Cynefin, Welsh Landscapes Photographs by Tom Wood

SIT DOWN………………………………………...……………….……… 4, rue sainte-anastase … 75003 paris … france … www.sitdown.fr … tél. 00 33 (0)1 42 78 08 07

Cynefin, Welsh landscapes Photographs by Tom Wood

Exhibition from 10 November to 20 December 2015 galerie Sit Down, Paris Opening Tuesday 10 November from 6pm to 9pm in the presence of the artist

Meanwhile, the Centre Culturel Irlandais is holding major exhibition of Irish work (1973 - 2013) Personal landscapes by Tom Wood from 13 November 2015 to 10 January 2016 Opening Thursday 12 November 2015 from 6pm to 9pm (5, rue des Irlandais - 75005 Paris)

The serie "Men and Women" will be presented as part of the fair What's up Photo Doc from November 12 to 15, 2015 at La Bellevilloise in Paris.

Gruff, tenant farmer since 1942 overlooking Dolmelynllyn, 2011 © Tom Wood courtesy galerie Sit Down

“Tom Wood is one of the most thoughtful photographers working today, in any style” Richard B. Woodward, Wall Street Journal, 14 June 2013

Tom Wood : on the lookout for landscape

After 30 years spent photographing the streets of Liverpool and Merseyside, the Irish master turns his attention to the stillness of North Wales, his home for the past twelve years. Until 20 December 2015, the Galerie Sit Down is exhibiting several images from his series Cynefin. A Welsh word commonly translated as “habitat” or “place”, it can be used to describe an environment where a person feels they instinctively belong, as well as a knowledge and sense of place that is passed down through the generations. SIT DOWN………………………………………...……………….……… 4, rue sainte-anastase … 75003 paris … france … www.sitdown.fr … tél. 00 33 (0)1 42 78 08 07

Tom Wood photographs constantly, like the blinking of an eye. You’ve never met him before. But on this particular day, he’s been photographing you and your entourage for some time. When you finally do catch his eye, his arm is raised and he’s checking the screen between two sets of images he’s snapped unassumingly. He mutters a few words and grins. It’s as though this enigmatic smile, somewhere between politeness and mischief, is his answer to the question: “Why are you photographing ?”

The principle of street photography is to blend into one’s environment so as to better capture it. To try to take what chance puts right under your nose and arrange it within the frame. Unlike many of his colleagues, Tom Wood’s approach doesn’t concern itself with limiting the number of exposures: the right image emerges from the multitude. This helps him allow for for unexpected surprises, but also to forget himself : “The only way of taking good photographs is to lose consciousness of what you’re doing, to forget oneself.”

Many in New Brighton and Merseyside (Liverpool) will recall his avid image-making. Starting in 1978, Tom Wood walked the length and breadth of the streets, taking every bus, waiting for the pubs to close on Saturday nights, looking for anything out of the ordinary. He would shoot in black and white, but also in color, which he and his friend Martin Parr were early and keen advocates of.

Through his diligent work, he collected an impressive body of contemporary scenes, still-lifes and intimate portraits of isolated characters against the urban backdrop of Thatcher’s and fin-de-siècle England. From street kids, he earned the nickname: “Photieman” that is, the guy who takes the “photies“ (Liverpool ‘scouse’ slang for photographs).

He had been escaping the city to nearby North Wales on day excursions for many years, continuing an exploration of landscape begun in his homeland in the West of Ireland in the 1970s. In 2003 he moved to verdant Wales. He wanted a change of scenery, to get away from the brutality of city life, and concentrate fulltime on what he termed “the matter of landscape”. Though only an hour’s drive from Liverpool, Wood doesn’t have a driver’s license. Instead, he explored the countryside on foot, by bike, or on one of the rare buses serving the region. He would set up his tripod amidst agricultural activities, abandoned buildings and barren landscapes.

He paints the rugged portrait of a country where, aside from the occasional group of tourists, human beings have virtually vanished; but in whose woods animals thrive. The photographer seems at home here, as the title he chose for this series suggests. “Cynefin”, a Welsh expression which refers to the familiarity one feels about a place.

A new kind of formalism emerges from this environment, obtained with an old “Noblex” film camera which he had rarely used before. It warps and elongates the landscapes. Farm machinery lays like archeological ruins at the feet of majestic trees, spreading their endless branches. The interiors of the farms seem lopsided. Only the sheep appear indifferent. Sometimes, under the optical effects created by the landscape, the space seems squeezed as though by a fisheye lens. Or perhaps the photographer’s eye. As if to recall that Tom Wood and his curiosity are always on the lookout, wherever they may be.

Amaury Chardeau

SIT DOWN………………………………………...……………….……… 4, rue sainte-anastase … 75003 paris … france … www.sitdown.fr … tél. 00 33 (0)1 42 78 08 07

Biography

1951 born in the west of Ireland 1973 -1976 studies at Leicester Polytechnic B.A. (Hons) Fine Art (Painting) 1978 -2003 lives ans works in Liverpool/Merseyside 2003 settled in north Wales

Books : Forthcoming 2015/16: "Landscapes" (3 vols), Steidl Verlag, Gotttingen, Germany “The DPA Work” (Rainhill Hospital, Cammell Laird Shipyard) Steidl Verlag, Gottingen (2 vols) 2015 “Looking for Looking for Love” Sorkika, London (Special Edition) 2013 “Men and Women” Steidl Verlag, Gottingen (2 vols) 2011 “F/M” Editions 205, Villeurbanne, France 2005 “Photie Man” Steidl Verlag, Gottingen 2004 “Not Only Female…” (Exhibit Cat.) Schaden, Cologne, Germany 2001 “Bus Odyssey” Hajte Cantz, Ostfildern-Ruit, Germany 2000 “Tom Wood” (Exhibit Cat.) Galerie im Buergerhaus Neunkirchen/Saar 1999 “People” Wienand Verlag, Cologne, Germany 1998 “All Zones off Peak” Dewi Lewis Publishing, Stockport, UK 1989 “Looking for Love” Cornerhouse, Manchester & Aperture, New York

Exhibitions (Solo) : 2014 ‘Tom Wood - Landscapes’ Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno, Ffotogallery Cardiff ‘Women’ La Fondation d’ enterprise Hermes, Bern, Switzerland 2013 'Tom Wood. Britain 1973 - 2012', Ekaterina Cultural Foundation, Moscow ‘Tom Wood: Photographs 1973-2013’ National Media Museum, Bradford ‘Men and Women’ Thomas Erben Gallery, New York 2012 'Men and Women' The Photographers’ Gallery. London Galerie Albrecht, Berlin ImageSingulieres, Sete, France 'F/M' Le Bleu du ciel, Lyon, France Le Centre d’ Art, GwinZegal, Guingamp, France 2010 “Facts of Life. Photography in Britain 1974-1997” National Museum, Krakow, Poland 2009 Museum 52, London 2006 “HyperDesign” Shanghai Biennale, China 'Chelsea Reach' The Approach, London 2005 The National Museum of Photography, Copenhagen, Denmark 'Photieman' Le Chateau d’Eau, Toulouse, France Foam Museum, Amsterdam 2004 ‘Ruestrassen’ Le Centre Cultural Suisse, Paris, (in assoc. Paris Photo) Kunsthalle, Bremen, Germany Centre de la Photographie, Geneva 2003 C/O, Berlin, Germany 2002 Thomas Erben Gallery, New York Kasseler Kunstverein, Kassel, Germany Stadtische Galerie, Wolfsburg Kunsthalle, Wilhelmshaven 2001 'Bus Odyssey' Suermondt-Ludwig Museum, Aachen, Germany 2000 'People' Galerie im Buergerhaus, Neunkirchen/Saar, Kunstverein, Ulm, Germany Thomas Erben Gallery, New York 1998 'All Zones Off Peak' Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, UK Galerie F.M. Schwartz/Photokina, Cologne 1996 International Centre of Photography, New York 1989 'Looking for Love' The Photographers' Gallery, London

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Exhibitions (Joint) : 2014 l’Été photographique de Lectoure, France (with Matthais Bruggmann) 2012 Mönchehaus Museum, Goslar, Germany (with Martin Parr+Antanas Sutkus) 2009 Tom Wood and Padraig Timoney, Museum 52, London 2004 Musee de l’Elysee, Lucanne, Switzerland (with Larry Sultan) 2003 “Gary Winogrand and Tom Wood” Galerie Thomas Zander, Cologne 1996 “Inside Out” Galerie du Jour Agnes b., Paris (with Richard Billingham and Paul Seawright)

Exhibitions (Group) : 2015 “Work, Rest, Play: British Photography from 1960s to Today” Shenzen and Minsheng Art Museum Shanghai, China “Eyes Wide Open” Fotografie Forum Frankfurf. Also Berlin, Vienna and Munich. 2014 “Augen Auf!” Deichtorhallen Internationale Kunst und Photographie, Hamburg. “Punctum: Reflections on Photography” Salzburger Kunstverein, Germany 2011 “Resonance 2011” La Biennale de Lyon, France “Nothing in the Place” Bunkier Sztuki Contemporary Art Gallery, Krakow & Brighton Biennial, Photo Fringe 2009 “Manners” Focke Museum, Bremen, Germany “Light Writing” Literaturhaus Cologne, Germany “Planete Parr” Jeu de Paume, Paris 2008 “Baby” Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam, 2007 “How We Are: Photographing Britain”, Tate Britain, London “Shrinking Cities” Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit, USA “Centre of the Creative Universe, Liverpool and the Avant-Garde”, Tate Gallery, Liverpool “On View” Photo London, Old Billingsgate, London Frieze Art Fair London, (Approach Gallery) 2006 “Closed Eyes” Museum for Fotokunst, Odense, Denmark “People and Places” Museum of Modern Art, New York “La Boum II” Sies+ Hoke Galerie, Dusseldof 2005 “24 x 36” Leica Gallery, New York 2004 “Wirklich Wahr! Realitatsvesprechen von Fotographien” Ruhrlandmuseum, Essen “Schrumpfende Stadte” Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin “Sammlung Kunne” Kunsthalle, Bremen, Germany “Relating To Photography” FFI – Fotografie Forum International, Frankfurt “Street Life” Rotunda Galerie, Cologne, Germany “We go round and round…”, COMME CA Gallery, New York “Sad Beautiful Life” C/O Berlin, Germany “L’amour Toujours” galerieXprssns, Hamburg, Germany 2002 “Becks Futures”, ICA, London “Zipp” Kassler Kunstverein, Kassel 2001 “The Sidewalk Never Ends” Art Institute of Chicago, USA 2000 “Les Photographies Collectionnees par agnes b” Centre National de la Photographie, Paris 1999 “Internationale Fototage” Herten, Germany 1996 “Blindspot” Paolo Baldicci Gallery, New York 1995 “20 Modern British Photographs” Victoria & Albert Museum, London 1994 “Street Photography” Victoria & Albert Museum, London

Selected Public Collections : Museum of Modern Art New York International Centre of Photography New York Art Institute of Chicago Victoria & Albert Museum London National Museum Of Photography, Copenhagen British Council London Stadt. Galerie Wolfsburg, Germany National Media Museum, Bradford Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool SIT DOWN………………………………………...……………….……… 4, rue sainte-anastase … 75003 paris … france … www.sitdown.fr … tél. 00 33 (0)1 42 78 08 07

Awards : 2007 “Major Production Award” The Arts Council of Wales 2002 “Prix Dialogue de l’Humanite” (Outreach Award), Recontres d’Arles, France 2000 “Year of the Artist”, Arts Council of England 1999 Terrance Donovan Award, Royal Photographic Society 1996 Artist Honorarium, International Centre of Photography, New York 1995 Photography Publishing Grant, Arts Council of England

Short-listed : 2002 Awards for Artists Paul Hamlyn Foundation 2001 Becks Futures Award, Institute of Contemporary Art, London 1996 The Arts Foundation Fellowship

TV / Radio : 2014 “What Do Artists Do All Day?” BBC4 UK (30 mins) “l’Été photographique de Lectoure” Arte TV France 01/08/14 (3mins) 2013 “The Works” RTE Ireland (9 mins) 2007 Tom Wood Deutschlandfunk – DLR National Radio, (50 mins) 2004 “Tom Wood Photieman” - Deutschland Radio Berlin, Interview with Jochen Stöckmann, 7/7/04 URL: http://www.dradio.de/dlr/sendungen/fazit/283249/ 2002 “The Talk Show” – TV BBC4, 7/5/02 (Becks Futures profile) 2000 “Ticket to ride” - Granada TV (38 mins) 1990 “Tom Wood photographer”, The Great North Show - Granada TV (8mins) 10/8/90

INFORMATIONS

Cynefin, Welsh lanscapes by Tom Wood Personal landscapes by Tom Wood Galerie SIT DOWN Centre Culturel Irlandais Exhibition from 10 November to 20 December 2015 Exhibition from 13 November 2015 to 10 January 2016 Opening Tuesday 10 November from 6pm – 9pm 5, rue des Irlandais - 75005 Paris to Tuesday to Saturday de 2pm to 7pm Tél : +33 1 58 52 10 30 and by appointment http://www.centreculturelirlandais.com/ 4, rue Sainte Anastase - 75003 Paris Tel : +33 (0)1 42 78 08 07 PRESS CONTACT : e -mail : [email protected] - www.sitdown.fr Rosetta Beaugendre [email protected] Press pictures on request Tél : +33 1 58 52 10 34 PRESS CONTACT : Catherine Philippot & Prune Philippot - Relations Media Tél : + 33 1 40 47 63 42 cathphilippot@relation s-media.com prunephilippot@relations -media.com

SIT DOWN………………………………………...……………….……… 4, rue sainte-anastase … 75003 paris … france … www.sitdown.fr … tél. 00 33 (0)1 42 78 08 07

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