Wednesday 26 January 2011

Laura Noel












All images © Laura Noel

Another notable submission we've received recently is Laura Noel's Fiction, an introspective meditation on postmodernism and the self. Noel is an American photographer based in Atlanta, Georgia, who originally pursued her BA in Public Policy Studies and later graduated from the University of Georgia with an MFA in Photography.

Noel has developed a unique way of working with her images, the reasons for which she expands upon in her statement about Fiction:

"My photographs are like the first sentence of a short story, only the ending can never be certain. I pair images together to enhance the narratives I sense and build up in my mind while working in the street surrounded by strangers I can never really know, but feel a connection to. I am fascinated by the strong emotions that emanate from people isolated on the streets and in social settings. Occasionally the presence of manmade objects is powerful enough that people become superfluous and do not appear in the image.

I fracture these incomplete stories into diptychs so the line where the two images meet becomes the seam between fact and fiction, reality and longing, the universal and the personal. The structure of the image supports the concept behind the picture. The major theme running through Fiction is the struggle to maintain individuality in an increasingly homogeneous society. This is something I feel acutely in my own life and see reflected in others.

Through photography my life becomes intertwined with the people and places I see. By focusing my camera on certain people,I am making them a part of my life. These people catch my attention, because their appearances and actions touch something in my past or confront some of my concerns. It seems natural that these images be diptychs joining my real life with the imagined lives of others."

Noel has clearly been very active, and aside from working as an adjunct professor at Emory University, she has exhibited internationally including festivals, galleries and museums in China, the US and Germany.

Her photographs have also notably appeared in on-line and in print in Photography Now, Photography Quarterly, PHOTONEWS (Germany)and Lens Culture.

For more of Fiction, other projects and information on Noel visit www.lauranoel.com

Dominic Bell















All images © Dominic Bell

I recently received these intriguing and ethereal images from Dominic Bell as part of his ongoing Broken Waves project. A recent photography graduate of the University of the Arts Bournemouth, Bell's work explores the state of our relationship with nature.

"Broken Wave, seeks to represent the objectification of nature through the investigation of current notions surrounding the contemporary seascape. The work of Broken Wave strives to exemplify the possibilities of the relationship between the sculptural object and the photographic image through an investigation into the nature of time and photography. The photographs within Broken Wave are depicted with the aim of superseding the original objects and making the temporality of the sculptural work be replaced by aspects of timelessness. This work is part of an ongoing investigation in to human interaction with landscape and our incessant desire for ‘objects’. By collecting samples of wave water and freezing them, the work plays on the themes of human intervention and destruction."

It's still under construction, but if you're itching for more you can take a look at Bell's work on his website.

Monday 10 January 2011

London Art Fair: Photography Day






















© Lisa Barnard

There sure are some great talks and tours as part of Photography Day (Wednesday 19 January) at this year´s London Art Fair. Scroll down for details.

Image Fatigue: Can photographs still be a catalyst for positive social change in a world saturated with images?
In association with PhotoVoice

12.00 – 1.00 Leading photography professionals discuss past and present campaigns that use socially driven imagery and ask whether they still have an impact in today’s media, and if so what makes these images successful in driving social change. The discussion is led by Marc Schlossman (PhotoVoice Trustee and photographer) with Gideon Mendel (Photojournalist) and Jessica Crombie (Film and Photography Manager, Save the Children).

On The Ephemeral in Photography
In association with Hotshoe Gallery and ORDINARY-LIGHT Photography

1.30 – 2.30 A panel discussion considering the etymology and characterisations of the ephemeral in photography and the wider concept of the ephemeral as it appears in culture and the arts. This session will be led by Daniel Campbell Blight (Director, Hotshoe Gallery) with Rut Blees Luxemburg (artist), Julian Stallabrass (Reader, The Courtauld Institute of Art) and Douglas Murphy (author of The Architecture of Failure, forthcoming from Zero Books).

(D)e-materialization and Photography in the Age of Technological Advance
In association with Hotshoe and ORDINARY-LIGHT Photography

3.00 – 4.00 A discussion of the (d)e-materialization of the photographic record in the age of technological advance. Led by Brad Feuerhelm (Director, ORDINARY-LIGHT Photography) , the panel includes Simon Bainbridge (Editor, British Journal of Photography) Charlotte Cotton (Creative Director, London Galleries, National Media Museum ), Jason Evans (artist, writer and lecturer) and Trish Morrisey (artist).

Politics in Photography
In association with Photoworks

4.30 – 5.30 This session focuses on contemporary photography concerned with the current socio-political climate in the UK. It considers the artists position in providing an important commentary on social change, political unrest and challenging political conventions. Speakers include: Anna Fox (artist and Professor of Photography, University of the Creative Arts), Lisa Barnard (artist, exhibiting in Photo50 at London Art Fair) and Steve Edwards (Senior Lecturer in Art History, Open University).

Collecting Contemporary Art
In association with the Contemporary Art Society

6.30 – 7.15 and 7.30 – 8.15 Now celebrating its centenary year, the Contemporary Art Society is the UK's leading authority on contemporary collecting. Over the last 100 years they have purchased the work of seminal artists early in their careers - Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso, Francis Bacon and Damien Hirst – and enjoy a unique and enviable reputation for being 'ahead of the curve'. These talks give you an opportunity to draw on their expertise to help you develop your own collection. The talks are led by Henry Little (Public Programmes Manager) and Dida Tait (Head of Membership and Market Development).

See their website for more information and how to book tickets.