Proper pubs!

Image copyright Mark Page


Why is it getting easier to find a fucking tapas bar than a traditional Manchester pub?

Andrew Brooks

Image copyright Andrew Brooks


"Photography has more in common with poetry than with painting". So said the influential American art critic Clement Greenberg. With the work of Andrew Brooks I'm not so sure. I wrestled with whether to include his work on this blog, as it doesn't fall into one of the photographic genres I wanted to look at in these pages, IE Documentary/photojournalism. And besides it opens up that whole digitally manipulated photography "can of worms". Is what Andrew does, photography? I for one am not sure, so lets not debate it here, you can do that in the comfort of the pub over the weekend! What no-one can debate though, is the sheer mastery of what Andrew achieves. Perhaps it's not photography, perhaps it's illustration, who cares, whatever it is, nobody does it better than Andrew Brooks. http://www.andrewbrooksphotography.com/

Rachel Marsden

Image copyright Rachel Marsden


Calling for submissions for this blog has been a bit of an eye opener. I knew that there would be many, many Documentary & fine art photographers along with photojournalists here in the North-West. What I didn't know was that the North-West stretched as far as London! And that holiday snaps on myspace nowadays counts as a portfolio! A little closer to home and a LOT closer to the kind of work I am interested in showcasing, is the intriguing Work Of Rachel Marsden, based in North- Staffs. Yes I know that's not technically the North-West, but good works good work. I even changed to a more suitable typeface in honor. http://www.rachelmarsden.co.uk/

Paolo Pellegrin

Guantanamo by Paolo Pellegrin http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essays/guantanamo.aspx

Art car parade

Down at Cathedral Gardens outside Urbis, last Saturday http://www.artcarparade.co.uk/ was a good crack. I even spotted Paul Herrmann from Redeye clicking away!

Pablo Nieto

Image copyright Pablo Nieto


I always intended Manchester photography blog to reach further than just Manchester, and already it's being read in Argentina, Texas, Italy and now Huddersfield! Which is where Pablo Nieto is studying. Not a usual Yorkshire name granted, but looking at Pablo's website he certainly appears to be well travelled.http://www.the-corner-stone.com/eportfolio.html pay special attention to the sections "Connected lakes project, Kenya" and "Mencap, Castle Hall, Huddersfield" which for me work best. Both projects are handled with a wonderful, gentle touch.

Broken Army?

Image copyright Stuart Griffiths


Is something that much of the media seem to be asking this week. Indeed "Broken Army" was the title of a debate on last nights News Night. Have the British people lost respect for the army? Is the army overstretched? Do we ask too much of them and then treat them badly when they need our support? In keeping with my theory that you will always get the best pictures from photographers who really know their subject from personal experience, I give you Stuart Griffiths, And he was brought up in Manchester to boot! http://society.guardian.co.uk/gall/0,9730,1475566,00.html

A Tale of Two Cities

Images copyright Mark Page

As The Manchester Evening News reported today http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1015/1015651_report_shows_state_of_city.html

At last the council has woken up to something that most people knew. There is a massive divide in this city between them, with and them without. What I can't understand is that it took a report to show sir Richard Leese this. Surely just a set of working eyes would have done that?

David Dunnico

Image copyright of David Dunnico


Take a look at the work of David Dunnico. David is a Manchester based photographer who is soon to be having his first solo show in Salford. Although I can see from his CV that he has already been published widely. His show entitled Memento Mori can be seen at Salford Museum & Art Gallery between 20th October 2007 & 13th January 2008. See that work and more of the above CCTV work at http://www.dunni.co.uk/

Redeye

Much as I respect REDEYE, and have in the past found it a very useful resource. For introducing me to the wonderful work of John Darwell alone, (http://www.johndarwell.com/) I shall always be grateful. However I think that one of it's problems is that it tries to be all things to all photographers. A visit to the forum seems to just be various people asking for advice on where to get canvases printed. Now I know that practical advice is always needed but it would be good to have somewhere photographers could go to, to discuss farty things sometimes, and a place to see the best new photography that Manchester has to offer. So if you want to see your work showcased here please send as attachments to info@manchesterphotography.com Also lets chat about things like, why Manchester, which apparently has the largest concentration of photographers outside of London, has no dedicated photo gallery. We have jazz festivals, literary festivals, Christmas festivals, festival festivals, big fucking German sausage festivals, but no photography festivals........ Please Discuss.

Name change,

I thought it would make sense to rename the blog in keeping with the website. so from this day forth Mark's blog shall now be known as Manchester Photography. I thank you..................

Gary Winogrand

Gary Winogrand

I thought after my last post that some people may be interested in this piece about Gary Winogrand. http://www.ocgarzaphotography.com/documents/ClassTimewithGarryWinograndfinal2.pdf

Diana's legacy.

I tried to stay off the subject of Diana, but like the tabloids I thought I would exploit the ten year anniversary. One of the legacy's of her death I believe, is the public perception of photographers. I have often pondered when this change took place, and I believe that one of those shifts came in the tunnel in Paris. If anyone reading this has ever tried taking photographs of people in the street or in fact any kind of "street photography" then you will know just how suspicious people are of photographers and their motives.

I don't think it has always been like this, even in my ten years or so of taking pictures I have felt this change. But there was a time when it wasn't like this. Think back to the sixties, in this country people thought photographers were cool, David Bailey was like a rock star. For me the hay day of street photography was America in the 70's I wonder if Gary Winogrand, the godfather of street photography met with such resistance? The way that those photographers were blamed for Diana's death, (and believe me, I think that "paps" are at the bottom of the photographic gene pool) has helped to add to the public conscience, a pretty negative view of photographers in general.

Welcome to the cheap jeans.

Image Justin Jin


As we all storm Primark and the like this weekend, keep these images in your heads.....http://www.justinjin.com/

Drains

urbanunderworld

Please take a look at this! Urbis's super tour guide and all round nice guy Mark Rainey, sent me a link to here http://www.urbanunderworld.co.uk/ These fellas make great pictures as well as being insane, (THINK OF THE RATS!) I wonder if Urbis will start running tours like this?

Pride

Robert MapplethorpeBrian Ridley and Lyle Heeter1979
© The Estate of Robert Mapplethorpe

When I was at college I went through a phase, At least one of my tutors told me I would grow out of it, well I never have. That phase was a love of the work of Robert Mapplethorpe. I had never seen anything so shocking or so technically brilliant. But it was more than that, it was that I believed his pictures. He not only knew his subject but also lived it . See more of his work here : http://www.mapplethorpe.org/index.html

Horses for courses

I have always thought it slightly arrogant, with shades of "Imperialism" for British And American photographers to go trapezing around the world when there are gifted photographers from those lands with a far deeper knowledge of their country and culture. And as if to prove my point one of the winners of this years PULITZER PRIZE, was ODED BALILTY from Israel. http://www.pulitzer.org/year/2007/breaking-news-photography/bio/ to read more.

Urbis V The Lowry

Two galleries two exhibitions, The Lowry, "THE MYTH OF THE NORTH" perhaps it should be preceded with "HOW TO PERPETUATE "cod terrace houses (even more plastic looking than Urban Cash) eeh bye heck it's Bloody Black n White up north! a fucking exhibit of a place of work........ A mock up of a factory, what was there no factories down south? or no offices up north? Coronation street, taste of "fucking" honey, no QUEER AS FOLK ?, CUTTING IT? COLD FEET? nuff said.

Urbis HACIENDA, something that put us on the map, made Manchester the coolest place in the world to live, for a while. Nothing else to say in connection to Wilson though Because I'm getting sick of it... next time Bernard Manning.....(joke)................... STOP PRESS.............NEW SHOW AT TATE BRITAIN "mabe it's because I'm a Londoner"..

James Nisbeck

Copyright James Nisbeck

I spend many hours looking at the work of other photographers on the internet and in various magazines, and every so often I see work by somebody that stops me in my tracks. I was lucky enough to be contacted by James (ain't the internet great). The great thing is that James is moving to our fair town soon. To see more of James work check out http://www.lightstalkers.org/james_nisbeck well worth a look.

Tony Wilson

Although everyone knew he had been ill for a while it still came as a shock when he died. I think everyone had an opinion about Wilson, love him or hate him I think we all had to agree that he loved Manchester. It is agreed that he was one of the architects of Manchester's revival, and It is agreed that in the eighties & early nineties he made it a cool place to live.

The trouble is that not long after The Hacienda closed Manchester started to lose that cool. It's been said a thousand times before that the Hacienda being turned into flats (I refuse to use the term apartments!) was symptomatic of the way that Manchester was going. Money men have moved in and made a killing on the back of that cool and in the process have turned the place into well I'm not sure what. I know that "town" now on the whole is dull. I know that we have the same shit shops as everywhere else, I know that most of the bars are banal, and I know that although a lot of city centre loft residents are having a ball, ten minuets down the road kids are still getting shot and little of that money finds it's way there unless it's to buy a house that some old couple have been forced to sell. So yes I will miss you Tony because if Manchester has ever needed a gobby bastard it's now...................