Thought it might be a good opportunity to see these and to get some busy shots for my stock photo pile.
They are spread around the capitol but today looks bright so I think I'll do the eleven mile circuit on foot.
Camera charged and A-Z in pocket, so off to catch the train into town shortly.
Will report back later.
The following is not meant to be a formal critique, but more of a broad brush description of what I saw.
1. Daido Moriyama : Silkscreens at Hamiltons on Carlos Place.
A collection of 11 large (60"x40") monochromatic silkscreen prints on canvas stretched over wooden frames. These pictures looked like happy accidents like when you take a random walk and shoot from the hip without looking through the viewfinder. Images were often on the skew. The silk-screening process was heavy. The use of thick black inks reminiscent of tar was used. This lent the final results both gravitas and a certain hand craftedness.
2. Stephen Shore : Something and Nothing at Spruth Magers on Grafton Street.
A collection of medium sized (20"x16") colour prints of various middle eastern city and village scenes. This collection looked like a set of outtakes from somebody holiday snaps from the 1970s. I could not find much technical merit in these pictures but it did get me thinking about how the passing of time and the political events that have a happened in that region can make you see an old image with fresh eyes. These pictures would stir huge and emotional feeling by anyone from that time and place who was looking back at them. Although I have no real connection to that time and place, it did made me think about conflict and memory of places in my own past.
I will spend tomorrow revisiting my old photos (that go back to 1975) to find some emotional and visual similarities.
3. The Dusseldorf School of Photography at Sothebys on St George St.
This collection is certainly designed to WOW! its audience. The pieces are large (60"x60"), ultra high colour, ultra high gloss, ultra high definition, ultra wide angle and ultra high perspective. They are mainly of opulent interiors taking on themes of grandeur and high Victoriana. I have to say that I was seduced by their overwhelming glitz (not normally my thing at all).
4. Stan Douglas : Disco Angola at Victoria Miro on St George St.
Not really my cup of tea but I'm sure this exhibition has its audience. It is a series of images made in Angola during the war when an underground disco movement was recorded by this documentary photographer.
5. Home Truths : Photography, Motherhood and Indentity at The Photographers Gallery on Ramillies Street.
A revealing and at times disturbing set of images featuring a number of mother and child images. A theme running through this series suggested a life of entrapment for women who can be enslaved by their maternal and 'home-making' responsibilities.
6. LCC MA Photojournalism and Documentary Photography Degree Show (31 Degees) at London College of Communication, Elephant & Castle.
Enjoyed this end of year show and also found it interesting how final work is displayed and marketed.
Collections I particularly liked included:
Emilia Lloret.
Yvonne De Rosa
Farhad Berahman
7. Tom Hunter : Axis Mundi at Purdy Hicks on Hopton Street.
A collection of large photographs of megaliths and standing stones. I was looking forward to seeing these as I am a regular visitor to Avebury (on my doorstep) and many other ancient sites around the British Isles and France. Sadly this exhibition failed to excite or surprise me. I know from personal experience how difficult these large objects are to photograph but I really was expecting a lot more.
8. Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2013 at The National Portrait Gallery.
The winning portrait was of Katie Walsh by Spencer Murphy.
I liked the winning entry a lot but my personal favourite was Maria and Corinne by Lydia Panas.
As far as the idea about getting some busy city shots for my photo stock pile. It didn't really happen to any large extent due to the amount of time spent at each expo and the walking time incurred.
A well worthwhile trip though.
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