London Street Photography

© Richard Bram/ Courtesy Museum of London

Time to get the calender out and book another day trip to London.

In January 2009 I was lucky enough to see Michael Kenna‘s work at a solo show at the HackelBury Gallery in  London. I wouldn’t be a huge landscape fan, but Kenna’s work is an exception (and exceptional).

And last year I went with fellow CorkAP-er Dee Moriarty to see Exposed in the Tate Modern, and the ever controversial Sally Mann at the Photographer’s Gallery – The Family and the Land. And various other bits and bobs around the city too.

London is an easy city to get to from Cork, with very regular flights, and pretty cheap if you fly off peak. I got a ticket for 30-odd euro return last summer, flying out at 7am and back at about 9 that night. So you get pretty much the full day to see a few exhibitions, lunch in the city, and a pint somewhere before heading home.

I wasn’t sure if I’d be over this year, but it looks like there’s a reason for another day trip now. The Museum of London are hosting a London Street Photography exhibition until Sept 4th, 2011, featuring photographers from the 1860’s to the present day. You can read some more about it at the Museum of London’s website and at various places around the web. And of course I heard about it from a guy in the States – Mike Johnson at The Online Photographer.

So looks like I’ll have to get onto the airlines websites and find a cheap seat to London in the next few months. I think I’ll wait till it gets a bit warmer though. May could be nice 🙂

– Rory

Introducing… Goliat Gonzalez

I thought it was about time we all got to know each other so every week I’m introducing you to another member of Cork Analogue Photographers & their photos. This week its Goli’s turn. Check out the other profiles here.

'Toscany' by Goliat Gonzalez

Name: Goliat Gonzalez

Where are you from? Spain, a gorgeous village in the north of Palencia, called Cervera de Pisuerga.

And how did you end up in Cork? Long story short, an Irish woman changed my mind (My initial idea was to go back to Spain) and I gave a chance to Cork and have been here for the last 10 years. By the way, I am married with that Irish woman.

What cameras do you use? Canon EOS 300 and Nikon D50 5.

What was your very first camera? Konica, I can remember what model, but it was a compact, that I had for 10 years.

Tell me a little about how you got into photography? I always love taking pictures, mainly in trips and traveling, but I got a sense to get something else, try to capture the soul of a person in a simple portrait, try a more artistic approach from normal pictures and forgetting about the rules and looking for light, shapes, textures, people reactions.

Why choose analogue photography? I love portraits and that power of looking a picture in a black and white, it gives you that feeling of eternity, as well as all the process to get your picture from the taking to the developing.

What are your influences and who are some of your favorite photographers? I love Sebastiao Salgado, he is amazing photographer that wants to change the world through photography, social photographer: “What I want is the world to remember the problems and the people I photograph”

What would your dream photography day be like? Who/what/where would you shoot? I like events like demonstrations, festivals to bring a subject to life, photography is a way of a life and I enjoying photographing anything, but I love portraits and raw nature.

Untitled by Goliat Gonzalez

Untitled by Goliat Gonzalez

Untitled by Goliat Gonzalez

Untitled by Goliat Gonzalez

Untitled by Goliat Gonzalez

New silver gelatin darkroom paper from Ilford

Ilford have announced a new traditional darkroom fibre based paper. Apparently it’s the first new one in 13 years. Can’t say I have kept up with what’s new in the traditional darkroom materials supply – more concerned when the old stuff goes away! But this is good news. Here’s a quote from Amateur Photographer

‘The response from all over the world has been stunning,’ said Harman’s UK director of sales and marketing Steven Brierley who sent the paper out to top photographers as part of field trials.
‘It is squarely aimed at fine art printers and photographers, and will expand their scope considerably,’ he claimed.

– Rory

Galway in the 1950’s (or is it the 60’s?!)

Nice bit of colour footage of Galway in the 50’s. At least, the film says the 50’s, but looking at the cars I’d say it’s the 60’s. What do you think?

– Rory

PS This one’s for Ann!

** Addendum – sorry, seems the film won’t play on a WordPress blog. Still, it’s worth a click to watch it on youtube, especially if you knew Galway back in that era

Tonight’s openings

Afters… is a Photography exhibition of work Stephen Aherne and Stefania Sapio.

Stephen Aherne CLOSE TO HOME

Stephen Aherne won the Gallery of Photography Artist’s Awards in 2010 which included a show at the gallery, a selection of which will be shown in this exhibition. Close to Home, published by the Gallery of Photography is now available.
“I am interested in the difference between looking at something and looking at a colour photograph of that same thing, whether it’s something I’m seeing for the first time or a scene I’ve encountered everyday for years. Rather than seek out the unusual, I want to make pictures of my own environment, wherever that may be.” Stephen Aherne.

Stefania Sapio TAME

Stefania Sapio’s photographs were featured in Issue 63, Summer 2010 edition of Source Photographic Review, and received the following editorial:
“Stefania Sapio has photographed her family over a number of years always aware that she is part of what she is recording. As a single mother she is also aware how her life has ‘been cropped to a very tight frame of action’. Out of intensity of this experience comes an intimacy with the people she has photographed and a feeling ‘that she has an inability to reach a total understanding of them’.“ Source Photographic Review.

This opening is this evening, Wed 9th, at 5pm, in St. Johns college.

Also opening:

START

Wandseford Quay Gallery, tonight Wed 9th at 6.30pm. Opening by Phil Toledano and Doug Dubois

Photographic works from the students of CIT Crawford College of Art & Design. The students come from a diverse range of disciplines within Art and Design. For some, photography represents an aspect of their creative project, while for others it is the principal medium within their emerging fine art practice. START celebrates this diversity and the bridging role played by photography.  START is just the beginning.

– Rory

 

Faces Project – first scans

The Faces Project is a project we started last summer. The idea was to photograph people as they arrived for gigs at the Marquee in Cork during the summer. We stood near the entrance gate to the marquee, and grabbed people as they approached. Most people were happy to stand for us. Some would step out in front of moving traffic just to avoid us! But in general people were out for the night, and up for a laugh.

Just this evening I received the negatives in the post – processed by Gunns in Dublin – my favourite camera shop by far! The negs look beautiful – developed well, no water marks, dust free. Dust in these scans was probably on the scanner. My scanner is like a Holga of scanners, but without the charm. It’s crap. But does the job to see a few photos and put them on the web.

Next step is to start making contact sheets, get the loupes out, and start printing. Hopefully we’ll get an exhibition up at some stage this year (anyone like to host us? Drop a comment below). Watch this space!

The project was shot very democratically. Most evenings three or four of us met. Two would load cameras up, and two would grab people walking by and ask them to stop. We didn’t mark who shot what film – it all went into a bag as it got used. We didn’t mark which films were shot at which gigs either, but you can make a fair guess on how people are dressed for the evening.

We had some hitches with backdrops, weather, and the concert promoters. One particular night some representative of the promoters asked us what we were doing, and said we had no permission to take photographs outside the event. We were right outside the main gate, so we just crossed the road. No problems after that. The Gardai paid us no real attention. A good learning experience! Maybe if we do it again this year we’ll write to the promoters and ask for permission to get inside the gates. Surely it can only be good for them?

So these are piss poor scans, but there’s some great photos in there (16+ rolls, mostly 35mm, a couple of 6*6 medium format). Thanks to all who took part. And if you know any of these people, let us know!

– Rory

Jeff Ladd

Backi Jarak, Serbia, 2001, Jeff Ladd

I was wandering around the web and clicked and flicked through Tokyo Camera Style, my go to site for lusting after old film gear. In amongst the graphic gratuitous gear photos there was a link to an interview by Blake Andrews with 5B4 author and photographer Jeff Ladd

Jeff Ladd lives in New York City, where he is an active photographer as well as the author of 5b4 and a co-founder ofErrata Editions.

B: Can you briefly trace your photographic path? When did you first become interested in it? Was there any special teacher or photographer who grabbed you initially?

JL: My “path” in the medium was really stumbled upon. When I graduated from high school I had no real direction other than I was good at skateboarding. I was a bad student and the idea of college wasn’t really on my mind. A girlfriend of mine was attending the School of Visual Arts in New York City and she was the real motivating factor in my applying to that school. I had an “interest” in photography but not one strong enough to commit to a four year, and somewhat costly, education. My parents supported my decision but also sensed that I just wanted to be with my girlfriend in NYC and school was a convenient excuse. They were absolutely right. 

Read on here

– Rory

Lighting the edges

Ann O'Kelly

Councillor Paula Desmond, Cork County Council

Will formally open

Lighting the Edges

An Exhibition of Photographs by

Ann O’Kelly

On

Saturday, 5^th February, 2011 at 2pm

at

The  Bishopstown Library, Wilton, Cork.

You are cordially invited to attend.

The exhibition will run from 31^st January to 26^th February2011 during Library opening hours.

(c) Ann O'Kelly

(c) Ann O'Kelly

About the Exhibition

The exhibition came about as a result of the Radio Telefis Eireann Documentary on One series.

In October 2008, a programme entitled There is a Darkness on the Edge of Town was broadcast. It dealt with the response of Tallaght Traveller Youth Services (TTYS) to the high number of suicides within the Traveller community in the area.

The photographs in this exhibition, as well as documenting the work of TTYS highlight important features of the lives of Traveller people living in Tallaght: their homes, work and play, educational activity, participation in the wider community, animals, faith and religion and honouring those who have gone before them.

It is hoped, as well as documenting the lives of the community, that these photographs will serve as a counter balance to the negative image which is often portrayed of Travellers in Ireland. The exhibition is dedicated to the children, women and men of St Aiden’s, Cherryfield, Hazel Hill, Ballycreagh and Kishogue Halting sites and to the staff of Tallaght Traveller Youth Services.

From Galway, Ann O’Kelly, has spent the last three years in Cork where she studied photography at The  Crawford School of Art & Design.  Working exclusively in film, she is a founder member of Cork Analogue Photographers www.corkap.wordpress.com. She has participated in three group exhibitions in Cork. Lighting the Edges, her first solo exhibition, was first shown in Tallaght in May 2010. Ann is currently a student on the Crawford School of Art and Design Course: Arts participation and Community Development. She can be contacted at annophotokelly@gmail.com.

Sincere thanks to Bishopstown Library, Cork for hosting this exhibition

(c) Ann O'Kelly

Also today, chat chat chat

More All My Lovin’ goodness –

Artist Talks & Events

Friday 4 February 14:00pm

Polish Contemporary Photography

Krzysztof Candrowicz, Director of the Lódz International Festival of Photography PolandCrawford Art Gallery Lecture Theatre, Cork

Made possible with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Poland

Followed by:
“Meet the Curators”

15:30 Crawford Art Gallery Lecture Theatre, Cork

A panel discussion introducing guest curators from Europe participating in the International Portfolio Review in Cobh, County Cork, made possible with the support of Sirius Arts Centre, Culture Ireland and the Crawford Art Gallery.

Admission Free

Opening tonight at the Sirius in Cobh

(c) Charlie Jouvet

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Opening Friday 4 February 19:00

Charlie Jouvet Geheimnisträger  The Bearers of Secrets and “The Pier”

Sirius Arts Centre  The Old Yacht Club, Cobh, County Cork

Special Guest Opening Speaker  Krzysztof Candrowicz  Director of the Lódz photography Festival and Lódz Arts Centre, Poland

Seeking out the echoes in Central Europe left behind after World War II and changes in the global consciousness of destruction, French photographer, Jouvet reveals the Geheimnisträger (Bearers of Secrets) which remain.

The Pier is a collection of images of Cobh made while Charlie Jouvet was in residency at Sirius Arts Centre in December 2009. For more information on the artist visit: www.mueki.com

Running until Sunday 6 MarchGallery Hours: Wednesday  Friday 11:00  17:00/ Saturday & Sunday 14:00 17:00 Monday & Tuesday Closed

www.siriusartscentre.ie

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– Rory

All My Lovin opens tonight at the Crawford Art Gallery

(c) Edith Maybin

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Opening Thursday 3 February 6:00pm

ALL MY LOVIN’

Crawford Art Gallery, Emmet Place, Cork

Artists: DOUG DUBOIS  JENNY MATTHEWS  LYDIA PANAS PHILLIP TOLEDANO  AMELIA STEIN  CAROLLE BENITAH MUIREANN BRADY  ALEX TEN NAPEL  IGOR SAVCHENKOELINOR CARUCCI  LUCIA STRÁNAIOVÁ  CHRIS HURLEY EDITH MAYBIN  REBECCA MARTINEZ  ANNA SHTEYNSHLEYGERSANDRA MINCHIN  VERENA JAEKEL

Co-curated Peggy Sue Amison – Sirius Arts Centre’s Artistic Director,  Krzysztof Candrowicz – Director of Fotofestiwal, Lódz and Lódz Arts Centre, Poland  and Christoph Tannert – Director of Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin Germany, for the 9th Annual Lodz International Festival of Photography.

A collection of imagery focusing of love, family, relationships through photography,video and sound installations.  Travelling from romantic and sexual love through to lifelong relationships within families, to faded and remembered love, All My Lovin explores a vast dialogue through the collective voices of these international artists.

Running until Saturday 19 March, Opening hours: Monday – Saturday: 10:00-17:00www.crawfordartgallery.ie

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– Rory

Openings tonight

Maeve O'Neill

It’s All My Lovin’ week here in Cork. Tonights openings:

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Opening Wednesday 2 February 18:00

Stag and Deer present Season 2

Photographs by Maeve O’Neill

Winthrop Arcade, Winthrop Street, Cork(Adjacent to Oliver Plunkett Street across from the General Post Office)

Maeve O Neill’s work is more akin to dreaming than to documentation, offering thoughts of how we connect with the world we are situated in and how an image may work in our experience. Within this lies a detached quality which infers that the image is more than just data. What is intrinsic to her work is the inevitable, if impossible, wish to see things in totality; which is in essence to want to make a map of the world, to understand; wanting to know and critique the experience of life. For more information visit: www.maeveoneill.com

Supported by O’Leary’s Camera World and IADT

Running until Wednesday 9 February

Opening Hours: 11:00 – 18:00www.staganddeer.com

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Opening Wednesday 2 February at 19:00pm

Camden Palace Hotel in partnership with Sirius Arts CentrePresents

PAT THE PICKET

In celebration of the life and times of Pat Allen: 1953 – 2010

Camden Quay, Cork (across from the Opera House)

In celebration of the life and times of Pat Allen: 1953 – 2010

Photographs by Doug Dubois along with Pat’s costumes and other effects. Pat Allen was a very special part of Cork City.  Arriving at protests in outlandish costumes, he became well known in the city for illustrating in a special way the uniqueness of this creative city.

Running: Until Friday 25 February

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– Rory

Artist Talk: Steve McCurry at the Gallery of Photography

Steve McCurry

I was in the Gallery of Photography in Dublin last weekend, and got chatting with the lad behind the counter. Couldn’t help noticing that the forthcoming exhibition was of Steve McCurry’s work. Also couldn’t help noticing that Mr. McCurry will be giving an artist talk on March 3rd.

Most people will recognise the 1985 National Geographic cover above – the Afghan Girl image is one of the most famous to come out of the world of photojournalism. Some 17 years later, in  about 2002, a National Geographic team manage to locate the girl, now back in remote Afghanistan.

An education and a pleasure it will be indeed for those of you who manage to get a ticket for this artist talk on March 3rd (if they haven’t gone already – only 200 seats I believe).

Even if you can’t make the talk, the exhibition runs from Feb 17th to April 24th, 2011. It should be one of the highlights of the Irish photographic year

– Rory

Introducing… Sanda Galina

Every week I introduce another  member of Cork Analogue Photographers and their work. In this third profile we meet Sanda, her beautiful portraits & her dreamy landscapes. – Miriam

Untitled by Sanda Galina

Name: Sanda Gāliņa

Where are you from? Kuldiga, Latvia

And how did you end up in Cork? Initially I first came to Cork during my gap year to study English but stayed for couple of months only and moved to London. I had made few friends here so I returned to Cork in 2000 to study Film and Video production for 2 years . Here I am, still years later.

What cameras do you use? Canon 35mm SLR, Lubitel2, Kiev90, Holga, Polaroid

What was your very first camera?  Zenit.

Tell me a little about how you got into photography? I guess photography has always been somewhere in the background. Growing up my father was developing his own film in our bathroom and my uncle was printing his own pictures. We had quite a few photography books in the house. My favourite one that I used to look through again and again was of black and white portraits and street photography by Vilhelm Mihailovskis. Looking at them felt somehow magical. I went to a private school with strong focus on Art and Humanities and graduated School Of Art. That’s probably where my initial perception and sense for image evolved. Taking pictures in a way has always been parallel to painting and drawing but somehow I never considered it as a form of self expression. I’m still constantly finding my self in the world of photography.

Why choose analogue photography? Photography is one to me, I don’t distinguish between analogue or digital, at the end it’s the subject that matters. I started taking pictures using film and so I guess I haven’t moved on but in truth digital somehow doesn’t affect me in the same way as film does. Maybe one day it will. I also love the process of developing and printing in darkroom, it’s very different and special, in a way almost calming to me. Unfortunately working in a darkroom is becoming somewhat of a luxury to me.

What are your influences and who are some of your favourite photographers? Andrei Tarkovsky has always inspired me and still does in a very special way, helps me to introspect. I think life in general is the main influence. They are small things like music, theatre or having read a good book. They are the small moments of life that inspire me. I love Dali, Maija Tabaka, Otto Dix, Sandra Flood, – their work has that endlessness and compelling emotion that attracts and inspires me. Same in the literature- Gogol, Turgenef, Tolstoy, Mikhail Bulgakov, Proust, Knut Hamsun, Franz Kafka, Virginia Woolf. My influences among photographers are Francesca Woodman, Sally Mann, Diane Arbus, Antoine D’Agata, Vee Sppers. I have great respect and admiration for Stanley Greene as photographer.

What would your dream photography day be like? Who/what/where would you shoot? I don’t think I have a dream day as such, a dream camera –yes or a day where I would have plenty of my own space? It’s the end result that means the most to me, the process it self matters only to a certain point but not to extent that I have an ultimate fixed dream. But then again I don’t say my dreams out loud for they will not come true.

Untitled by Sanda Galina

Untitled by Sanda Galina

Untitled by Sanda Galina

Untitled by Sanda Galina

Untitled by Sanda Galina

To see more of Sanda’s work go to  Sanda Galina on Flickr.