10 3 August 2019I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113Also out nowThelatestandbestbooksandexhibitionsfromthe world of photographyBennyProfane
ByKenGrant,RRBBooks,£60, 88 pages,
hardback,ISBN978-1-9997275-7-
ASA YOUNGman,KenGrantworked
asa labourerin thedocklanddistrictof
BirkenheadontheRiverMersey.The
periodstayedwithhim,andit wasonlya
matterof timebeforehewouldreturnas
a photographerto documentit in order
tounitethepastandthepresent.
Thesephotographs,takenbetween 1989 and1997,
focusontheriver’shinterland,cinderpaths,dockland
andtheexpansivelandfill thatoccupiesBidstonMoss.
Grant’simagesshowusthesymbiosisbetweenthe
localsandthelocation.Childrenplay.Adultsscavenge.
Somesimplyexistin thespace,contenttotakein the
surroundingsthatdocumentthediscardedremnants
of civilisation.Thereis somethingoddlyquietaboutthe
imageswhichGrantinvestswithquietcontemplation.
In1995,thelandfill wastransformedintoa nature
reserve.Thisbookis a vitaltimecapsule,tellingusas
muchabouttheareaandthepeopleasthediscarded
waste that lies beneath.★★★★★Oliver Atwell© KEN GRANTNortherners‘Northerners:AnExhibitionbyRoryLewissponsoredbyEpson’is onat WexPhotoVideo,Unit4, DowningStreet
Industrial Estate, Charlton Place, Manchester M12 6HH, until 1 October. Entry is free. Visitwww.wexphotovideo.comS
usanRidgeis thefirstwoman
to holdtherankof Major
Generalin theBritishArmy.
It’sa remarkableachievement,
andonethatrequiredheruniformto be
custommade.Ridgeis justoneof 278
membersof theBritishArmythatportrait
photographerRoryLewishascapturedin
recentyears.It’sa strikingpicture,andone
thatsumsupthemixof professionalism,
determinationandauthorityrequiredto
succeedin sucha role.
Lewis’sportraitof theMajorGeneral
appearsin a newexhibitionat WexPhoto
Videoin Manchester,alongsideimages
of,amongothers,KarlPilkington(the
buffoonfromAnIdiotAbroad), Olympic
gymnastBethTweddle,andBritishactor
IanMcShane(betterknownasLovejoy),
alltakenoverthepast 10 years.It’san
eclecticmix,andthefactthatthesitters
allhailfromtheNorthof theUKgives
themsomecommonground.However,
it’sthevisualsimilaritiesthatreallypull
thissettogether.
Eachshotshowsthesitter’sheadand
shoulders, allowing their clothes to playa keypartin expressingtheirindividuality.
Lewisdeliberatelyinjectsmomentsof
spontaneity,andevenawkwardness,
intohispictures,uncoveringaspectsof
thesitter’scharacter,andliftingtheveil
ontheirpublicpersona.Hetakeshis
inspirationfrompainterssuchasHans
HolbeintheYounger,Caravaggioand
Titian,andthisappreciationof themasters
showsin hisapplicationandcontrolof
light(mostof theportraitsweretaken
usinga CanonEOS5DMarkIV,Profoto
B10lightsandLastolitebackdrops).
Whatmakestheseportraitssostriking
is theirapparentsimplicity,andtheway
thatactors,politiciansandsportsmenare
givenequalbilling.Lewiswillbehosting
a portraitworkshopat thevenueon
29 August,whichwillprovidea great
opportunitytolearnmoreabouthis
photographymethodsandhowtoapply
thesetoyourownportraitphotography.
‘Northerners’is onshowuntil 1
October,withfreeentry.Lookoutforan
interviewwithRoryLewis in an upcoming
issueof AP,too.
Tracy CalderBOOKEXHIBITIONEXHIBITIONPausingforBreath:A
RetrospectivebyJonNicholson
AugustusBrandt,NewlandsHouse,Petworth.
Entryis free.www.augustusbrandt.co.uk
JONNICHOLSON’Scareerhasspanned 35 yearsand
manycontinents.PerhapsbestknownforhisFormula
Oneimages,hewasthelastpersonto photograph
AyrtonSennabeforehisdeathin 1994.Nicholsonhas
alsotakenpicturesin a hugearrayof otherlocations,
includingbeinganofficialphotographerat twoOlympic
games(Barcelona 1992 andLondon2012).Healso
spenta yeardocumentingtheathleteLinfordChristie,
aswellasshootingbehindthescenesat ChelseaFC
andFCBarcelona.Moreserioustopicsincludejoining
theUNin Africato coverwar,genocide,famineand
HIV/Aids.Forhislatestproject,theDukeof Richmond
hasgrantedhimaccessto theGoodwoodEstate.
You’vestillgota bitof timetocatchthisdisplay
whichrunsuntil 10 Augustat Petworth.Thephotos
areimpressive,oftenpoignant and worth a diversion
to see. Amy DaviesBy Rory LewisIan McShane and Susan Ridge are among the northerners featured in Rory Lewis’s exhibition© RORY LEWIS