Gina Lundy

Gina Lundy studied Documentary Photography at Newport School of Art, Media and Design, gaining a Masters in Fine Art in 2009. Starting work in the commercial sector as an assistant to advertising photographers, Gina’s work later became interested in the identity of people and place as she worked on long term projects with grass root organisations within the community.

Gina is currently a freelance photographer and educational co-ordinator at the Knowle West Media Centre, where she runs weekly photography workshops and works as a project facilitator. She is has been nominated as an MAstar by Axis contemporary art this year.

Academy

Academy documents the transition of Withywood Community School in south Bristol, as it makes the change from the old comprehensive blocks to the new academy school. The portraits of the students and their changing surroundings subtly note the shifting identity of the educational landscape in this nationwide pattern of regeneration.

unititled, 2008

“My photographic practice is driven by a desire to engage with people and the issues that have a real effect on their everyday lives. Having a camera gives me a licence to explore and investigate. I want to make sense of a situation, laying out the information and creating a visual order, finding the patterns so as to question the intentions behind them.

The surfaces of things, of people and of places, attract and engage my attention. I feel a need to peel back the surface layers; not so much those of an individual life but that of the history of a place and those who inhabit it. What a place can represent – its past and present incarnations, and how the individual locates himself within that space.

That space can be tangible as with the Academy project; the transition of a school community from one environment to another, the changing bodies of adolescent students, or the space could be psychological.

I am interested in creating work that engages with the identity of communities during a period of change, locating the work in its cultural, historical and social context. I would like to create work that explores the dynamics within the relationships between government policy, private developer, sponsorship (in the case of education and sport) and the local community.

The desires of different generations to re-build, transform or start anew, is cyclical in nature. I would like to create work that responds to the history of a community/place and locates individuals within it, noting the subtle repetitions in aspiration in relation to current patterns of urban regeneration.”

Butcombe local beer..

We have just approved the artwork at the printers for our flyers and posters which we should have soon all printed on nice recycled paper. One great addition you may notice is the Butcombe logo. Butcombe for those of you who don't know are a local brewery producing award winning handcrafted beers, brewed in the traditional way. All of their beers are made using the best English and Continental hops, together English malted barley - it really is tasty stuff and it's also brewed in Bristol. We are very happy to have them on-board providing some light refreshments for our opening night and also pleased that a local company are providing support to a local event.

If your interested in finding out more about Butcombe and their beers head to http://www.butcombe.com/

Tamany Baker

Tamany Baker is an artist who uses photography to examine our inner worlds and has exhibited widely in the UK and internationally. Teaching photography at the UWE and Plymouth Universities she also holds an MA in Documentary Photography. She has recently published her first monograph Transient Beauty and the Living with Wolfie series will be published later this year by Dewi Lewis. In 2009 she won the Conceptual and Constructed professional Fine Art category in the Sony World Photography Awards.

Living with Wolfie

The series Living with Wolfie (2008) documents my response to the 'presents' that Wolfie, my beloved cat, brings into the home. At first, I experienced some kind of horror: these dead creatures waiting for me in different parts of my house. Then I looked at Wolfie and tried to understand the instincts which brought them there. It reminded me of the difficulty I have in understanding the behaviours of the opposite sex or of a different tribe. At the time, my ex-partner had been unfaithful and I saw some parallels in coming to terms with the difficult habits of the 'other', whilst also accepting their difference.

Untitled from the series, Living with Wolfie

"The ceremonial aspect of these photographs is similar to the Victorian practice of making a shrine from photographs of deceased loved ones, using flowers and locks of hair to preserve the memory of the living. With these images, I am instead making a photograph of a shrine, engaging with the changing patterns of nature to bring myself closer to the memory of death and loss. The ritualised photograph becomes my way of coming to terms with the traces of violence. It may also be a way of acknowledging certain destructive behaviours within myself (my own alien 'other'), as I become Wolfie's accomplice in playing with the dead animals."

Submitting your slideshow

It's great to see the entries for the life.still slideshow coming in already and we hope to see more as the exhibition draws nearer. If you are unsure about submitting your work please do contact us at life.stillbristol@googlemail.com with any queries. In the meantime I thought I could blog some inspiration in the form of a few short slideshows. Enjoy.

Weston Beach Race - Photographs, Audio & Production by Mike Lusmore - Copyright Mike Lusmore (www.mikelusmore.com)

Introducing John Angerson

Starting this week we will be introducing the photographers who will be taking part in the life.still exhibition. We hope this will give you an insight into the work that will be exhibited and entice you to come along. First up is the award winning and Bristol born photographer John Angerson.

John's work explores the different languages of documentary photography. His images are concerned with changing cultural landscapes and address definitions of community - focusing on how specific communities form, shift and develop. His critically acclaimed personal work has been exhibited at major art institutions and he has worked across the world on photographic commissions for a variety of international publications.


Work in progress: English Journey.

Cardiff Cobras versus Bristol Bullocks during an American football match at the sports ground of the British Aerospace welfare association. British aerospace built the supersonic plane Concorde that was in service from 1976 and continued for 27 years. Concorde’s ‘final retirement’ flight landed at Bristol Filton Airport.

Since its publication 75 years ago, 'English Journey' by JB Priestley has become a benchmark for writers, social historians and photographers. George Orwell's 'The Road to Wigan Pier' and much of the work of photographer Bill Brandt bear its influence; it was even mooted that it played a part in the policy-making decisions of the Labour Government in 1945.

This contemporary photographic journey embraces the spirit of Priestley's ‘English Journey’, by using the subtitle of the book: ‘Being a rambling but truthful account of what one man saw and heard and felt and thought during a journey through England.’

"As my journey has taken shape, another global economic downturn similar to that of the 1930s has taken hold. 'Americanisation' and homogenisation seem to penetrate almost every town and city. The England I discovered is manufacturing less and has become highly reliant on technology. Celebrity culture and its media stronghold is fast becoming a national obsession. The perceived threat of global terrorism means new laws have been created curtailing the freedom to photograph in public places and PR departments are increasingly stringent as to how their organisations are portrayed.

However, the open-hearted spirit of the people I have encountered while wandering across England has made me believe, as JB Priestley did, that we work as individuals towards a common goal of cooperation never forgetting that we are all dependent on one another."

howies

It has been a busy weekend over at howies in Bristol as the team were gearing up for their new exhibition 'Deckades' to start. They did have time however to start promoting our show which will follow (see howies brainfood blog here).

Deckades was a jam packed event and I spoke to a bunch of people who were excited at the prospect of being part of our show. I've had quite a few people asking about the sort of submissions we are hoping to receive for the open slideshow part of the event.

The slideshow is open to all, you can be a professional or an amateur - it doesn't matter. The only stipulation is that your photos have a theme or a story. In the meantime we will try and post some ideas on this blog to get your creative juices flowing.

Poster for the show

Our poster will hopefull go live on the howies blog today! See the image below designed by the the talented Rachael.

John Angerson, Gina Lundy, Tamany Baker, Mike Lusmore and Rebecca Harley are currently the confirmed photographers who will be exhibiting in the life.still show and information about their work will soon be posted on the blog. We’ve also posted the guidelines for the slideshow under Submit slideshow at the top of the screen and you can find all the information how to submit you work there. Can’t wait to get some responses!

Welcome

Bringing together diverse documentary photography from Bristol, life.still invites a fresh look at the city, exploring places such as the Gloucester Road and delving into the hopes and dreams of strangers on the street. Through different formats and approaches, each individual will showcase their work offering a range of styles and themes.

The opening night will bring together exhibiting photographers, along with unknown and emerging talent through an open slideshow night. We hope to create a melting pot of exciting and thought provoking photography.

Slideshow submission guidelines coming soon...