10 7 September 2019I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113
Also out nowThelatestandbestbooksandexhibitions
fromthe world of photography
AnyaBroido’sPeople
TheObservatory,London,WC1.Entryis free.
ANEXCITINGnewphotographictalent,Anya
Broidois a London-basedphotographerworkingin
portraiture,fineartanddocumentaryphotography.
Shehasalreadybeenfeaturedin severalpublications,
withherworkpublishedin thefantasticPortraitof
Britainseries.
Thisexhibitionaimstoshowushowanentirelifetime
canbecapturedin a singlemomentin time,ora single
portraitshot.Twoseriescanbeseenin thedisplay–
onefromLondon’sSoho,whichis anongoingseries
thatchartstheperpetualflowof peoplethrough
thearea’sstreetsat night– andthesecondfrom
TelAviv,whichreflectsona generationof peoplenot
readytogiveupthepartylifestyle.
Runninguntil 30 September,thisexhibitionservesas
a fantasticlessonin observedportraiture;AnyaBroido
is a nametowatchforthefuture,nodoubt.The
Observatoryis anindependentgalleryandtheseare
alwaysworthsupporting– alsorunningat thesame
time is ‘Martin Adlam: Metropolis’.Amy Davies© ANYA BROIDOArtist rooms
Self evidence:
ScottishNationalPortraitGallery,1 QueenStreet,Edinburgh,EH21JD.Until 20 October,open10am-6pm,freeentry
NationalGalleriesof Scotland
andTatejointlyownimages
fromtheARTISTROOMS
photographycollection–
andit is a vastandrichcollectionof
morethan1,600worksof modernand
contemporaryartwhichdrawsonresources
fromseveralhighlyesteemednames.
Celebratingtheworkof threeof the
20thcentury’sgreatestandbest-known
photographers,thelatest‘SelfEvidence’
exhibitionhasa particularfocuson
self-portraitureandself-representation.
It alsoexplorestheconnectionsand
similaritiesbetweenthethreeAmerican
photographers,eachof whomproduced
workwhichwaswidelyconsidered
groundbreakingorrevolutionary,and
sometimescontroversial.Tragically,
onethreadthatunitesthethreeis an
often-tormentedexistence and an
untimelydemise.
Searchforidentity
TheARTISTROOMSholdsa significant
bodyof workbyDianeArbus.Theshow
includesthelimited-editionportfolio,
A Boxof TenPhotographs(19 6 9 -71) ,
which was selected by Arbus herself and
assuchis somethingwecanassume
shewashappytorepresenthowshe
sawherself,orat leasthowshewanted
tobeviewedasa photographer.Shedied
in July 1971 aftertakingherownlifeat
theageof 48.
Meanwhile,FrancescaWoodmanfirst
startedexploringherownidentityaged
just13,continuingtoexperimentwiththe
ideaanddevelopingherownpractice
untilherveryearlydeathin 1981at just
22 yearsold.
Finally,a seriesof portraitsof Robert
Mapplethorpeshowsthephotographer’s
varyingpersonas,asexpressedforthe
camera.Theydocumenthisdeclining
healthasa resultof contractingAIDS–
poignantly,theexhibitioncomes 30 years
afterhisdeathat theageof 42.
Foranyonewhohasaninterestin
20thcenturyphotography,creative
portraitureandusingoneselfasa subject,
thisis anespeciallyintriguingexhibition.
Andalthoughit is eminentlyheartbreaking,
thephotographersthemselvesarepart
of thefascination,too.
Shouldyoufindyourselfin Edinburgh–
orbeluckyenoughtobea local– the
show is well worth a visit.Amy DaviesBOOKEXHIBITIONEXHIBITIONElliottErwitt’sDogs
ByElliottErwitt,teNeuesMedia,£45, 144
pages, hardcover,ISBN978-3-8327-9257-
YOUPROBABLYeitherloveorhate
ElliottErwitt,butwhateveryouthink
of him,youcan’tdenyhissuccess
andubiquity.
Dogsis anErwittclassicthathas
beenrepublishedin itsoriginallarge
size– soif youhaveyettoaddit to
yourcollection,now’sa gooda timeasany.
Severalof usontheAPteamaredog-owners,and
naturallywealllovephotographytoo– soyoumight
thinkit’sa matchmadein heaven.Forthemostpart
it is, butat thislargesizesomeof theimagesaren’t
reproducedquiteaswellastheymighthavebeenat
smallersizes.
PersonallyI’dprobablyalsoliketoseea fewcaptions
togivesomecontext,butonthewhole,it’sa beautiful
andeclecticcollectionof man’s(andwoman’s)best
friend,andonewhichwillhappilyadornanycoffee
table or bookshelf.★★★★★Amy DaviesPhotographs by Woodman,
Arbus and Mapplethorpe
Robert Mapplethorpe’s ‘Self Portrait’ (left, 1980) and Francesca Woodman’s ‘Untitled’, 1977
© ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE FOUNDATION © COURTESY OF GEORGE AND BETT Y WOODMAN