Proxemics

Images Mark Page

Andy Freeberg

Image copyright Andy Freeberg

Galleries can be intimidating places, often staffed by complete dicks. Andy Freeberg has chosen to document the entrances to galleries in Chelsea, NYC, which I imagine must be staffed by a special kind of super dick. In his statement on the work he Say's of his series "Sentry"

"As I walked around that booming Chelsea neighborhood of art galleries, I began to notice a trend: at some of the biggest galleries there are giant entry desks, where the top of the head of the desk sitter is often the only other human presence. This leads me to wonder, in this digital world of email and instant messaging that supposedly makes us more connected, are we also setting up barriers to the simple eye to eye contact that affirms our humanity?"

and that's an interesting point Andy. However when you go around other shops, and lets face it that's all these kind of places are, the staff will make eye contact, fuck me in some of the clothes shops that my other half takes me to they practically hug & kiss you, "are you OK there? blah blah blah" so my conclusion is that no, they are just staffed by dicks. Great stuff Mr Freeberg you've really managed to show the ridiculousness of these people & places. http://www.andyfreebergphotoart.com/display.html

PS. There's at least three galleries I can think of in Manchester that aspire to this, can you guess which one's?

Blackpool Lights

It's that time of the year again! http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7585066.stm

Ferit Kuyas

Image copyright Ferit Kuyas

On the whole I'm getting a bit bored of photographs of China, except of course by good Chinese photographers. Then I saw the work of Ferit Kuyas and OK he's Swiss, but good photography is, well good, and anyway he's not just jumped on the bandwagon he's been doing this shit since the 90's http://www.feritkuyas.com/ You've got till 27th September to see his "City Of Ambition" at Photofusion Gallery London. http://www.photofusion.org/gallery/photography/exhibitions/current/default.htm

p.S My favorite series is "Chinese Smokers" which the picture above is from........

My New Widget

Scroll down to the bottom of this page, no a bit further, further, down, bit more yeah that's it. Look to your right, no your other right can you see my new Artrabbit widget? good innit? That will let you know about some smart new UK shows. While I'm at it go here: www.artrabbit.com it's a great art listing's site.

Crashed Cars of Kuwait.

Psycho Milt is the photographer who has this set of pictures + details over on his flickr bit. Bizarre, gruesome but still somehow weirdly fascinating......... And of course true to the pure documentary tradition. Found over at i heart photograph http://iheartphotograph.blogspot.com/

Jai Redman

Top stuff by Jai Redman

Jai Redman is a founder member of UHC http://www.uhc.org.uk/index.php?entry_id=0 an artist, environmental & social justice campaigner and a maker of top stuff like the above stuff. http://www.jairedman.co.uk/ Oh yes and a blogger. http://jairedman.blogspot.com/

David Orme

David Orme is another illustrator based in Manchester. Great stuff here: http://www.woodenlog.co.uk/

Oliver East

Image Oliver East

Without doubt the album of the year so far for me, has got to be Elbow's "The Seldom Seen Kid". http://www.elbow.co.uk/ And through buying that CD, (yes I still buy CD's and then copy them to m.....) anyway, I discovered the work of Oliver East.

Now I think I've been a bit slow on the uptake as his work is well known around Manchester, but well if I can spread his fame a little bit further well bloody good job. Here's his website where you can see and buy the brilliant "Trains Are Mint" ( go to section 4 to see loads of his page layouts) www.rollingstockpress.co.uk and here for a great little interview
http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/?p=7513

Why Does This Shit Never Happen To Me?

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1063927_cash_machine_pays_out_double

Daido Moriyama

Daido Moriyama

This is far from the first time I've mentioned Daido Moriyama, and I doubt it will be the last. You see I absolutely love his work, that's why he's in my "Gods" section, only the 5th so far (here's the others) http://manchesterphotography.blogspot.com/search/label/Gods I have scoured the tinterweb to find you the best links/interviews with this fella, like this one as a taster: http://www.bigempire.com/sake/daido_moriyama.html. I mentioned in a previous post about his choice of hardware, the Ricoh GRs 35mm compact. This is not the geek in me talking, his camera choice is vital to why I feel he is important as a photographer.

Take a look at the above picture taken early in his career and perhaps his most famous picture. What strikes you about it? What it shouts to me is "snapshot" and that's what he does. That's why the little Ricoh is important. You've got to carry a camera to take photographs it's that simple. I love this self portrait of him on his homepage:
http://www.moriyamadaido.com/ go look at the slideshows in his gallery section. It won't work if it's translated so look then translate, unless of course you speak Japanese.

These are images, lots of images working together as a whole. These are pawed over, looked at studied contact sheets, these are retrospective shots. Perhaps some of them are "Decisive moments" Catier Bresson style http://www.e-photobooks.com/cartier-bresson/decisive-moment.html but I think that more of his work will have been taken back to his studio to be analysed, sifted like that most urban of stalwart's "The Ragpicker" http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0422/is_1_82/ai_63910535/pg_5

He is using the great strength of digital photography before we or he had it. And make no mistake that's where the new territories lie. As William Eggleston and Stephen Shore made headway with colour, Moriyama's take first think later style is so suited to digital photography. I believe that if we take a leaf out of his book we could really do something exciting with little digi camera's.

Some links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moriyama_Daido
http://punctum.typepad.com/the_space_in_between/daido_moriyama/
http://colinpantall2.blogspot.com/2008/01/daido-moriyama-memories-of-dog.html
http://www.beautifuldaze.org/2008/02/daido-moriyama-55-phaidon-press.html

I've changed the look of my homepage a little. http://www.manchesterphotography.com/ I'm trying to make it a little more personal. Manchesterphotography.com has been going as my site name since 2005, not this blog but my homepage. When I started it I had very different intentions, not only for the site but also for my work.

I got so excited when I found out that manchesterphotography.com was available that I missed getting markpage.co.uk. Although most of my work is carried out in Manchester/Salford, it's not purely what my work is about anymore. Manchester if you like is the vehicle I use to explore wider issues. In a similar way to Manchester photography being too narrower a name, photography is to broad a word to describe all the different fields of lens based media, (and lens based media is too wanky a phrase for me) so after considering Artist Photo Artist, etc I settled on describing what I do as "photowork" No doubt a pretentious load of toss but I have to call it something and It may discourage people asking me if I do wedding's...................

Steve Aishman

Image copyright Steve Aishman

Two statements from Steve Aishman on his website: " I strive to make work that reminds me of nothing" & "Most people seem to hate my work"

I bloody well love it! www.steveaishman.com

Aleah Morrison Concert

Aleah was, along with my good self, part of The Tony Wilson Experience http://www.tonywilsonexperience.com/ and so as a fellow TWEP (Tony Wilson Experience Person, I may need to come up with another name) I thought I would give her concert a plug. It's on the 29th August between 1pm & 2pm at Cross street Chapel Manchester, which by the way, was Elizabeth Gaskell's http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/gaskell_elizabeth.shtml old church. So get a bit of culture for yer lunch. Oh yes and it's free.

Ricoh GRD 2

I'm not one for getting all bogged down with techy (is that a word?) stuff but well its not very often I buy a new camera so I thought I would let you know about my new flame, so to speak.

The Ricoh GR 35mm compact has become a legend since it's introduction in the mid 90's. Who amongst it's many fans is one Daido Moriyama http://www.moriyamadaido.com/top.html.

Continuing with this proven lens they brought out the GR digital in 2005 which I've cherished for the last couple of years, and earlier this year gave us the GR 2 which I am now the very happy owner of. These little camera's are a joy to use, well made, great quality and small enough to encourage constant carrying. Review here: http://www.trustedreviews.com/digital-cameras/review/2008/07/04/Ricoh-GR-Digital-II/p1

Now trying to purchase one in Manchester is a "different kettle of fish" you know me well enough to know that I can't go long without a good old moan........

First stop Jessops, the little one near the townhall http://www.jessops.com/?tduid=f1bb0b77dc343ed59d8e03eac1c065da&url=http://www.jessops.com/ served by what looked like two members of the boyband Haven't Got A Clue, as you guessed they didn't.

Next stop Jacobs, Cross Street http://www.jacobsdigital.co.uk/ served by can't be arsed to look.

Final stop Calumet, under the Mancunian Way http://www.calumetphoto.co.uk/events and served by John who ordered me one in, that arrived the next working day and even threw in a nice big SD card so thanks to him. I've been going there since 1999 when it was still Leeds and I suppose that's why.

No post tomoz as I'm off to play with my shiny new camera........

Baxter Dury

FRANCESCAS PARTY - BAXTER DURY

Following in the footsteps of the mighty Ian Dury comes his son, Baxter.

More tunes here: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=75213561

Harri Palviranta

Image copyright Harri Palviranta

After the last post some will say "ah he's only being mean to our tracey because he is scared by strong women" And to a degree it's true. Some of those women swimmers in the Olympics do make me terrified, and as for Condoleezza Rice she scares the shit out of me.http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_Condoleezza_Rice_a_lesbian

So a study of masculinity is for me at least timely. It's good then that this very subject makes up a large part of Harri Palviranta's oeuvre. www.harripalviranta.com

Could This Be The Reason?

I once heard a joke that went like this. " 1st Person says to 2nd person could I take your picture? 2nd person says of course you can, but why? 1st person says so that I can put it on the mantle piece to keep the kids away from the fire........" could this be the reason for this: http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/specials/edinburgh/article4513065.ece

"25 Potential Weapons Descending In Order Of Desperation"

Images Mark Page

Danny Treacy

Image copyright Danny Treacy

Danny treacy's photographs from the series "Them" are powerful & disturbing at the size produced here. Produced life sized and knowing that the costumes portrayed are made out of dis-guarded or lost clothing found on wasteland and in woods must make them bloody terrifying. How did the clothes get there? Who did they belong to? What's the dark or seedy reason for them being left? Then the way they are put together as a complete covered costume puts you in mind of say Buffalo Bill in "Silence Of The Lambs" He currently has a solo show at The Photographers Gallery, London until the 14th Septemberhttp://www.photonet.org.uk/index.php?pxid=940 Treacy was born in Manchester and also studied at Stockport College for a while. Here for more of his work: http://www.dannytreacy.com/