Magnum Exhibition.

A week or so ago I had a rare trip to London. Rare because although I live within a mile or two of a train station I am not attracted by the place very much and the cost associated with the journey. Occasionally though I am attracted by an exhibition and as Chris Beetles (CB) was showing work by the 62 (should be 63 but there is no work by Philip Jones-Griffiths which is curious) Magnum photographers I incorporated this with a trip to RG Lewis who were selling some of my Nikon equipment to chew the cud. The day had its highs and lows, one of which (not sure if high or low) was being question by the police about taking photographs "for too long in one place".

Magnum 62.

After the second world war, four photographers saw that there was an opportunity to start a new agency run by photographers. Robert Capa, Henri Cartier Bresson, George Roger and David Seymour wanted to change the way magazines of their generation were monopolising the photographic industry, so in 1947 they set about building a cooperative agency that would be wholly owned by its photographers and who would retain the copyright of their work. During the last 65 years Magnum photographers have contributed many thousands of photographs to the history of photography, often from places of conflict but always with innovation and integrity. The gallery is bright and airy place and the 62 images fitted well in the space, although one or two were awkwardly positioned. Those who have read past postings know my love of the fine art print and it is for this reason I had to see this work "for real". All of the images (I assume) can be seen on the internet ( I have found most of them)but seeing the work as prints with thick matte mounts and classic black frames makes all the difference to my reaction to the image.

There are too many images to go through them all here although some of the iconic work is of note when seen at arms length. It is at that time (not when sat here at the desk with the catalogue) that I get a fleeting connection with the photographer and his image. I am sure everyone is familiar with the HCB image "Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare, 1932". If you are not then look here and you will see a man crossing an area of water, a ladder in the water and a shadowy figure behind a fence. The man crossing the area is in mid stride and will shortly splash into the puddle. In 1952 HCB published a book called "The Decisive Moment" and the photograph has become associated with this phrase and in a way a genre of photography has followed where the significance of capturing a single moment from the ever ticking clock of time has defined still photography. I have know of this photograph for maybe 20 years but never spent that much time to consider it. Being inches away from a Silver Gelatin print (with a £15,000.00 price tag) at the gallery gave the space and time to examine it and draw my own conclusions as to why this image is a icon of photography almost 100 years after its invention.
There is no singular aspect of course that identifies this image as: fantastic, awesome, sublime etc. From a technical aesthetic it has issues that could be better. The light is very flat, the shadow and mid tones are dark and it is not pin sharp. The slow shutter speed (the main man is blurred) is not in this list as the movement of his limbs contribute to the power of the image. I wonder whether HCB intended this or whether the dull day had dragged down his shutter speed and the speed of the man exceeded his expectations. These are not issues that need to be dwelled upon.The image is surreal. The location is off the beaten track, we know its "Behind" somewhere, it is an area under construction with rubble and a wheelbarrow, it has a circus poster, a shadowy figure and a large puddle reflecting all of these in the water. So, The Decisive Moment, that fraction of a second before the man touches the water. Is this luck is it massive amounts of skill ?, well maybe some or none. Firstly HCB had to be there and this is the crux, you make your own luck by hard work and being in places and occasions where others are not. Sometimes this results in the world class image to be taken, the R Capa images of The Omaha Beach landings, Stuart Franklin's The Tank man, Tienanmen Square etc. Looking at this image and then the rest of the Magnum work in this exhibition this is what strikes me the most. Most of these photographs were of course assignments for the agency, so one would expect to be there but "Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare" was a chance made by the photographer because he was there as part of a plan. It is said that HCB would anticipate a photograph by waiting at a location and then work quickly and discreetly when the right juxtaposition of people filled the scene. So here he sees a puddle and waits. The intent is humorous, maybe the splash is what he intended and he took the image too soon, I don't know.

The documentary and reportage images were thought provoking and sometimes sad to look at. People in a crisis and their fate at the hands of oppressors, lonely people and those trying to make a difference to their society always have an untold story. When the photographer left, what happened next ?, did the 11km pipeline in Guatemala bring drinking water ? Man with daughter and kitten 1972, what happened to her ? she would be 45 now.

As photographers, whether working for Magnum or not I think we have a responsibility to respond to whatever we see, photograph it and look after the past with images of today.

Later that day I am watching people, using my Leica, feeling inspired by HCB and his Magnum friends when asked to identify myself by a PC because a security guard thought I had been taking photographs for too long in one place.  I offered no explanation.

Textile photography continues with simple kit.

In July I made an entry detailing the photography of Altar frontals for a book that I was involved with  to be published at an exhibition at Alexandra Palace in October. This led to more work for the book in Chelmsford Cathedral ( a banner) and the culmination was a shoot of The Jubilee Cope at St Pauls Cathedral last week. The techniques learned in Kings Lynn were helpful although the Jubilee Cope had to be photographed flat on the floor. The only place in St Pauls that I could find was in the library, shooting from a gallery looking straight down. The space was limited and the studio lights were really too close to the item and the exposure was not even. Being a pessimist I had anticipated some kind of "problem" but didnt know where or what it would be, so I had again taken everything with me.90% of the extra kit is never used but it did include 2 panels of 25mm thick polystyrene about 4x2 feet. These simple reflectors (hand held in place by my two assistants) made all the difference and bounced some light back into the under lit areas of the fabric. So, the simplest and cheapest bit of kit saved the day. The Cope image was the last to be inserted into the book and it is now with the printers and we are all looking forward to the first print run.

West Norfolk Artists Association

It is clear to me that if my ambition is to be fulfilled, i.e. that if my photography is to break away from its current subject based style and er towards conceptual, that I need to see more Art and mix with a few artists. I am clear that I find no benefit from camera clubs. I did that years ago and did quite well in the various competitions and "Battles" (what a curious word they use for competition) with other clubs, but found the institutionalised world of rules and the RPS to be so restrictive. Even though I have an LRPS I never use it as I think it says too many wrong things rather than right.

The West Norfolk Artists Association is a group of artists and a few photographers who seem to me to have moved away from the club culture and (to my untrained eye) making some interesting work. I know its not like joining the Royal Academy but I am keen to mix a bit. I will write again about these people when I have met them more. I did look at their summer exhibition a few weeks ago and they were very warm people, full of charm and enthusiasm. I will write again on this later in the year.

London - 22nd September - Edward Weston

Having missed seeing the Edwin Smith prints at Chris Beetles gallery I was determined not to miss the Edward Weston exhibition, so having 1 day left of my September break I decided to have a day in London, see some old friends and buy one or two final components for my 5x4 equipment.

London (well Mayfair) doesn't start very early, but I do so I always find myself sitting around in cafes eating bacon butties and drinking coffee. This time was not wasted. I needed to consider how I was going to react to the prospect of being inches away from prints made by Cole Weston using original Edward Weston negatives. I knew some of the prints would be familiar as  I had just completed reading "Edward Weston - His Life" a biography by Ben Maddow, that included some of the famous images and I also have  "Edward Weston - The last years in Carmel", a beautiful book of Weston photographs published by The Art Institute of Chicago. During the reading of the biography I had initially not understood Weston at all. His work as a professional photographer seemed predictable (portraits of wealthy ladies, dogs, children etc) and his early personal work left me cold.

Once inside (its ring the bell to be let in) and handed a list of the work on display I was left alone in complete silence with 37 pieces of photography. I have never experienced such emotion as when walking up to Number 4 "Shell 1927". It wasn't happiness or sorrow, the types of emotion we come used to over a lifetime of ups and downs, but one of connecting with the image and the photographer. I remembered the Weston day book entries from around that time when he first discovered Shells and the later technical entries of f256 and four and a half hours exposure. His determination to achieve technical perfection and the rejected negatives due to unplanned movement. It was possible for the hour or so I spent there to be affected by them, to recall the different women in his life while in Mexico or especially the later years in Carmel. As photographers, we all know the time we spend before and after an exposure, the bit nobody will ever see and it was that that intrigued me with these images. Through the biography I had become close to him, his day books and his letters are detailed and explicit and being close to the photographs the words and the images came together and I felt much closer to him, as a photographer.

I didn't spend any time reviewing the images, either technically or artistically. I will do that later when the catalogue is delivered and I can detach myself from the experience. I spent the time filling in gaps, asking myself questions about how he felt when the exposures were made and a little sad, knowing that the onset of Parkinson's disease was making it difficult for him to actually operate the camera.

Feeling inspired, next to Aperture (never bought anything there but its an Aladdin's Cave), RG Lewis to say hello to Len (No sale yet then of M9's) and then to Teamwork for dark slides and a loupe.

My photography has recently been taking a back seat for various reasons and I didn't really (if I am honest) have the time for a day in London, but having made the effort to be with the Weston photographs I feel  refreshed and able to think more about the future and my OCA work.