Middlesex University BA Photography

19/20 At Middlesex University, BA Photography students are given the tools, opportunities and inspiration to explore the world we live in now, investigating the communication of ideas, opinion, comment, reportage, analysis and mean- ing through the medium of photography in a commercial context.

Students can focus on editorial photography, photojour- nalism, portraiture, studio and fashion photography for magazines, newspapers, books, exhibitions and new media. Students learn through practical classes, demon- strations, lectures, tutorials and talks by a committed team of lecturers and technical staff who have a broad range of professional expertise in photography.

Middlesex has some of the best photographic facilities and staff in the UK to help students realise their creative vision and students will always be encouraged to develop their own personal approach, to think creatively and to enjoy their studies.

Many Middlesex photography graduates have received industry recognition for their work. In recent years this has included several D&AD New Blood Yellow Pencil Winners, six finalists for the National Portrait Gallery Taylor Wess- ing Photographic Portrait Prize (including the 2015 John Kobal New Work Award), winners in all three ‘5 Under 30’

Cover Image: Amanda Lasperini Cover Image: competitions run by the Daniel Blau Gallery and a national advertising commission from one of the world’s leading advertising agencies. BA Graduates Rovie Hernandez Emanuele Moi

Here for a good time Wunderkammer

Here for a good time addresses the From the documentation of the banal Symbolism within art provides a com- and relating to traditional symbol- artist’s pleasure-seeking and how it to the reconstruction of key events mon language for artists to convey, ic imagery, Wunderkammer is a can be used it to avoid or forget about from Rovie’s childhood, the photo- generate and subvert meaning. Rep- collection of coded personal icons, pain. graphs, whilst depicting seemingly resentative objects transcend their myths and symbols. Themes of life mundane details of everyday life are a mundane significance and generate and death, beauty, truth, belief and Initially a project inspired by existential- projection of his own experiences. multiple meanings depending on the fiction combine to allow an individual ism and hedonism, the work evolved cultural awareness of the viewer. interpretation of the images. into an exploration of self, touching This work functions as an escape, upon themes of adulthood, nostalgia, a coping mechanism for the artist’s Emerging from a study of the phi- guilt, and confusion. doubts and regrets. losophy of aesthetics and semiotics roviehernandez.com emanuelemoi-photography.com 6 7 Jennifer Forward-Hayter Cole Flynn Quirke

People Buy People

This project follows the public lives of From strategy workshops to exclu- Jennifer is our 3rd student to win Stalked by the fear that he may loose these memories, the images aspiring professionals. The under- sive wealth management parties, the individual award at Free Range one day loose his memories as his may help to revive them. standing of key symbols and learned insecurities are systematically ex- Photo Week One and will have a solo grandfather did after suffering from behaviours are required to achieve ploited as people look for what to do exhibition at the Truman Brewery in early onset demetia, Cole describes Cole won the Free Range Photo this lifestyle, with many outsiders per- with their lives. These programmes early 2020. She was also exhibited his work as a personal time capsule. Week One individual award in 2018 ceiving this performance to be solely create an obsession with success, as part of the British Journal of Pho- The idea that he may one day inherit and had a solo exhibition at the money and power driven. On closer based on a desire for things that no tography’s Portrait of Britain in 2018. his grandfather’s condition compels Truman Brewery in 2019 as part of inspection, this aspiration for financial one really needs. him to record his surroundings, the the prize. freedom is really one for safety and people he is close to and his expe- security. riences in the hope that should he jenniferforwardhayter.co.uk coleflynnquirke.com 8 9 Lea Thijs Sophie Gladstone

Lea’s work titled ‘Safe House’, a title surroundings at his home in South Lea recently published Safe House “The idea of self-improvement Sophie’s work centres around taken from ‘The Examined Life’ by Africa and revisit places and memo- as a photobook with Setanta Books. leading to a better life, full of money, ideas of self-improvement through Stephen Grosz, is a collaborative ries associated with his childhood in love and in uence is seductive. A consumerism and social media and documentary with and about her dad Brussels. desire within us to be ‘better’ has the futility of such pursuits. who has recently been diagnosed been co-opted by big business, so with bipolar disorder. Lea was the runner up for the Free we sell ourselves as a brand - a Since graduating Sophie has had Range Photo Week One Individual perfect package - entering a vicious work exhibited in China, Portugal and Now medicated and able to explain Award and her work as been distrib- his patterns of behaviour, Lea set uted widely online since graduating cycle of aspiration and consumption, the UK and is currently the Assistant out to record his habits, routines and in 2018. all with the aim of ‘becoming’.” Photography Editor at Wallpaper magazine. leathijs.com sophiegladstone.com 10 11 Raminta Razmaite Sandra Mickiewicz

“I have always been fas- undress in front of her. From that Sandra’s final degree project titled Sandra was featured in the British cinated by the human body. I grew point onwards they became the tools Happy Club was a year-long doc- Journal of Photography Portrait of up in a household where the naked she used to create sculptures. umentary photographed in the de- Britain award and has assisted pho- body was never discussed or shown. Wanting to heighten the intensity prived town of Jaywick in Essex. The tographers such as Simon Roberts Living in London made a huge impact of this intimate encounter, the artist work is a celebration of community in and Laura Pannack since graduating on my perception of nudity and occasionally joins the subject in the spite of difficult circumstances. In her as well as working in multiple Lon- inspired me to explore its beauty.” photograph. This allows the creator to both be a part of and to experience recent and on-going series, Proud of don-based photography labs. Razmaite invited strangers she the project from the viewpoint of her the Origin, she documents traveller met on Facebook and Tinder to her subjects. communities around the UK. bedroom where she asked them to ramintarazmaite.com sandramickiewicz.com 12 13 Veronica Viacava Katharina Halser

“My interest in memory Representing scattered family Photo Festival in France. She is cur- Katharina’s series, ‘Under my Skin’ is menting others who share the same my Skin’, at the Old Truman Brewery stems from the death of my mother in episodes, the items portrayed in rently study for her MA in photogra- a document on and response to living condition. in February 2017. 2010. I became aware of the futility Viacava’s work act as surrogates to phy at the Royal College of Art. with a condition known as Vascular of photographs as a way of preserv- what is now absent. Malformation that has meant she has After winning the Individual Student Katharina currently lives in Basel and ing the past. While in the process of The incomplete narrative accen- had to undergo seventy-one oper- Photographer Award at the Free is working on a new project alongside recalling faded memories, my father tuates the incongruence between ations since childhood. The project Range Photography exhibition in the World Peace Academy confront- died at the beginning of 2017 trans- photography and memory. forming this project into my mourning follows Halser’s experience from her July 2017, Katharina also received a ing socio-political issues. process.” Following graduation Veronica’s work preparations for the operation, during Honourable Mention in the Interna- was published in the British Journal the procedure itself and then through tional Photography Award and had a of Photography and exhibited at Arles the recovery stage, as well as docu- solo exhibition of her series, ‘Under veronicaviacava.com 14 15 Melissa Arras Tereza Cervenova

Thousands travel on foot, vehicles or graphed their everyday moments the Daniel Blau Gallery’s ‘5 Under Tereza’s work is a personal response the recipient of a D&AD New Blood 2015 (and the John Kobal New Work boats avoiding border controls on the played out in a surreal environment, 30’ Award soon after graduating from to the flow of life. By capturing Yellow pencil. She was also selected Award). She is currently working as way. Calais is the last stop, becoming proving how desperately they want to university and the series has since intimate moments in life and relation- for the ‘5 Under 30 Young Photogra- an editorial photographer and has a doorway for refugees risking their settle in a situation that could only be been exhibited widely around the UK ships between people, objects and phers’ exhibition at the Daniel Blau recently completed her MA Photogra- lives to flee their homelands. The temporary. and in Amsterdam. Melissa contin- places, Tereza builds a connection Gallery as well as being nominated phy at the Royal College of Art. town has transformed from a seaside ues to make work in Calais on the with her subjects in order get be- for multiple awards including the resort into an uncontrolled site pop- Melissa graduated from the BA Pho- refugee crisis. ulated by refugees hoping to enter tography course in 2015. Since then neath the surface. MACK First Book Award, Magnum into the UK. While they are anxiously she has been working as a freelance Graduate Photographers award waiting to leave and keeping their photographer. Her work in Calais, Since graduating from the BA Pho- 2015 & 2016 and the Taylor Wessing identities hidden, Melissa photo- titled ‘El Dorado’ was selected for tography course, Tereza has been Photographic Portrait Prize 2013 and melissaarras.com terezacervenova.com 16 17 William Lakin Alexander Missen

Since graduating from the BA Pho- William also undertakes commis- Alexander’s personal work seeks to Missen has so far visited forty states, USA. Alexander is currently working tography programme in 2013 William sioned work, as well as a working as examine the cyclical nature of the re- over four years, capturing America’s as a Photographic Technician at Mid- has been working on multiple person- a teaching assistant on the BA Pho- lationship between the place and its cultural markers, the flags, the cars, dlesex University and is represented al projects including a series which tography programme at Middlesex aesthetic, simultaneously recording the mountain ranges. by Francesca Maffeo Gallery. focuses on young British people who University. Since finishing university, and creating it through photography. go to Mediterranean holiday resorts he has exhibited work in the UK and His series ‘Q&A’ explores the nature ‘Q&A’ has attracted attention from to work over the summer season. His overseas as well as receiving multi- more recent work is research-led and ple awards. of myth when applied to a collective various publications including Pho- explores ideas and themes such as understanding of the United States, tomonitor and Aint-Bad Magazine, populism, consumerism and mascu- investigating the relationship be- which featured the project in 2014 as linity. tween a place and its own mythos. well as being exhibited in the UK and williamlakin.com alexandermissen.com 18 19 Rokas Darulis Bart Pajak

Rokas has worked in the editorial Rokas currently lives and works in Bart has worked as a commercial across the UK as well as being fea- and commercial fashion industries for London as a freelance fashion pho- and editorial photographer since tured in the Sunday Times Magazine the past seven years producing fash- tographer. graduating from the BA Photography Spectrum Emerging Talent Show- ion stories and advertising imagery course, taking on commissions in case. for clients such as Arena Homme +, fashion, editorial and advertising for Hunger, , Urban Outfitters, Harrods, Beyond maga- clients such as Channel 4, Universal, He is currently living and working zine, Elle and Westfield. Diesel UK and Disney. in London and working on personal portrait projects. His work has appeared in print, web, on billboards and on television rokasdarulis.com bartpajak.com 20 21 Facilities Digital Darkroom

inch sheet film. We also have an A3+ flatbed scanner for making high resolution contact sheets and print scans.

We have the facilities to make books on our Canon ImagePress printer and a Fastback binding system which allows students to cheaply produce perfect bound books, saddle stitched books and magazines as well as any other projects which demand large volume double sided printing and binding.

Our finishing area includes a daylight balanced viewing booth, which allows students to check the quality of their prints in a neutral light. We also have a large cutting table for trimming prints and an industrial guillotine for trimming books precisely and quickly.

The Digital Darkroom is one of the busiest areas of our photographic facilities, staffed by highly Our digital darkroom is equipped years. We also have a poster printer, experienced photographic and with new high-spec Mac Pro 6-core which is a cheaper and faster way to reprographic technicians, all of computers, with colour calibrated make large format prints, also up to whom are passionate and talented monitors and graphics tablets for 1100mm wide. photographers themselves and retouching. Our Epson printers allow are on hand to help students and us to print from A4 up to 1100mm Students have full use of five high keep the area running smoothly. wide on a roll. All the printers have end Imacon and Flextight negative The standard of the area is equal to twelve colour pigment inks which, scanners. All scanners produce professional and commercial facilities printed on archival paper, will hold extremely high resolution scans of and the one of the best of any their quality for approximately 200 negative film from 35mm up to 5x4 university in the country.

22 23 Studios Darkrooms

We have four studios, two of which All studios come with a range of balanced monitor to shoot tethered At Middlesex we have both colour stock an array of different black and are full size, full-length studios colour backdrops, Profoto flash live onto a screen, which also and black and white analogue white printing papers (fibre as well as with changing rooms and hair and heads or constant tungsten or LED includes speakers and doubles as a darkrooms for making prints by resin-coated) and have a specialist makeup areas. One of these has lights, all of which come with a range sound system. hand from negative film. Our colour darkroom which facilitates large a full floor to ceiling infinity cove of accessories including softboxes, darkrooms comprise of 9 booths set format black and white hand printing. beauty dishes, barn doors, Fresnel up with colour enlargers all capable We also have a black and white designed to eliminate the background of printing 35mm and medium format film processing area stocked with lenses and spot lights. entirely for commercial and fashion negative as well as specialist booths chemicals and developing tanks. shoots. The third studio is a fully for printing 5x4 and 10x8 inch sheet equipped studio ideal for portraiture Studio bookings come with a choice film. Our Colenta RA4 colour printer The finishing area in our darkroom of cameras including Canon 5d will print up to 750mm wide prints facilities also comprises of a large and smaller scale fashion shoots MKIVs, Phase One digital medium with a start to finish time of around cutting table and daylight balanced and the fourth studio comprises of five minutes. viewing booths as well as film format, Fuji digital medium format, a number of table top and smaller drying cabinets, print dryers and a analogue medium format cameras studio areas, perfect for still life, Our black and white darkroom has dry mount press for flattening fibre as well as 5x4 and 10x8 inch large 16 enlargers, which print from 35mm prints and mounting photographs for product shoots and close-up format view cameras. Each area up to 10x8 inch negative film. These exhibition. portraiture. comes with a computer and colour- include DeVere 504 enlargers. We

24 25 The Kit Hub

The Kit Hub is an invaluable asset We also have Profoto and Elincrom that allows students to borrow studio lighting kits and Canon equipment for free to use for speedlight kits (with stand and university assignments while studying umbrella) and a range of different at Middlesex. The Kit Hub has a vast constant LED lights. Our camera selection of photographic kit including accessories include tripods, light high-end full frame DSLR cameras, meters, Pocket Wizard flash triggers digital medium format cameras, and backdrops as well as graphics analogue cameras including 35mm tablets for retouching at home. SLR’s, a range of medium format cameras including 6x7, 6x6 and 6x45 as well as 5x4 field view cameras.

26 27 BA & MA Photography Staff

Michael Bradley Philippe Pleasants Richard Billingham William Gillingham-Sutton Anne Burke Will Lakin Programme Leader Programme Leader Professor of Photography Technical Tutor Lecturer in Visual Culture Graduate Academic Assistant

Rob Crow Steve Lovell-Davis Mark McEvoy Bart Pajak Joseph Emilien Camilla Brown Technical Manager Lecturer in Photography Lecturer in Photography Photography Technician Photography Technician Lecturer in Creative Industries

Steven Barritt Eva Vermandel Nadia Radjabi Alison Tanner Alexander Missen Sarah Davies Lecturer in Photography Lecturer in Photography Photography Technician Lecturer in Photography Photography Technician Photography Technician

28 29 Talks, Events & Trips

Guest Speakers & Reviewers

Martin Barnes: V&A Lead curator of photography / Simon Bainbridge: Editorial director of British Journal of Photography / Emma Bowkett: Director of photography FT Weekend Magazine / Bridget Coaker: Picture editor at and Observer & Director at Troika Editions / James Gerrard-Jones: Director at Wyatt-Clarke & Jones / Laura Noble: Gallerist and Author / Zelda Cheatle: Photography specialist, curator, editor, gallerist and consultant / Celia Davies: Director of Photoworks / Susanna Brown: V&A curator of photographs / Emma Morris: Executive director of Towner Gallery / David Burkett: Director of DMB agency / Shirley Read: Independent curator based in London / Helen Trompeteler: London based writer and curator of photographs / Monica Allende: Independent photo editor and cultural producer / Bruno Ceschel: Founder of Self Publish Be Happy / Louise Clements: Artistic Director, Format Festival / Cheryl Newman: Telegraph Magazine Photography Director / David Campany: Writer, Curator, Artist / Francis Atterbury: Book designer, director of Hurtwood Press.

Photographers’ Talks

Martin Parr / Tim Walker / Jem Southam / John Davies / Hin Chua / Simon Roberts / Bettina Von Zwehl / John Blakemore / Rut Blees Luxemburg / Julian Germain / Gareth McConnell / Julian Calder / Tom Hunter / Jack Latham / Lydia Goldblatt / Joanna Piotrowska / EJ Major / Jamie Hawkesworth / Eva Vermandel / Brian Griffin / Alan Powdrill / Trevor Appleson / Brian Harris / Kate Peters / Tom Wood.

Recent BA & MA Photography Field Trips

Portugal: Encontros da Imagem Photography Festival / Paris: Annual field trip to the Paris Photo photography fair / Rome / Berlin / Amsterdam / New York / Vienna / Antwerp / Brighton Photo Biennial.

30 31 Connect

Exhibitions

Second Year Interim show - Four Corners Gallery - E2 0QN Open days 7th -10th of May 2020. Register at: Free Range Photography Show - www.mdx.ac.uk/get-in-touch/meet-us/ug-open-days The Old Truman Brewery - E1 6QL Dates: 18th - 22nd of June 2020. Sunday 6th of October, Undergraduate Open Day Online Saturday 23rd of November, Undergraduate Open Day Wednesday 26th of February, Undergraduate Open Evening Course page: Wednesday 25th of March, Postgraduate Open Evening BA Photography Saturday 27th of June, Undergraduate Open Day mdx.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate/photography MA Photography Contact for more info: mdx.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/photography Instagram: Programme Leaders instagram.com/mdxphoto Michael Bradley - [email protected] (BA / MA) (search ‘MDXphoto’) Philippe Pleasants - [email protected] (BA)

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