Scottish Photographers NOTES Summer 2010
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Scottish Photographers NOTES Summer 2010 Scottish Photographers is a network of independent photographers in Scotland. Scottish Photographers www.scottish-photographers.com Contents [email protected] 3 Editorial Organiser: Carl Radford 15 Pittenweem Path High Blantyre G72 OGZ 4 Andy Biggs: An English River 01698 826414 [email protected] 10 Stefan Serowatka: Northern Grace Editor: Sandy Sharp 33 Avon Street Motherwell ML1 3AA 16 John Kemplay: Shop Windows 01698 262 313 [email protected] 18 Spotlight: Colin Gray Accountant: Stewart Shaw 13 Mount Stuart Street Glasgow G41 3YL 20 Melanie Sims: Memorandum 0141 632 8926 [email protected] 24 At Work: The Photographic Work of Jakob Jakobsson Webmaster: Jamie McAteer 88/4 Craighouse Gardens Edinburgh EH 10 5LW 28 Donald Stewart. Book Review: Tillman Crane Jordan 0797 13792424 [email protected] 30 Michael Thomson: Wind Farms in Inner Mongolia NOTES for Scottish Photographers is published three times a year, in January, May and September. 34 Robin Gillanders on Diane Arbus If a renewal form is enclosed then your annual subscription is 36 The Photographers' Place due. Donations are always welcome. 37 News and Events Individuals £10.00; Concessions £5.00; Overseas £15.00. Front Cover Jakob Jakobsson: Surveyors NOTES for Scottish Photographers Number Twenty Summer 2010 Michael Shulman. This makes us wonder; when is a Scottish Pho- tographer ever going to apply to join Magnum? The last issue of NOTES had an elegaic theme and the work of Melanie Sims continues this. The Park Gallery in Falkirk was the venue for a truly beautiful exhibition which showed work that Mela- nie had been gradually introducing to the Street Level meetings. Sad to say, the Park Gallery is under threat. We begin to wonder if the exhibition space is an endangered species. Elsewhere John Kemplay shows what can be done with a screw Leica and Donald Stewart reviews the latest Tillman Crane book which shows that Scottish Photographers is a broad church and encompasses the gamut of the medium in all its glory. EVEN THOUGH THERE are no prearranged themes for NOTES, some theme or other often emerges. Scottish photography has It may not be all bad news on the gallery front. We hear that plans always been enriched by the presence of incomers and by its are afoot in Fife for a new exhibition space - a 'corridor' perhaps? own workers travelling abroad. So we were delighted to receive We also hear that there have been huddles in Edinburgh with a contributions from two engineers, an Icelander working in Scot- view to reviving the idea of a National Centre of Photography, note land and a Scot working in China. Both Jakob Jakobsson and the capital letters. That, together with the splendid series of events Michael Thomson are regular and interesting attenders at the around the Diane Arbus exhibitions, the success of the new Tron Glasgow meetings and both have had the foresight to take their gate 103 and the continued determination of Scottish Photogra- cameras to their work with them. It is particularly pleasing that phers to mount their own exhibitions, even in the most unlikely Jakob has just had an exhibition of his work in the Museum of places, suggests that somehow the flame of independent pho- Photography in Reykjavik. We continue to receive work of a tography is being kept alive regardless of what governments and documentary nature and also work which is being published in bankers may do. Blurb form. Both Andy Biggs and Stefan Syrowatka have pub- lished Blurb books, Andy's piece follows the course of an English As this is the twentieth issue of NOTES we might might as well river while Stefan's charts a more street wise path in Aberdeen. sign off this one with ... XX Stefan's work comes with a generous reference from Magnum's Sandy Sharp Andy Biggs: An English River course, which encapsulate the lives of those who live and work IN RECENT YEARS there has been much debate about what it in the surrounding communities. means to be English. Many will point to the traditions of drinking tea, playing cricket or discussing the weather, this is a country Much of the land that surrounds the river has been threatened that is defined by its social events and customs. The River Wyre by flooding and during the summer of 2007 excessive rain fall winds itself through many communities that have built up along caused devastation across the country. Events such as this are its course and a series of annual events have emerged. These seen as a 1 in 100 year event. However many point towards events celebrate the traditions of the local agricultural industry global warming and predict that events such as these will and form a central part of the area's social calendar. become ever more frequent and will lead towards a rise in sea The River Wyre flows for over 28 miles, from where it rises in levels. Given the topography of the Flyde coast, an increase the heart of the Forest of Bowland, onto where it enters the sea in sea levels by only 50cm would have a disastrous effect on at the port of Fleetwood. On a clear day it is possible to climb the population of the Wyre. Like many communities around the to Ward's Stone at a height of 560 metres and in one vista see world, its future lies in the hands of others. both the source and its estuary. This on going project aims to explore the change of seasons, It has as two distinct tributaries, the Tarnbrook Wyre and the weather patterns and their influence on the course of the river, Marshaw Wyre, whose confluence is near the village of Abbey- as well as the landscape that surrounds it and the lives of the stead. From here it flows through the communities of Scorton people who live along its course. It starts to identify some of and Garstang, being crossed here by the Lancaster Canal. As the ideas, traditions and eccentricities that may be considered it approaches the village of St. Michaels on Wyre it has been as English. The work does not intend to prejudice the viewer's swelled by the River Brock and as it passes the under the nar- opinion but should allow them to relate their own experiences row bridge in the village it becomes tidal. From here and until it and feelings about the landscape to the one shown here. has passed under the toll bridge at Little Eccelston, its course is controlled by earth embankments that have been built to prevent flooding, that had previously devastated the local com- Andy Biggs is an independent photographer based in Lanca- munities. After Shard Bridge it opens out and passes the former shire. As an active cyclist, mountaineer and sea kayaker he ICI chemical works before entering the sea at Fleetwood. has travelled extensively and much of his work is inspired by his Within its short length it changes from a clear fast flowing experience of travelling through the landscape. stream to a wide expanse of silt filled salt water. These changes are reflected in both the wild life and industries found along its www.ajbiggs.co.uk 4 Andy Biggs: An English River Wave 1 Andy Biggs: An English River Bench Andy Biggs: An English River Summer 1 Summer 2 Andy Biggs: An English River Wreck walk 1 Andy Biggs: An English River Wreck walk 2 Stefan Serowatka: Northern Grace SCOTLAND IS KNOWN for its astonishing landscape, its breath- taking lakes, mountains and coastline. Thousands of people come every year to see exactly that, but only few find out about the Scots themselves. What sort of people live here in the rugged north? Over the last number of years I have lived in and cap- tured life in Scotland. As much as I appreciated the landscape, photographically it was the Scottish as a nation that intrigued me most. What makes the Scot unique and how different are they to other people on this planet? We have all heard of William Wal- lace, Sean Connery or Billy Connolly; the pride of the nation, the history, the stereotypes: Scots are tight, tough, wear a kilt and speak in a strong accent. We all have our stereotypes, but what is the reality behind this one? Who is the Scot? Do you, the Scottish man, woman or child, know who you are? Can you see yourself? In eight years I have roamed the streets, towns and cities. I went to every happening, gathering, fair, demonstration, festival and show that finances would allow. I got to know the 'Northern Grace', self-published and costing £29.90, is locals and I made some great friends. During my sojourn I found available at Beyond Words, Edinburgh, Aberdeen Art two extremes: the preserved traditional life with its ancient history Gallery and through: www.syro.net. and the contemporary life with its social problems. These facets of Scottish life were hitherto unknown to me, and even though the process was not always easy, both were a pleasure to dis- Stefan Syrowatka is a freelance photographer now based in Cork, Ireland. He works as a fine art photog- cover and to document. rapher as well as a commercial photographer. Well es- tablished, his images have been published in local and national media and are part of private and public collec- Stefan Syrowatka tions. 10 Stefan Serowatka: Northern Grace 11 Stefan Serowatka: Northern Grace 12 Stefan Serowatka: Northern Grace 13 Stefan Serowatka: Northern Grace "/i Stefan Serowatka: Northern Grace A PHOTOGRAPH IS a captured moment, but the best photo- graphs are a captured feeling.