeable, and frank. I can only sympathise with her when it comes to navigating her way around modern photography, with it’s huge digital prints using size and colour to overcome deficiencies in structure and composition.

We left with a good feeling that the gallery understood what I was doing, which is rare enough, and that we should be able to work together at some point in the future.

Tags: exhibition, gallery, valencia
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Robin Bell’s Silver Footprint

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

Visited Battle in the south of England, near Hastings, for Robin Bell‘s birthday party on Saturday. I’m sure you know that Battle is actually where the Battle of Hastings was fought. What are the chances of that happening?

Great to see Robin and Lucy in such good spirits, a great day was had by all. Robin was using the occasion of his 60th birthday to hold an exhibition in the Independent Photographer’s Gallery bringing together some of his favourite pictures from 35 years in the darkroom. It was an honour for me to have one of my pictures selected for the show.

Kapitulská, Bratislava, Slovakia. November 2003.
Kapitulská, Bratislava, Slovakia. November 2003.

Among many new people we met at the party was documentary photographer Colin Summers who has a picture from Banda Aceh in the show, shot in the aftermath of the tsunami. I can’t help but admire the emotional strength of people who take this kind of picture, I’m not sure I could do it. Colin’s a great bloke and deserves to succeed in his chosen field.

The conversation among the photography professionals at the event centred around the inevitable subject: nobody’s selling pictures. It’s a tough time in the photography industry, but it was great to have other people to talk to about what’s happening.

The show itself is really great. I always enjoy shows that aren’t built around a single visual theme, which I find grow tiresome by the time I’ve seen a couple of dozen pictures. The theme here is simply Robin’s taste, and an eclectic taste it is. From hardcore photojournalism (Don McCullin, Tom Stoddart, Colin Summers, Lee Miller) through to high class celebrity portraiture (Terry O’Neill, Bob Carlos Clarke, Terence Donovan), and much in between, Robin has simply chosen pictures he likes. All – of course – beautifully printed.

Go to see the show if you possibly can.

Tags: exhibition, gallery, printer, robin bell
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A Great Honour

Monday, April 6th, 2009

Things have been a little depressing around here recently, what with the damage some very clever people have done to the world economy and the knock-on effect of nobody buying pictures, so it was great to have a little boost this morning. The invite arrived to Robin Bell’s anniversary show.

It give me quite a lift to see the list of the exhibitors, selected by Robin. Names such as, Eve Arnold, Bill Brandt, Bob Carlos Clarke, Terence Donovan, Ernst Haas, Lee Miller, Don McCullin, Terry O’Neill, Norman Parkinson… and me! What an honour.

I’ve been trying to find a link to the show somewhere, but since it doesn’t start until May I guess it’s not up yet. I’ll keep you posted.

Tags: exhibition, gallery, printer
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The Themed Exhibition

Monday, March 30th, 2009

We visited a great gallery on Friday – one that even showed interest in my kind of work – so the prospect of a show comes closer. The next question is: What to show?

My last project, volume one of The Constant Eye, was more of a retrospective, I suppose. I had hoped that the strength of my point of view coupled with a particular technique would provide a theme in itself, but I fear the world isn’t ready to accept this! So, subject matter rules, and I should probably do a show on a single subject.

The obvious subject is Bulls. I’ve been taking pictures of the fiestas in eastern Spain that involve bulls running through the streets of the small villages for a couple of years now, see this post, and certainly have enough pics to chose from for a good show.

Tags: bulls, exhibition, gallery, the constant eye, valencia
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Another day, another gallery opening

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

The gallery in question this evening was Galeria Kessler-Battaglia in Valencia, and a great evening it was. The exhibition was Sergi Cambrils “Historias Cocinadas”, a collection of delicately executed drawings/collages/paintings, full of wit and beauty.

The best thing, though, was the friendliness of the gallery hosts who, in stark contrast to the last gallery, offered us wine and chatted with us in a mixture of three languages, telling us about the work and the gallery itself. Truly refreshing and well worth the time it took for us to visit the place.

It’s quite amazing the difference a bit of hospitality makes to ones appreciation of an exhibition. Actually, it’s not that amazing. It’s common sense. What’s amazing is that so many gallerists fail to appreciate this basic fact.

Needless to say, when it comes to my next exhibition, I’ve no doubt which approach I’ll prefer.

Tags: exhibition, gallery, valencia
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Gallery opening like Coventry

Saturday, March 7th, 2009

Some galleries are really extraordinary. The last opening we were invited to, at a gallery in Valencia that shall, for the moment, remain anonymous, was a typical example.

The two of us wondered in past someone leaning nonchalantly in the doorway holding a plastic cup half full of wine, and who didn’t even glance at me as I passed, into a very good little gallery space – quite small, but well finished and lit. There must have been about a dozen other folk there, clutching their plastic cups. We wandered about, had a look at the 5 or 6 pieces in the show (which were not bad, but included a couple of very large digital photographs that I can only describe as conceptual). This took us about 15 minutes.

Then we stood around, waiting for the gallerist – or the artist – to come and introduce themselves, tell us what it was about. Or at least offer us a plastic cup of cheap fizz. Nothing. Not even did anyone acknowledge us.

What’s up with these folk? What do they have a gallery for? To show and sell work? Or is it just some kind of toy, like a dolls house where they can re-arrange things and invite their friends to have a look?

We gave them another five minutes to notice us, and then left. Clearly nobody expects to sell any work from this gallery at any rate.

Tags: conceptual, exhibition, gallery, valencia
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