SOURCE PHOTO: 04 / MARCH / 2012
FFOTOGALLERY BOOK ARTS FAYRE
Posted by John Duncan
Students from Newport Documentary Photography
Last weekend I was at Turner House as part of Ffotogallery's Book Arts Fayre. On this occasion Source was one of the more mainstream publishers, with the majority of the other stall holders being made up of individual photographers or collectives selling their own publications.
Next to the Source stand were a group of final year students from the Documentary Photography course in Newport. On sale at this stand were a boxed set of prints and a variety of Artists' books produced by the students themselves. Amongst these works was a book by Jack Latham, one of a growing number of students making work in response to archives. In this case Jack has used imagery from online resources such as Craigs List as a starting point for restaging new images.
Opposite the Source stand was Kathryn Ashill, a former student of Paul Jeff at Swansea Metropolitan. Kathryn was selling her new publication In Memory of Balloon Girl. This work combines photography and performance to reimagine the tale of an ill-fated stunt which occurred during the Cardiff Maritime and Industrial Exhibition of 1896. Kathryn is also finalizing new work as part of the Welsh stage of the Cultural Olympiad.
At the Mule Press stand Bridgette Ashton was showing her new book: Horses Animals Hunts Queen Mother Tall Ships, (Source reviewed the previous Mule Press publication Monkey Puzzle Trees). This new book uses slides of pinup photographs donated by a camera club member. Bridgette has reworked some of these images with embroidery and mixed them in with images of soft furnishings taken by her collaborator William Teakle.
Olly Hudy from Plymouth University had also taken a stand. Olly is part of a new photography research group (which includes David Chandler) who are exploring options for the setting up of a University imprint. Olly was at the Fayre with his project www.antlerpress.co.uk, he was also showing an interesting publication entitled: Interlude from former student Max Pigott.
Clockwise from top left: Kathryn Ashill, Bridgette Ashton of Mule Press, Olly Udy from Plymouth University, Helen Sear Book Launch
Polly's Picture Show were not present in person but their material was available to view next to the FFotogallery stand. Polly's Picture Show were set up in 2011 as a new platform for contemporary photography from Amsterdam. Titles of note for sale included Left Overs by Gael Paccard and Situations by Anne Huijnen.
Jan Lemitz who studied on the MA in Research Architecture at Goldsmiths was there showing a dummy of his book The Registration Machine. This project explores issues of mobility and migration and works with images from a number of archives, including that of the Calais Local Authority and the company behind the Channel Tunnel. Jan's work negotiates sensitivities surrounding the Sangatte detention centre and the promotion of the Calais area as a departure point for the London Olympics.
With over 600 visitors through the doors and a victory for Wales in the rugby, all at Tuner House were in fine form for Helen Sear's book launch that evening and the Printed Matters Photo Book Symposium the next day. Ffotogallery also played host to the meetings conducted between Source and photographers as part of research for future issues. These meetings, along with the record number of submissions for the day, provided a great insight into new work being produced in Wales.
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