EDITORIAL:
Issue 20 — Autumn 1999
Issue 20 — Autumn 1999
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This year's Glen Dimplex artist award saw all four short-listed artists using photography in their work. Justin Carville in the latest Source commissioned essay argues that old divisions still exist between the role of artists and photographers within the exhibition arena. He highlights the tension between political concerns and aestheticism in the gallery and Museum. This debate is also to the fore in Mary Cosgrove's review of this year's graduate work in Belfast. Another aspect of the discussion about art and contemporary photography is to be found in reviews of exhibitions by artists (Peter Richards and Nigel Rolfe), that inhabit the shared territory between performance art and photography each producing quite different results.
This year's European elections produced a mass of literature and pamphlets from the numerous candidates. Will Self scrutinises the public image of Ireland's politicians. The annual report of the British government, available through Tesco's, utilised the recyclable camera: dispatching them to people in 'the front line' of the public sector 'to show what is really happening'. If you were in any doubt about how to use your camera then what better advice to follow than the 10 tips issued by Downing street's Strategic Communications Unit. We reproduce these tips to accompany a review of the publication by Steve Bull. And as number 10 says 'don't worry too much about it. We want you to enjoy yourself.'
— The Editors