To accompany this year's submissions Source has asked a number of respected figures from the world of photography to select their favourite sets of images from all the work submitted.
Special Guest Selection by:
Shoair Mavlian
Curator, Tate Modern
Overview: My passion for photography spans from the historic to the contemporary and it is very exciting to have the opportunity to engage with the work of recent graduates. It has been a fantastic experience to review such strong entries working across so many diverse and challenging topics. It was also encouraging to see such a wide variety of processes and techniques being used and I was particularly excited to see experimentation and engagement with photography as sculptural installation. Collaborative projects and the use of text alongside image also shows photography's continued ability to shift between boundaries. It is always a challenge to represent what are often large bodies of work by only half a dozen images however the editing skill required to do this successfully is such a valuable skill to hone. Overall this was a very strong and exciting group of work and thank you all for your submissions.
London College of Communication - MA Photojournalism and Documentary Photography
Selector's Comment: This project uses as its starting point two things routed in the history of ancient Greece; democracy and the marathon, and combines them to engage with the current social, political and economic situation. The conceptual nature of the project following the route of the original marathon, this methodical mapping and the straight, frontal approach of shooting is at odds with the messy and chaotic nature of the spaces which are depicted. Colour also plays a very important role as the dark blue curtains of the polling booths quickly become a repetitive motif. In 'Democratic Landscapes' Ray manages to capture both humour and the banal in the midst of a very serious political and social situation.
Plymouth University - MFA Photography
Selector's Comment: 'Martha' documents the often hidden and secret world of teenage life, giving the viewer an insight into the everyday life and activities of contemporary youth. There is a relaxed and unobtrusive nature about Davies work seen in the way in which she captures what seem like moments of spontaneity. Davies also manages to blend portraiture and landscape seamlessly to create a dynamic and evocative visual narrative.
Ulster University - MFA Photography
Selector's Comment: Photography has an amazing ability to reveal beauty in the everyday, and this is precisely what Dickson has managed to achieve in his project 'Notes on Hospitals'. By limiting himself to within the confines of the hospital walls Dickinson was forced to look closer and harder at the ordinary, bland and mundane interior of a busy working public building. His images reveal structure, form and beauty found within the everyday environment. Dickson also manages to capture the passing of time shown through the wear and tear on the physical space and moments of calm and absence. Overall there is a sustained focus and consistency to the project.
University of Westminster - MA Photographic Studies
Selector's Comment: Kamayi uses archival images as the starting point for her project 'You Should Know Me' exploring ideas of memory, personal and national identity. The mixture of formal portraiture, documentary photography and archival imagery sit very well alongside each other revealing only fragments of a much larger story, leaving the viewer wanting to know more about the personal tale. The project engages with a variety of different registers both in terms of medium and approach setting up a multi-layered and engaging project.
University of South Wales - MA Documentary Photography
Selector's Comment: This project reveals a fascinating footnote in the history of the Second World War. Shot entirely at night Spurgeon has carefully lit what is left of control bunkers in the landscape in an attempt to revive the theatrics originally employed by the military to create fake cities. In the present day, as the technology associated with conflict has progressed to such an advanced degree it is interesting to be reminded of these now outdated tactics. The project reveals both the close up detail and wide angle perspectives of the landscape, giving an interesting insight into the scale and locations of these sites.
University of South Wales - MA Documentary Photography
Selector's Comment: 'The Isle of Wight Analogy' reveals small fragments of information as it attempts to construct and piece together a picture of national identity. The snapshot aesthetic and use of harsh lighting evoke nostalgia and transport the viewer back in time, perhaps to better days. There is also a hint of voyeurism portrayed through the deliberately experimental framing of the works. The status Man feels as an outsider is visibly present in his images as they present fragments of a chaotic and confused version of old Britain bouncing between the traditional to the contemporary.
Kate Bush »
Curator, Media Space.
Cliff Lauson »
Curator, Hayward Gallery.
University of Brighton
MA Photography
Leeds College of Art
MA Creative Practice
London College of Communication
MA Photojournalism and Documentary Photography
Royal College of Art
MA Photography
University of South Wales
MA Documentary Photography