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Archive for September, 2011

Sep 30

Manufactured Landscapes by Edward Burtynsky

Photographer Edward Burtynsky travels the world observing changes in landscapes due to industrial work and manufacturing, and this programme of work has been captured by film-maker Jennifer Baichwal.

Burtynsky photographs are art-like in their form, offering a surreal beauty to the industrial landscape.

Jennifer’s film slows the relationship between the viewer and the subject to a heart-beat. The rhythmic motions begs you to think, to ask questions and to wonder why.

This is in keeping with Burtynsky’s belief that the photographs are not there to be damned, or even to glamorise industrial capitalism. They are simply there to communicate.

For me, the film answers a question I feared the answer to – Where does the material for all our stuff come from and how much is left?

Our privileged lives hides us from the raw materials – the iron ore, the aluminium, the wood, the human sweat and the fumes of transportation. We don’t ask what it is to be an individual in the factories of China, the quality of life and the rules of production. It is divorced and distant. This film places that firmly in our minds. How we react is entirely up to us – the viewer.

Some will want to change the world – the environmentalist. Others will see that God provides the resources to be farmed – it is simply life. Whatever the response it is a startling collection of images; the world’s beauty captured in its most ugly form.

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Manufactured Landscapes: The Photographs of Edward Burtynsky can be purchased on hardcover from Amazon.

Jennifer Baichwal’s film that  follows Edward Burtynsky during the making of Manufactured Landscapes can be purchased on DVD via Amazon.

Edward Burtynsky accepting his 2005 TED Prize.

Sep 30

The New Web

I am a small step away from closing down my Facebook (Fb) account, and from what I have heard amongst friends this week I am not the only one.

At its best, Fb keeps us in touch with a far reaching network. It would be an impossible task to be intimately connected to those we hold dear when they live in Sydney, Toronto, Seattle, Ireland and Mexico. On the flip side, we churn over a daily digest of parenting 101 coupled with images of hedonism from those who chose the other path. At its worst, Facebook has highlighted instances of cyber-bullying, flaming, addiction, marital breakdowns and job losses (although these trends are not limited to Fb).

Not only that, but Fb, driven by market pressures, continues to engineer the product without any real evidence of user need, design or want. The interface is ever more confusing, cumbersome and difficult to manage. It is trying to be all things, instead of being what it is – a social network.

Such a trend is now endemic in the current tech marketplace. We witness great philanthropic innovation, but then see it erode through stock market pressures – those pesky ads on youtube, twitter distracting us with photos, Fb tracking our web presence, Google building yet another distraction, Apple losing function for features, and ever more expensive ways to offer discount – groupon, living social etc.

Adrian Short writing in The Guardian describes Fb users as the Web Underclass. In the article he suggests that Fb was a successful tool because it made the web easy. We were able to build a web presence with little to no fuss, but by doing so we signed our rights away; facebook has full control of the service, and more alarmingly our data. There is no button to export. No option to try another service.

Such a downside will likely echo in a new innovation. A service that allows us all to manage our own domain. Design our own web-page. Manage our own profile. Own our personal data. The technology will then offer a social thread between these islands of self.

Such technologies exist today, but the barriers to entry are still surprisingly high for the average man on the street, and the drivers for such an innovation are unlikely to be driven by capitalist wealth. It will be a philanthropic mission.

For now, it seems as though today’s Internet is not the social web many of us once imagined. A web inspired by great thinking. A web contributing to the progression of science and mankind. It is looking a little dark. A little sinister. A web controlled by a handful of monolithic organisations, with the rest of the industry looking for a slice of the gold.

Perhaps it is time to launch a New Web?

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Photograph from Oliver Bryce Yates.

Sep 29

The Beatles: Revolutionary 1965

Proud Camden presents The Beatles: Revolutionary 1965 by Michael Peto, an intimate photographic portrait of The Beatles taken during one of the most significant years in The Beatles’ history, 1965, including rare and unseen shots.

Michael Peto (a photojournalist for major international artistic, intellectual and political figures of the 1950s and 60s) worked exclusively with The Beatles throughout the year of 1965, culminating in a light hearted, yet intimate and touching body of work revealing an overall less polished and relaxed side of the ‘Fab Four’; a side which manager Brian Epstein allowed few photographers to capture.

Gorgeous contrast of black and white in the prints. Printed on geletine paper it creates a black black, as opposed to digital printing which creates tones of grey. // Paul McCartney at the piano, bearded, smoking contrasts with the fresh image of the time. // Michael Peto has captured the ingredients of creativity – cigarettes, coffee, locations, and mates – a natural scene in an extraordinary set of lives. // The Beatles are recording Rubber Soul at the time – taking a new creative step both in sound and presentation of the band. The photos narrate this event. // It would be great to hear Rubber Soul playing in the background along with the images. // Each member is identifiable with a new character of clothing – Lennon in the Dylan’esque velvet jacket and cap. // Favourite image is of Paul McCartney at the piano, but the picture of the band in a make-shift television studio stands on its own. The shot shows the band being interviewed following the announcement that they would be receiving an MBE. Each member of The Beatles is in a different state of engagement. Two, in particular, are laughing as they learn that an MBE is not something to do with their manager, Mr Brian Epstein (MBE), but rather an Order of the British Empire (MBE). // According to the gallery host, the event has attracted a number of people who were in some way connected to the Beatles at that time, including young girls who followed The Beatles wherever they travelled. Lennon once remarked to them “Nice to see you again”.

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The Beatles: Revolutionary 1965 by Michael Peto. Running from 25th August to 16th October 2011 at Proud Camden, The Horse Hospital, Chalk Farm Road NW1 8AH. Free Admission.

Sep 29

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W. Eugene Smith and the Photographic Essay

W. Eugene Smithpracticed his photographic trade in an era when mass circulation magazines were growing, the era before mass television. Publications such as Life Magazine, Fortune and Esquire allowed a mass audience to see the world. In this context, Smith set the standard by which the classic photo-story is measured.

Specifically, Life Magazine offered direct access to an audience of 24 million people across America.

“See the world, to witness great events, to watch the faces of the poor and the gestures of the proud”. Life Magazine.

Employed by Life, Smith had a distinct style of work. Smith really got to know the people. He lived with them. He shared their life with them. He wanted to convey a reality. A truth.

In the project ‘Country Doctor‘ (photo essay of the daily life of a country doctor) Smith was constrained by the constraints set by Life Magazine. They had already identified the town and interviewed for the American Country Doctor. The story was already scripted; a done deal.

Smith, and other photographers at the time, disliked this process. Seen merely as the individual to click the shutter button, many rebelled later down the line, including Smith who immersed himself in this particular project. He spent from dusk until dawn with the doctor, photographing both his public life and private life. He produced over 2,000 negatives in 4 weeks; twice as long as Life wanted. Smith was unable to find the finish line. With such an immersive technique, how long does it take? When do you finally get the story? The truth.

The creative tension between Life and Smith reached a tipping point. Smith just wasn’t in control of his work. Arguments broke out and he resigned, leaving behind a lucrative financial contract.

In 1955 he joined Magnum to undertake freelance work. His first commission was the Pittsburgh project. Following his immersive technique, he spent the first four weeks wandering the City, reading its history. The commission was designed to be completed in two weeks. Smith became a man obsessed – a tragic story.

Magnum were worried and sent money to keep Smith alive. He became a drain. A drain on his family and a drain on Magnum. But his obsession to create ‘the best, most complete photo story’ continued. A passion, an obsession, poverty, a broken and disturbed man who believed that if he just worked harder, he would get it.

People who did see the work, loved it. There was a massive demand but he didn’t want anyone to have control of it. In the end, he sold the work very cheaply ($1,800) to a niche magazine. He regretted it.

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W. Eugene Smith and the Photographic Essay

Dream Street: W. Eugene Smith’s Pittsburgh Project

W. Eugene Smith: The Camera as Conscience

Sep 24

Camden Market

I’d heard of Camden Market before, but never really thought about going there. I am glad I did. It is a extraordinary mix of colour, smells, characters, clothing and creative goods. In one afternoon I was able to pick up my first 35mm analogue camera and a number of LP’s including Jeff Buckley. I’ll be back again soon.

Sep 21

Living Apart

Ian Berry has a captured a number of shots where the subject is seemingly unaware of the photographer – he is the invisible man. Is this because the subject is unaware, situated within one of the lowest points in human history – the misery, the elation, so low and so high it pays no notice to the documentary film-maker. // There is a real menace about the man who ignores the young woman selling flowers. // Comfort of the white foreman presiding over black mine workers – discomforting as an image. // Ian Berry flows freely between separated communities, and in volatile situations – how does he achieve this? // A brave photographer who turns to the faces and bodies fleeing a gun massacre? // Evidence of traditional South African tribes (Zulus) – their spears, shields, and dance becoming mixed with Western jeans and trainers. It is a tipping point. An image that captures the beginnings of a homogenised. A world where we all sip from the cup of Starbucks, and all the wars and turmoil to achieve that end. // From despair to real euphoria. // Images of more than one individual. It reveals more of the story and a character within the story. // If you knew nothing about the South African Apartheid there is little to suggest that Mandela was a central figure and applauded the World over // The narrative shows the juxtaposition between the black poverty of the apartheid, and the white poverty post-apartheid. Is the real apartheid just poverty? Has apartheid really been demolished? Will it ever (the child pointing a gun at a babies head in a billboard poster). These are the tough questions suggested by the historical timeline of the images. // A yellow tone in all the images – representing the tones of the landscape, the heat and dust. // The picture above – a piece of art in its own right.

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Living Apart: photographs of apartheid by Ian Berry. At the International Slavery Museum 8 April to 6 November 2011. Part of the Look11 photography festival. Free admission.

Sep 21

Like you’ve never been away

The streets, although suffering from poverty and deprivation, are notably lacking in litter. There is a respect for the World around them. The World they live in. // Photographing children – Would a photographer be able to do that so freely in the year 2011? // The children are well dressed. Brushed hair. Clean teeth. Cared for. They are happy. Children need very little to be entertained and happy. // Each photo has at least one aspect of animation, for example, a brother grabbing another brothers cheek. // Exposure on the fire photograph is stunningly executed // It would be great to have heard some of the sounds, news headlines (local and international) and music that marked the year 1975. // A consistent exposure and blue tone in each of the images. // An element of humour in each image. // It is striking, that even in such poverty, families were marked by 4, 5 or 6 siblings. There is no example of 1 or 2 children families. // The boy leaning over the edge of a high-rise tower block is alarming, but then your eyes are calmed by a second focal point – the holes in the boys socks. // Football was at the heart of the city, the entertainment, the promise. // There are at least 3 or 4 things to look at or consider in each photograph – this is incredibly difficult to achieve // Why does Britain maintain a cycle of prosperity and then poverty? How do we break this cyclical pattern and develop a model of sustainability? // The furniture looks well made, solid, almost luxurious in comparison to Ikea’s fake dream. // Some photos offer a glimmer of hope, of technological advancement – the racing bike, the chopper, the ford car, tv, high-rise communities and fashion. // Children climbing over a car. Today we call them feral // Evidence of tight knit communities, shared conversation with neighbours, interaction on the streets, water fights // Staged images in some cases – the soldier kiss?? // The industrial smog of the city creates atmosphere. // Lines in the images are well composed. // It is notable just how unaware the children are of the camera in some shots, and in others they are intrigued and willing to entertain for a technology they would have been unlikely to have seen before. How do we recreate this freedom now? Possibly using non-instrusive device like a mobile phone camera OR possibly hand the technology to the participant in the image and simply curate the results. The story is the important outcome. You could also participate, join-in or sign-up to the community you wish to photograph, but lose the innocent perspective as you are influenced by the subject matter – it changes the story, the truth. // What is the role of archives? What do they do? What do they tell us? Do they act as evidence? Do they offer true insight to the moment? // There is ambiguity in some of the images, for example the image above – What are the boys looking at? Who are they talking to? What has created the smile? The blanks are to be filled in by the viewer. // Paul Trevor has numbered his installation. He has created a narrative, a story to be told from one image to the next.

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Like you’ve never been away, an exhibition of Paul Trevor’s photographs of Liverpool in 1975, is at the Walker from 13 May to 25 September 2011. Part of the Look11 photography festival. Free admission.

Sep 19

Egg Cafe

I stumbled across an exciting alternative to a Starbucks or Costa Coffee lunch. The Egg Cafe, located in Liverpool, is marked by a branch-lined, purple stained door way. Make the climb and you are met with a creative space, good energy and wholesome food.

http://www.eggcafe.co.uk // Google Maps

Sep 6

Starting School

I’ve kindly been asked to present on the seismic changes currently occurring within education –  a result of new technologies, new media and a system creaking under the pressure of opportunity. This presentation is happening tomorrow.

Today, my good friend and business partner took his first-born Son, Aidan, to school. It’s his first day.

On leaving the family home this morning, Aidan knows more about the iPhone than me, has travelled around the world from Düsseldorf to Taipei, has lived in at least two global cities – Toronto and Manchester, speaks Mandarin and English, interchangeably, and has a character all of his own.

Leaving Aidan at the school gate, a photo is taken. The sign above his head reads 1907.

Sep 1

Farewell Eric

“There will never be another you”.

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