75th Birthday Social historian Dr Roni Brown introduces Anna Fox's hyper-real photographs of Butlins and the artist picks out her best shot

What two organisations could be more contrasting recognised the social significance of Hinde's images in terms of their audience than Butlins Bognor in providing a unique record of British leisure during a Regis and Pallant House Gallery and what better period of economic change and the expansion of the reason could there be for bringing them together? package holiday industry. The commissioning of 'Resort' by documentary 'As with all Hinde imagery, they show an photographer Anna Fox was inspired by this very idealised view of the world and, after the passage idea – that the popular cultural heritage of the of time, acquire the power of a lost dream. The Butlins brand in tandem with their 75th anniversary most remarkable thing of all is that the cards were in summer 2011 provided a unique opportunity painstakingly produced not for any aspirational ideas or to provide a fresh perspective on the nature of as great art, but as humble postcards to sell for a few contemporary British leisure by one of Britain's pence to holiday makers.' (Martin Parr ) leading photographers. Like Parr, Fox sees in the Butlin's experience a series Fox's curiosity for the subject matter is causally of social encounters set against the culture, values and linked with other prominent colour photographers. commercial imperatives of a successful and evolving Fox is Professor of Photography at the University for business. Fox sees business in operation – the sets and the Creative Arts where she studied and was taught costumes, the highly trained redcoats, but she also by Martin Parr who edited John Hinde's extraordinary sees the tools, the construction and the evolving site work on Butlins from the 1960s and 70s . Hinde was a (multi-million pound hotels emerge to replace chalet leading practitioner in the field of commercial colour accommodation). 'In my photographs I have tried to photography from which he established one of the give small clues to the theatrical nature of the Butlins world's largest postcard businesses. The postcards resort by making sure there are always details of the produced for Butlins were in fact the work of Elmar world behind the stage set visible at the edges of the Ludwig, Edmund Nagele and David Noble who were images.' Fox also conveys that unique proposition of employed by Hinde to orchestrate compositions of a Butlins holiday, one that is highly self-contained, intense detail according to Hinde's house style. For safe and family orientated: children and adults alike Hinde and Bill Butlin the postcards served purely create moments of sheer fantasy – there is freedom commercial purposes. However, reproduced as large of expression here - and there is boredom and waiting scale images and seen within the context of the and conspicuous consumption too. Moving between gallery (the Museum of Modern Art in Dublin in 1993 the poles of the ordinary and extraordinary is Fox's and the Photographers' Gallery in 2007), Parr leitmotif. In Anna Fox: Photographs 1983-2007 Fox

26 Anna Fox, Fairy Make Up, Butlin's 2010 © Anna Fox, courtesy James Hyman Photography, London 27 environment. Butlins is a technically complex space to work in and to establish these images required a team of people, just as it did for Hinde's photographers in the 1960s. As Fox comments 'it has been incredibly hard shooting this project and it is vital to understand that there has been a whole team of people working for me. In particular, lighting director Vicki Churchill who has done so many inventive things both with the lighting and the direction of the shooting and Andrew Bruce who has been first assistant. Without his technical know-how and creative understanding the whole thing would have been impossible. When Hinde created his work there was never the suspicion of the

Anna Fox, Bowling Alley Spring 2011, © Anna Fox, courtesy James Hyman Photography, London photographer that exists today. The scandalous story of the photographers at the tragic incident of Diana's finds the surreal and funny in her Hampshire village, death has tarnished the public's view of photography. depicts the social fabric of Basingstoke as a new I try to mediate this anxiety by using the large format business hub, and with extraordinary care and honesty as people see this type of camera quite differently. Our explores the relationship of her parents as they deal work resembles a film set and we resemble a film crew with long term illness. The reason I find Fox's work so - at times there have been 8 of us at one shoot.' apprehending is that she appears to judge so well how Today, rightly, there are a series of ethical guidelines to engage with the subject of her work, with warmth to photographing people to ensure that those or humour, or when to observe with cool neutrality. captured in Fox's work have given their permission In the case of Butlins Fox has to contend with a set and understand the curatorial context in which their of popular preconceptions about the brand: not least images will be contemplated. We have been conscious Anna Fox, Small Water Play, © Anna Fox, courtesy James Hyman Photography, London the jollity of the hi-de-hi image (a phrase long since throughout the project of these and other issues of abandoned by Butlins) that seeks to undermine the representation – not only of people but the Butlins authenticity of experiences that are 'laid on' against brand and the inevitable tensions between the needs those that have the appearance at least, of being of the commercial organisation to protect and promote contrived around individual circumstances and taste. a very particular brand image and the documentary It is inescapable that the image of Butlins is tied to photographer whose purpose is to create an historical ideas about class, which through the popular media record. Jeremy Pardey, the Resort Director at Butlins has been satirised for its overtly popularist stance. Bognor Regis, has perhaps unusually and bravely placed Such well-rehearsed perceptions became evident his trust in the highly individual vision of the artist – with the opening of the Butlins Ocean Spa Hotel at and this brought with it considerable risk. As Pardey Bognor Regis in 2009 in which the press contrasted says, the most challenging aspect of the project has the image of dowdy camp goers with an uber-modern been 'getting everyone to understand the brand and exuberance that only a company so invested in the idea the journey we are on.' of family fun could conjure up. Yet the history of Butlins There is a deliberately hyper-real quality to Fox's attests to the very idea of supplying 'affordable luxury': interpretation of the Butlins experience – that is many of the early buildings were deliberately designed contrasted with simple everyday pleasures. As Fox says to echo the visual iconography of transatlantic liners 'I am interested in how we all are in society and our alongside the programming of high profile 'names' for desires, more than I am actually interested in the brand. the of guests. For Fox the matter of The brand has grown out of our society and as such representation lies less in dealing with the image of could be seen as a metaphor for our desires.' Butlins, richly laden as it is, but with authenticating the experience of a highly diverse range of holiday-makers Anna Fox: RESORT is on show in Rooms 15 and 16 from – as diverse in age, ethnicity, culture and aspiration as 25 June to 2 October 2011. Dr Roni Brown will talk about any community outside London. the history of Butlins with Roger Billington, Head of If ideas about representation pose artistic Butlins archive on Thursday 7 July at 6pm. Please visit challenges then so too does the technical and working www.pallant.org.uk for more information. Anna Fox, Bar Summer 2010, © Anna Fox, courtesy James Hyman Photography, London

28 29 My Best shot OCEAN HOTEL RESTAURANT SUMMER 2010

© Anna Fox, courtesy James Hyman Photography, London anna fox

This photograph, of the Ocean Hotel’s new restaurant, was to attempt to look at the contemporary face of enough back to get a good composition with them represents a breakthrough for me in shooting the Butlins with the same kind of vision. in. The family nearer the window were more ideal; Butlins project RESORT; it was my first experience of The Ocean Hotel is the most recently built framed by the bright pink wall they carried on eating working with a team, as opposed to on my own, and accommodation on the Butlins site and so it was without bothering to give me a second glance – with Vicki Churchill directing the lighting (who then important to photograph it; it is a playfully designed a strange situation with three or four lights directed became more and more involved on each subsequent building. I had tried the foyer and still wanted to at them, a 5x4 camera on a tripod and a digital shoot) it was a revelation to discover how much photograph the actual bedrooms but the restaurant Nikon also on a tripod, wires running all over the more could be achieved in an image with a highly and bar were immediately appealing; they literally place. The family were perfect for the shot and the skilled group. breathed bright colour. It was a blue sky day and this colours of their clothing and the push chair were That day, in the Ocean Hotel, there were three of is always helpful if there is a window in the shot (in uncannily appropriate. The little girl, with painted us; I was working on a 5x4 camera which was new the sense that grey skies are too pale and rarely fill tiger face, started to get impatient and could not for me. On later shoots the team expanded to around the space well). We came into the bar area to find resist turning to look at us – I took the first shot just eight; each person with a specific role (or two) either several families with small children eating lunch. before she started to pose and act up for the camera to do with lighting, digital capture, documentation, As Vicki set up the lights and the digital camera in dramatic style. It was a brief moment when her eye model releasing as well as the actual camera (for test shots – necessary to check for unwanted caught my lens and we were lucky enough work. Teamwork has been hugely influential in the reflections etc) to be ready. development of this project; we were able to use more I made sure I talked to everyone inside the restaurant lights – particularly important in the large interiors – and my assistant Steve checked everyone passing by Anna Fox: RESORT is on show from 25 June to 2 every aspect of the shot was checked and re-checked outside. It was remarkable that everyone agreed to October 2011. Anna Fox will be talking about her work and it was also possible to deal properly with the public be in the shot – frequently restaurants are the most and the RESORT project in an event on Thursday 4 who may be walking in and out of the images. challenging places as people really do not like being August at 6pm. Please see the What's On leaflet or visit I had known the John Hinde images of Butlins for photographed while eating. It takes time to set up and www.pallant.org.uk for more information. Anna Fox is sometime and admired the very staged compositions I was incredibly anxious as people were fast finishing represented by the James Hyman Gallery, London. and the stunning colour he used making the images their meals. There was a wonderful big group of three For all sales enquiries please contact feel like theatrical sets. My intention from the start families near the door but I couldn’t quite get far [email protected]

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