66 28 March 2020I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113Legendsof photographyIt’scommontoread
abouthowa ‘legendary’
photographer,from
a veryearlyage,was
alwaysdestinedtostalkthe
streetswitha camera.Many
weregiftedsomeequipmentin
theirfledglingyears,andbegan
documentingtheworldaround
them.NotsowithChrisKillip.
KillipwasborninDouglasin
theIsleofManin1946.After
leavingschool,hefound
employmentasa trainee
managerina hotel,theonly
four-starestablishmentinthe
IsleofMan.However,inJune
1964,Killipadmittedto
himself that perhaps hotelChrisKillipmanagementwasnotthe
futurehehadalwaysdreamed
of.Hesoonrealisedhewould
havetoleavetheIsleofMan.
Hebeganworkingasa beach
photographer,capturingthe
holidaymakersandfamilies
thatgatheredontheIsleof
Man’ssandybeachesbegging
tosoakupthemeagreraysofa
wantingBritishsummer.
Thankfully,it didn’ttakelong
tosavesomemoney.Killipwas
livinginLondonbyOctoberof
thesameyearandwasquickly
employedasthirdassistantto
AdrianFlowers,oneof
London’sleadingadvertising
photographers. After viewingdocumentaryphotographers,
suchasJohnBulmer,used
colourtobringtheNorthto
life.Killipworkedagainstthat,
creatingclassicmonochrome
imagesthatintheirownway
emphasisedtherealityofthe
streets.Equally,theimages
exploredthelifethatlaywithin
theeconomicturmoilofthe
times.Buthisimagesarenever
sensational,grimor
exploitative;theyoozevitality.
Lookattheimageabove,taken
atTheStationmusicvenuein
Gateshead.Thepunk
movementinBritain,fromthe
late1970sthroughtothe’80s,
wasa grassrootsmovementof
youthrebellionthatKillip
documentsinsummer’85.
Theseimagesareunknown
inKillip’sbodyofwork.In
fact,theywererecently
discoveredbyhisson,who
founda boxofcontactsheets.
They’renolessvitalthanhis
morefamousimages,including
theoneshecontinues to
taketothisday.Killip’sworkwentagainstthegrain,andremainsasimportanttoday as itever was, writesOliver Atwellhisfirstrealphotography
exhibitioninNewYork,Killip
finallysawthepathhehad
beenseekinghiswholelife.
Photographydidn’thavetobe
commercial,concernedonly
withsellinga productor
service.It couldbea creative
forceofart,somethingthat
carriedmeaning.Withthisin
mind,hereturnedtotheIsleof
Mantomakedocumentary
workandearnedmoneyinthe
eveningworkinginhisfather’s
pub.Theworkheproduced
duringthistimecaughtthe
attentionofvariousgalleries
andpublications,andhewas
awardedcommissionsthat
allowedhimtodevelopa style
andbodyofworkthathasgone
ontoberecognisedassomeof
themostimportantimagesin
post-warBritishphotography.
Hismostsignificantworkwas
shoton4x5black&whitefilm
inthenorth-eastofEngland
andwaspublishedinhis 1988
bookInFlagrante.
Killip’simagesarenotablefor
severalreasons,chiefamong
themthefactthattheywere
shotinblack&white.The
formathadfallenoutoffavour
a little during the 1980s, where© CHRIS KILLIP
© MARTIN PARR / MAGNUM PHOTOS
TheStationin
Gateshead, 1985TheStationbyChrisKillipopenson
25 Marchuntil 23 Mayat theMartinParr
Foundationin Bristol.Entryis free.
http://www.martinparrfoundation.org