249: In_tuition: Photography (001)

In_tuition, every Tuesday @ BLANKSPACE

That rare mutant beast erupted today, which is a hammy-dramatic way of saying this month had a fifth Tuesday in it.  And this means In_tuition at BLANKSPACE becomes photography day; I think this calls for an exclamation mark.  I rudely turned up late, and rudely left early (I had a headache and couldn’t stop yawning), but the time I spent there was extremely interesting.  When I arrived conversation was already in full swing, and the turnout was grand. 

Chris Leyland, Animal Remains series,
@ BlankWeekend 2010

Blank Media Collective member Chris Leyland (our Community Arts & Learning Coordinator) was unfurling some of his images onto the floor in the middle of the circle.  I’m glad I made it for this, because it was a chance to see new developing work and enter a lively discussion about its development.  It’s not for me to tell all about Chris’ work in progress, but it was impressive (as his work always is) and can’t wait to see it develop.  

(I made the general observation that aesthetically it sort of reminded me of some of Dave McKean’s work, particularly some of The Sandman covers.  Really they have next to nothing in common, but nevermind.  I reproduce a couple here, partly for fun, and partly because I think they are ace.  This website, the Dave McKean Collector has a massive collection of his art.)

Also present was Iain Goodyear (whose work can be seen on his blog Almost Photography, and who is the BMC official photographer).  His background is in film editing and teaching and has only recently become interested in photography.  He brought a number of images for us to see and pore over.  The one that grabbed people the most seemed to be Mancunian Way at Night.  It’s a highly stylised urban/night time sort of image.  It looks cool, too cool, but looking through his blog I see other pictures that I personally prefer:

Mancunian Way at Night

Urban Cut, is a study of the trimmed back remnants of a tree or bush of some description, forcing its way out of a rumble of rubble and a deteriorating red brick wall.  It seems to capture a larger scene despite being a close-up; it’s one of those images that makes you think about life and the unsettling contrast between the facts that cities are built to live in, yet as they grow they become more and more hostile to life.

Urban Cut

Shoe Box Living (or Shoe Box as I want to call it), again I think is a great image.  It captures rows and columns of identical abodes, personalised in the most minimal fashion with tables and chairs on balconies.  I can imagine it repeating for ever like one of those 80s computer games where you appear at the bottom if you move off the top of the screen.  It also makes me want to climb, while simultaneously giving me vertigo; that’s a dangerous game to play.

Shoe Box Living

Also present (besides members of the BMC team) were David Morris, whose photos I want to talk about, but I can’t find a website for him.  He still sticks doggedly to film photography and takes as few photos as possible.  I hope he will make good use of the DARK ROOM at BLANKSPACE.  There was another chap whose name I can’t remember (sorry other chap), but when I've figured out these two little hiccups I’ll add some more to the end of this blog.

In summation, I’d like to have been there for the entire thing, and it showed signs of being a popular and productive group.  There were intonations and threats that photography may take over the fourth Tuesday of the month (currently reserved for a free-style mass-up thing of all art forms), however the literature & creative writing group have also made this threat.  Still, good work guys.  It may inspire me to get the ol’ SLR out and have a tinker.  In the meantime I think tomorrow I’ll go through some of the best of my old photos and stick them up here for everyone to have a good old fashioned peer at.

This was just a quick post before bed, but tomorrow I think I'll continue the photography theme.  In_tuition was inspiring.  Thanks to everyone who came, and especially all who showed work.