Paul Strand: Photography & Film for the 20th Century

This exhibition is currently on the V&A, until July 3rd. Paul Strand (1890-1976) is undoubtedly one of the greatest and most influential photographers of the 20th century, particularly in terms of fine art and documentary photography.

A student of Lewis Hine, Strand broke the mould of modern photography (along with Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Weston); with a diverse range of work spanning six decades, covering numerous genres and subjects throughout the Americas, Europe and Africa.

I was not a Strand fan until I saw this exhibition, but would highly recommend a visit to anyone curious about the history of modernist photography and film making. The retrospective exhibition is one of the first of its kind to be shown in the UK on this scale for more than 40 years.Strand had an approach to taking photographs, and worked very much “under the radar” – working without the knowledge of his subjects using a decoy lens on his camera, to fool them into thinking he was photographing something else.

Strand produced many of history’s most era defining images, and people will be familiar with them; even without knowing who took them. For example, Strand’s early work in New York: “The White Fence, Port Kent” (1916) is a nation defining image of America, demonstrating the oxymoron of the fence being apparational and divisional at the same time.

What I found fascinating about the exhibition, was the fact that I forgot I was viewing black and white photography. Each one of Strand’s images spoke to me of depth, and a narrative which is often missing from still photography; but can be attributed to his interest in the moving image. He had an eye for composition, shape, light and structure; that made his work stand out. In turn taking photography into a new direction, and inspiring the likes of photographers such as Ansel Adams; whom Strand shared alot of his techniques.

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Spiti: A Himalayan Story by Joan Pollock

This was an exhibition that I stumbled upon, while making my way to the Paul Strand show at the V&A. Its a photographic exhibition depicting life in a remote valley in the western Himalayas.

Joan Pollock is a photographer, whom has spent much of her life travelling the world. In 1993, she visited the Spiti valley in northern India and was so moved by the plight of its people that she founded the Spiti Projects Charity; which has since built a Hospital for the villagers,  followed by a School, a Cra Centre, a Medical Clinic and a Community Centre. This was all captured in intimate and illuminating photographs which are on display at the Royal Geographic Society on Exhibition Road. A documentary film “Saving Spiti” was also produced by the BAFTA award winner Hugh Purcell.

What I found interesting, and what ended up being a strong incentive for me to visit the exhibition was the parallel between our respective projects. My biggest motivation for my expedition to Myanmar earlier in the year, had been a combination of my passion for both travel and philanthropy. Pollock herself had started taking photographs, back in 1977 after she had began a career as a travel guide; and through her fellowship with the Royal Geographical Society is commited to environmental and conservation issues, which feature strongly in her charitable work for Spiti.

Also what I discovered more endearingly was Pollock’s passion for the preservation of (Tibetan) Buddhism. Pollock became “entranced” with the “simplicity” and “gentle nature” of Buddhist way of life practiced by the people in the Valley: She challenged herself to capture the moment that describes life there in its entirety – the beauty of the Valley and its depth of meaningfulness to her.

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The only difficulties I had with the exhibition were in the way, the photographs were displayed. I felt like it was far too much like advertising, although the grouping of the photographs was useful considering the culture differences a potential audience may encounter on engaging visually with them.

More information about Joan Pollock, and the Spiti Projects Charity can be found at: http://www.joanpollock.co.uk and http://www.spiti.org

 

 

 

DAS INSTITUT

This exhibition is currently being shown at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, and is the first major show comprising work by Kerstin Brätsch and Adele Röder in a UK public institution.They have worked collaboratively as DAS INSTITUT since 2007, and come from New York and London respectively.The exhibition presents pieces both their collaboration, as well as their own individual practices.

At the time of viewing this exhibition, I had just seen the Hilda af Klint show at the Serpentine. So didn’t know quite what to expect, however was pleasantly surprised! The  work presented by both artists in the show attempts to communicate the inexpressible but intuitive, irrational element of human experience and relationships.Through the works of Brätsch it is evident in the way, she uses painting to question how the body can be expressed – psychologically, physically and socially. Meanwhile Röder, searches for basic symbolic forms to create a non-verbal language utilising clothing, posture and light.

I really enjoyed the exhibition, because it was the complete opposite to the work of af Klint, while sharing the same nature of inexplicability.

DAS INSTITUT  primarily focuses on the transformative properties and effects of light on bodies and spaces; and  it was demonstrated with the idea of their own physical presence with the visibility of silhouettes and photographs – which are incorporated into some of the works, such as “Am Sonntag Series” (2014) and “Dark Codex” (2015).

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Hilda af Klint: Painting the Unseen

Last week, I spent a full day in Central London attempting to take  in  the latest exhibitions. Among one of my first visits, was to the Serpentine Gallery to view the work of Swedish artist Hilda af Klint (1862-1944).

Pre-dating the first purely abstract paintings by Wassily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich and Piet Mondrian; af Klint’s work was not publicly seen until 1986. Now regarded as a pioneer of abstract art, the sequential nature of her work has been highlighted here.

I found the context of the exhibition really fascinating, as af Klint was known to paint the “hidden worlds” within nature, science and the spiritual realm.The Serpentine exhibition focused primarily on af Klint’s body of work, “The Paintings for the Temple” (1906-15), which consists of 193 predominantly abstract paintings in various series and subgroups,  charting the influence of science and religion – From the discovery of electromagnetic waves, to the spiritual teachings of anthroposophist Rudolf Steiner (af Klint’s mentor). His presence in her life influenced her resultant work in the depictorial form of symbols and motifs, such as shells, snakes, lillies and crosses – from his spiritual movement.

Fearing that the context of her work would be gravely misunderstood, af Klint stipulated that the work should be kept out of the public eye for 20 years after her death. Hence many of the works comprised within this exhibition have never been seen before in the UK. The first public exhibition of her works was in 1986, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

What I found interesting with af Klint’s work was the abandonment of convention and traditional themes of landscapes, portraiture, and botanical drawings, which she would have acquired with her artistic training from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Stockholm (1882-87). She favoured the spiritual and occult worlds, and joined privately four other female artists to form a group called “The Five”. They conducted seances to encounter what they believed were spirits who wished to communicate via pictures. This led to experiments with automatic writing and drawing, which pre-dated the Surrealists by several decades; and created a legacy for the 20th Century in modern art.

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Sam Rit Residency

BIOGRAPHY: I was born in London, England to a Thai mother and British father. As a child, I always possessed a strong level of creativity and flair for artistic endeavours. As a teenager, after leaving the University of Westminster with a Foundation in Art and Design, I entered into full-time employment; working a variety of roles. While I enjoyed the dedication and professionalism of these positions, I felt they never suited my artistic aspirations, and desire for creativity. Eventually, I returned to full-time education; graduating from Middlesex University, London in July 2016, with a BA (Hons) Degree in Fine Art.
As an artist, my passion for travel and philanthropy has considerably influenced my work. This has led me to embark on various self-directed projects – most recently a photographic expedition, in Myanmar (Burma); titled “Faces of Burma”. The outcome of this led to me showcase my work; with two successful group exhibitions in Central London.

ARTIST STATEMENT: The basis for my work has always been that of humanity; specifically the foundations and characteristics of what defines both the individual roles of people in a community, and how each group operates, as a collective. For this I have returned to my parental roots in Southeast Asia; where I planted the initial seeds for this project to grow, earlier on this year in Myanmar.
I have always been drawn to Southeast Asia, due to growing up with a strong attachment to my mother; yet have experienced sporadic contact with her side, due to living in England.
As she was raised with three other siblings in an underdeveloped Bangkok suburb as a child – under extreme poverty, I have never fully been able to comprehend the hardships faced by her and her community; as well as the interactive unity formed through such adversity. As an artist, I wish to reveal the answers to these questions, as well as discover my own voice in the process; which I believe lies somewhere within this pilgrimage to her homeland.
On a deeper level, the interaction between humanity I feel has a ubiquitous quality; which can be found through a complete immersion in the varying cultures the world over. All human life carries an invaluable price, and having lived in Western society for so many years, I now seek to – both an artist and human being, find a true definition of the word ‘community’.

RESIDENCY GOALS: The Residency at Sam Rit, will be an important transition for me into a professional career as an artist; as this is my first major professional project as an artist, working outside of the formal training within my university. I am also curious as to working in an environment which is known to operate at a relaxed pace; the polar opposite of my life within a major western city. An integral part of this will be my interaction and engagement with other artists/peers, as well as immersing myself within the local community. Working with other artists will hopefully teach me different ideas and techniques, which can help me develop as a professional. As well as this, it is likely to serve me in a positive way when it comes to future collaborations with other artists. The experience of the rural setting and its inhabitants will help me through building a strong rapport with the residents, which I believe is vital in producing a higher quality of work. In order to produce such intimate images, based on a mutual trust and without being intrusive and exploitative, it is necessary to connect on some form of personal level with the subject. Being able to do so with those from a completely different culture is a particularly useful education, which will aid me as an artist in the long-term.
Ultimately the residency will be a fantastic opportunity for me to create a fresh body of photographic work, as well as evolve as an artist and human being; leading to enough material to create both a photographic book exploring portraits of the community, as well as an exhibition documenting my experiences within South-East Asia. As much as I can learn from the theory of works of scholars, nothing replicates the knowledge born from direct experience.

VOGUE 100: A Century of Style

Yesterday I went to the National Portrait Gallery, to see the VOGUE 100: A Century of Style exhibition. Ever since I was a teenager, I have always been a avid reader of Vogue magazine; while secretly harbouring aspirations to become a top fashion model, and strut my stuff along the catwalk with the Supers – Cindy Crawford (my idol) , Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista et al. So, I was really excited to attend this exhibition and be transported back to my days of Nineties nostalgia; and I was not disappointed!

Having been at the forefront, of fashion, beauty and portrait photography since 1916 Vogue has stood the test of time; as one of the  most influential fashion magazines in the world. This exhibition brings together 280 prints from the Conde Nast archives, and international collections to tell the story of how it all began; and forms part of the British magazine’s centenary celebrations.

Prior to seeing VOGUE 100, I deliberately made an effort to avoid reading any reviews before viewing the exhibition. So as to not to have any pre-conceived notions about it, and the photography exhibited. Subsequently, I happened to catch a review in The Daily Mail that cited the show as being “vulgar and voyeuristic”, and how fashion has “abandoned elegance”. However, I strongly disagree. Like art, objective criticism is unavoidable. But at the same time people will view things, the way they want and so it is all down to interpretation in the end.

My own interpretation of the show was that, it was well curated and designed; and provided viewers with an unprecedented look at life through the ages in the world of fashion and photography – Just like walking through the pages of Vogue magazine itself!

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Botticelli Reimagined

The Birth of Venus – Sandro Botticeli (1484-1486)

Last week I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, to see their latest exhibition Botticelli Reimagined; which explored the variety of ways artists and designers from the Pre-Raphealites to the Present Day have responded to the legacy left behind by Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510).

What attracted me to the exhibition, was the fact that despite scathing reviews by certain periodicals; it is the largest of its kind in Britain since 1930, comprising 150 works from around the world – including 50 original works from Botticelli’s own workshop.Botticelli himself was largely forgotten after his death, despite spending the 19th Century being progressively rediscovered. Other artists that featured included Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward Burne-Jones, Rene Magritte, Elsa Schiaparelli, Andy Warhol and Cindy Sherman.

All that said, I found the exhibition a little disappointing due  to the fact that two of Botticelli’s most important paintings did not feature. Namely, The Birth of Venus (1484-1486) and La Primavera (1477-1482). Also, I felt the works that did feature did not do the “legacy” of  Botticelli any justice whatsoever; and what ties they had with the original “Birth of Venus” were flimsy.

With regards to the aforementioned missing Botticelli masterpieces: Apparently, this I discovered was down to their not being allowed out of the Uffizzi Gallery in Florence. My initial  reaction was ” What a cop out!?”, but I appreciate the reasons why it was probably necessary to omit them. In terms of La Primavera, which has been cited  “One of the most written about, and controversial paintings in the world”  – The painting has not left the Uffizzi since 1919, and then only for brief spells – In WW1 to protect it against bombing  during the Italian campaign, and obviously for restoration purposes. The Italian’s protectiveness over their art historical identity, I feel is to be appreciated despite my residual feelings; considering the amount of art that has been sold off into private collections over the years; and banished away from sight.

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Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse

Yesterday I visited the Royal Academy of Arts, to view the latest of its landmark exhibitions – Painting the Modern Garden: Monet to Matisse.

The exhibition as I expected was packed to the rafters with not only visitors, but the largest display of masterpieces I have seen in one place at the same time. Perhaps one of the most important painters of gardens in the history of art, the exhibition starts with works by Monet; and then shows the evolution of the role of the garden, from the early 1860’s through to the 1920’s.

The garden was an infinite source of inspiration for many artists during this period, meanwhile providing the growing middle classes with opportunities to garden for aesthetic pleasure. Other artists to explore their fascination with the horticulturalist movement of the Nineteenth Century were: Renoir, Cezanne, Pissaro, Manet, Sargent, Kandinsky, Van Gogh, Matisse, Klimt and Klee.

From entering the gallery space, you are imbued with a sense that the art of gardening itself has perhaps outgrown the art. For the Impressonists, the garden offered a vital means of reconnecting with nature in an age of rapid industrialisation; and it was plain to see in their interpretations which were permeated with light and atmosphere. In old age Monet reportedly said, he took more pride in his garden than his art.

For me personally, the main draw of the exhibition was Monet’s Water Lilies, which were presented like a “grand finale” at the end in spectacular form and re-united for the first time, in a three-part panorama. On your initial encounter with the work, you are overwhelmed by its magnificence: the expanse of blue water, flowers, foliage, the  reflections and light upon the water. – It just seems to go on and on.

As for other artists, I felt the likes of Matisse and Van Gogh were under-represented given their importance in modern art history. Van Gogh’s painting of Daubigny’s garden in Auvers was painted before his death, and in the typical style of the Dutch painter radiated life despite its hecticism. I also enjoyed seeing the works of the less familiar Spanish painter Santiago Rusinol, whom painted the gardens of Monforte at dusk. They gave the inpression that you were looking at a film-set, as opposed to a garden basking in the twilight.

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Rosangela Renno: Rio-Montevideo

Rosangela Renno

Rio-Montevideo is the first major UK exhibition by Brazilian artist Roseangela Renno, who is most known for her appropriation and re-contextualisation of archival and vernacular images. This exhibition originated from the artist’s residency at Uruguay’s Centro de Fotografia, researching their photography collection of the now defunct communist newspaper El Popular.

This exhibition comprises 32 images, which were mainly taken by Aurelio González, chief photographer of El Popular, and other photojournalists who worked for the newspaper. Renno’s project highlights the often overlooked narratives of everyday protagonists during the 60’s and 70’s, which were a time of great social and political upheavals in Uruguay and throughout Latin America.

The pictures include boxing and football matches, religious ceremonies, demonstrations and armed confrontations between the military police and protesters in the streets of the capital. By focusing on these visual memories Renno seeks to address elements of the phenomena of national amnesia surrounding historical events – born out of the censorship imposed by the dictatorial regime of the time.

For the presentation of the exhibition, Renno chose to use slide projectors of varying formats, models and eras, found in the flea markets of Montevideo and Rio de Janeiro. These are operated by the visitors who manually trigger individual bulbs to expose each slide, and as a result of the interactions the ever changing sequence of images on the gallery walls offer the viewer new and diverse readings of the events depicted. Also playing in the space is a classical composition of the Communist International anthem.

Subsequently to the exhibition, I also went along to the Artist Talk which was hosted by The Photographers’ Gallery. This allowed Renno to discuss her works at greater length, and also to introduce the Rio-Montevideo project. I found the story behind the appropriation of the images really fascinating. The photographer Aurelio Gonzalez having foreseen the closure of El Popular in June 1973, had hidden the entire photographic archive comprising of 48, 626 negatives between the walls of its office building. But he was then forced to leave the country, spending the next twelve years travelling across America and  Europe. He finally returned to Uruguay in 1985, following the end of the dictatorship.

However, on his return to the office building to retrieve the negatives discovered that it had been entirely renovated and they could no longer be found. It would then be another twenty years, before the son of the owner of  the building that housed El Popular stumbled upon the canister of negatives; and sent them to the Centro di Fotografia who assisted in the recovery of the full archive. What is interesting is that had the negatives been found, they would have been destroyed during the dictatorship’s rule. Yet retrieved all this time later, are now an invaluable record of the years preceding the military coup – a period which bears almost no photographic witness.

 

Saul Leiter: Retrospective

“Leiter is a rare artist, one whose vision is so encompassing, so refined, so in touch with a certain lyrical undertone, that his best photographs occasionally seem literally to transcend the medium.” – Jane Livingston, The New York School

Saul Leiter sought neither fame nor commercial success, despite his immense talent for photography. In fact, he had always found it comfortable to be ignored. Yet three years later after his death in 2013, he is just beginning to acquire significant mainstream recognition for his pioneering role in the emergence of colour photography.

Saul Leiter in 2012.

I went along to The Photographers’ Gallery unfamiliar with Leiter’s work, but left pleasantly surprised, and a converted fan.

Saul Leiter (1923-2013) moved to New York City to become a painter. But like many artists, the camera became an extension of his arm and mind. It provided him with an alternative way of seeing, of framing events and interpreting reality.

As early as 1946, and before the new colour photography school of the 1970’s, which comprised photographers such as William Eggleston and Stephen Shore; Leiter was using Kodachrome colour slide film for his free artistic shots, despite it being loathed by artists of the day.

In his photographs, the genres of street life, portraiture, still lifes, fashion and architectural photography meld. Leiter comes across his themes, such as shop windows, passers-by, cars, signs and (a recurrent motif) umbrellas. The lack of clear detail, the blurring of movement and the reduction in depth of field, the compensation for or deliberate avoidance of the necessary light as well as the alienation caused by photographing through windows and by reflections all blend to create a language of color fueled by a semi-real, semi-abstract urban space.

For me personally as an artist, what struck a chord the most was that unlike other photographers of the time such as Robert Frank or William Klein; Leiter was able to transform seemingly ordinary street scenes into visual poetry, and this came from his eloquent handling of colour. Leiter stretched the boundaries of photography with images that were frequently abstract and painterly. He had an uncanny ability to pull complex situations out of everyday life, images that echo the abstraction of painting and yet, simultaneously, clearly depict the world.

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