Kodachrome retrospective exhibition

Posted on 05/12/2010 by Paul Debois

As noted in the post on 30th August, Kodachrome processing finally ceases on 30th December 2010. To celebrate the end of an era, the Association of Photographers are staging an exhibition of work by AOP members taken on this classic film. I heard this week that two of my images have been selected.

BMW 5 Series, shot on Kodachrome 64 for Car Magazine in 1990

One of my last Kodachrome images from 1990 - Austin Healey badge taken for the book, The Original Austin Healey, by Bay View Books.

The exhibition runs from 18th January to 10th February 2011. More information, along with travel details, will be available on the AOP website, though as I write, the announcement has not been published.

Two new exhibitions: Shades of Winter at Fulham Palace, and Red Dot at the Association of Photographers Gallery

Posted on 04/12/2010 by Paul Debois

There are two new exhibitions where I have photographs on display, both in London. The first, Shades of Winter, is a joint exhibition at Fulham Palace, with photographer Caroline Ames. I have 10 of the Pinhole Impressions series on display (see previous postings) and Caroline has 10 photographs of Fulham Palace, taken last winter. A large version of 43 Gardeners’ Hands is also on display. This runs from 24th November 2010 to 27th February 2011. For more information and travel details, see the Fulham Palace website.

Pinhole Impressions 6 - Fagus Sylvatica Pendula

The second exhibition is the Red Dot charity auction at the Association of Photographers Gallery, where I have two images on display. This is an annual event where silent bidding starts at £40 for all prints. All profits from print sales will be donated to the charity Photovoice, a multi-award winning charity based in London. Its mission is to bring about positive social change for marginalised communities, providing them with photographic training with which they can advocate, express themselves and generate income. You can view all images online, or see the images on display at the AOP gallery from 1st December 2010 to 13th January 2011 – Opening hours: Monday – Friday, 10am – 6pm. Visit the website for travel details.

Reflections, Grand Union Canal, on display at the Red Dot exhibition.

Cape Trafalgar, Spain, on display at the Red Dot exhibition.

Away Pitch

Posted on 07/11/2010 by Paul Debois

Away Pitch - Pinhole Impressions photograph with Mick Grocott ©Vitor Azevedo

Earlier this year, I was invited to submit an image to an exhibition called ‘Away Pitch‘ at The Brewhouse Arts Centre in Burton on Trent. Curated by artist Vitor Azevedo, the exhibition combined art and poetry. Works were placed with local sports people, who recorded their reactions and responses to them in the form of books, photographs and recordings. The launch was held in July 2009 at The Brewhouse, and included a dance performance combining sportsmen and professional dancers, a youth community dance piece and the unveiling of the Pitch exhibition. Over 170 people attended the event that was well received and has since continued to bridge the gap between art and sport in a positive way.

One of my Pinhole Impressions Series, Tilia Tomentosa (Lime tree), was placed with Mick Grocott, a referee, who was photographed by Vitor. All works were accompanied by text by poet and playwright Kev Fegan.

Other sports people included Alison Williamson, an archer for Team-GB, Jenny Booth, Gold medal winner at Atlanta 1996 for Paralympic Swimming, sprinter Alex Nelson from Stoke on Trent, Keiran McAvoy, Newcastle under Lyme’s Sports personality of the Year, BMX Four Cross Mountain bike rider and boxer Frazer Clarke from Burton Upon Trent.

Vitor is currently working on a book to accompany the exhibition, which will tour the region.

The Beards of Manchester

Posted on 22/10/2010 by Paul Debois

Beards of Manchester Calendar © Gill Moore

Just a quick note about a great project called the Beards of Manchester. In aid of the charity Lifeshare, which is a voluntary organisation established to help meet the needs of the homeless and disadvantaged in Manchester and Salford, photographer Gill Moore has been busily photographing the hairy, hirsute and follically unchallenged in and around the streets of the city. A calendar has been produced at lightening speed with the top 12 stubbly faces, chosen from over 200 possibles.

This was launched last night at Common Bar, Northern Quarter, Manchester , where the 12 final images will be exhibited. At the moment the calendar will only be available in Manchester, but will be available online soon – so one for the Christmas stocking in aid this worthwhile charity. Gill is apparently having a well earned rest after her marathon shoot – and is dreaming about electric razors!

UPDATE: Since the original posting, the calendar has been made available to purchase online.

Eadweard Muybridge, the Muybridgizer and frightening chickens with a torpedo.

Posted on 15/10/2010 by Paul Debois

Last week I visited the new Eadweard Muybridge exhibition at Tate Britain. On leaving the gallery, I saw a note on the foyer wall saying visit the cafe and download the Muybridgizer app for your iPhone. I wanted it. But it wouldn’t download. I went home – no joy. I wanted it more. Several Google searches failed to find it. Did it really exist? Were the staff at the Tate pulling a fast one? Then I tried to convince myself that it probably wouldn’t be any good. This didn’t work. I still wanted it!

Finally, today it was there in the iTunes store. I rushed out with my iPhone to test it. Was it worth the wait? Probably not, but it’s quite addictive and fun to play with. So, my first results:

shadow 1

Shadow 2

Polishing jewellery

The exhibition was fascinating. There was a wide range of work on display and a lot was new to me. Before his experiments with time sequences, Muybridge made a lot of money in the United States from some of his landscape photography, particularly with stereographs. These were small cards with two photographs of the same subject, each from a slightly different perspective. Seen through a handheld viewer, the photographs were transformed into a 3D image. He also frequently worked with an 18×24 inch plate camera, and it was noted at the time that he cut trees down by the score in the quest for the perfect view! This has crossed my mind on more than one occasion in Richmond Park. It’s not specifically mentioned in the permit terms and conditions, so I assume it’s open to debate with the Parks Police. Worth a go next time.

My favourite image, by far, was one of the sequences. Not one of the horses or athletes, which had the appearance of scientific experiments. Or the lady in a hat, jumping over a stool. Or even model 95, described as a 60 year old ex-athlete, who turned out to be Muybridge himself . ‘Frightening chickens with a torpedo’ must have been one of those tests carried out on a Friday afternoon for the sheer hell of it! It wins hands down for its pointlessness – and humour. Good job Leland Stanford, Muybridge’s patron, had a lot of money. Unfortunately , at the moment, I can’t actually find a link to the image.

The exhibition is at Tate Britain and runs from 8th September 2010 to 16th January 2011

The Palace Art Fair and the New York Affordable Art Fair

Posted on 03/10/2010 by Paul Debois

Just a quick note to say that I will be exhibiting recent work at the Palace Art Fair, London, from 7th to 10th October 2010. Housed in the splendid surroundings of Fulham Palace, and arranged by the organizers of the Brighton Art Fair, it promises to be a great event.

I’m also excited that some of my work, the Pinhole Impressions series, along with 43 Gardeners’ Hands, will be at the New York City Affordable Art Fair this weekend, represented by Will’s Art Warehouse.

Tulip petals and Miscanthus sinensis. New work at the Palace Art Fair

Images from the Manton de Manila series. New work at the Palace Art Fair.

Clouds - New work at the Palace Art Fair

Exhibition of Pinhole Impressions photographs, Costa de la Luz series – at Los Balcones del Califa, Vejer de la Frontera, Spain – from 19th February 2010

Posted on 04/02/2010 by Paul Debois

At the same time I was taking the Pinhole Impressions monochrome series (see previous post), I was also photographing the dramatic coastline near Cape Trafalgar, Andalucia, in Southern Spain. This time vivid colour images were produced, using the same pinhole camera.

Around 12 images from this set will be exhibited at Los Balcones del Califa, in the hilltop town of Vejer de la Frontera, Cádiz. The gallery is situated only a few kilometres from the beautiful Cape Trafalgar and the town of Conil, where the photographs were taken. There will also be a limited edition book produced to illustrate the exhibition. This will be available from the 19th February.

Los Balcones is part of La Casa del Califa hotel and the exhibition runs from 19th February 2010, with a private view and will carry through until after Easter. The exhibition is being curated by James Stuart, MD of Grupo Califa.

Location: La Califa, Plaza de España, 16, Vejer de la Frontera, 11150 Cádiz. tel: 956 447 730

Pinhole Impressions 24 - waves breaking on rocks at Cala Puntalejo, Conil, in the south of Spain

Pinhole Impressions 24 - Cala Puntalejo, Conil, in the south of Spain

Pinhole Impressions 42 - Cala Puntalejo, Conil, in the south of Spain

Pinhole Impressions 25 - Cala Puntalejo, Conil, in the south of Spain

Pinhole Impressions 27 - Cala Puntalejo, Conil, in the south of Spain

Pinhole Impressions 26 - sunset at Puerto de Conil, in the south of Spain

Pinhole Impressions 50 - Cala Puntalejo, Conil, in the south of Spain

Vistas and Views Exhibition – Will’s Art Warehouse, 30th January 2010 until 26th February 2010.

Posted on 01/02/2010 by Paul Debois

In November 2007 I started experimenting with film again, after a break of several years. More specifically, I was testing a pinhole camera. Digital had become very much the norm for commercial work and I just had a hunch about the effects that I could achieve using really simple equipment.

The black and white photographs I took at RHS Wisley through the winter of 2007 and 2008 evolved into a project I called ‘Pinhole Impressions’. They illustrate trees and the effect of wind as the leaves begin to fall. This series of images has just gone on show at Will’s Art Warehouse, London, as part of an exhibition called Vistas and Views. The work has been included with that of five other artists, who produce landscape work in various media – Nick Andrew – Nicole Etienne – Elaine Jones – Jonathan Pocock – Amanda Ralfe and Sarah Ross Thompson.

The two Tilia Tomentosa or Lime trees were the first taken in the series and have always been my favourites. I have been asked several times how difficult it was to blur the clouds in Photoshop. The answer is always met with disappointment when I say the images were shot in camera with no trickery – it was a genuinely windy day! The only enhancement is good old fashioned dodge and burn – but on my computer, not in the darkroom!

The Pinhole Impressions series, numbers One to Six, were previously exhibited in the International Garden Photographer of the year Exhibition at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in 2008 and at Wakehurst Place in 2009.

Will’s Art Warehouse – 180 Lower Richmond Road, Putney, London SW15 1LY England t: +44 (0)20 8246 4840

Pinhole Impressions, Tilia Tomentosa at RHS Wisley

Pinhole Impressions 2, Tilia Tomentosa at RHS Wisley

Pinhole Impressions 4, Acer Henryi at RHS Wisley

Pinhole Impressions 3 Lime tree or Tilia Tomentosa at RHS Wisley

Pinhole Impressions 3, Tilia Tomentosa at RHS Wisley

Pinhole Impressions 6 - Fagus Sylvatica Pendula or Weeping Beech at RHS Wisley

Pinhole Impressions 6 - Fagus Sylvatica Pendula at RHS Wisley

Pinhole Impressions 5, Poplar at RHS Wisley

Pinhole Impressions 1, Poplar at RHS Wisley

Paul Debois

Photographer

Category Archives: exhibitions