Issue 2

INSPIRING INTERNATIONAL IMAGERY ISSUE 2 FREE

PHOTOGRAPHY FROM EVERY ANGLE

RAXLast days of the Arctic

MARTIN PARR

MARTIN WILSON

2

Editor: Philip SearleDesign: Alec Jackson

ContributorsMatthew BeamanMartin EdwardsLisa FurnessDanny GriffinTom GrovesSarah MacfarlaneNicki MusgraveLou Taylor

© All rights reserved. All material in Vignette may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written consent. All content in Vignette appearscourtesy of the contributors andcopyright remains with the contributor,where identified, and with Vignette wherenot. Vignette has made every effort to check the accuracy of the content of the magazine and all information was believed to be correct at the time of print.E & O E.

Twitter @vignettemag

Find us on Facebook

www.vignettemagazine.com

AboutVignette is a quarterly free magazine focusing on photographic practice and featuring photography from across the world. Vignette is run by volunteers and owned by Photographique.

ContributeThere are several ways you can get involved with Vignette. We encourage suggestions for articles from our readers so if you have a great idea, an unusual practice to share or a story to tell then get in touch. Throughout the magazine you will find a number of ways to get your work into the next issue of Vignette, including the Page 3 Portrait, Vignette and in this issue, the Arctic Circle competition.

[email protected], 31 Baldwin Street, Bristol, BS1 1RG

AdvertiseOur advertising prices start at just £29 for a 1/16 page advertise-ment in the listings section. Vignette is carefully distributed to specialist venues across the UK making the magazine a very cost effective way of accessing the photography and art world. We also welcome proposals for supported editorial features. In addition to the printed advertisements in the magazine itself, online advertis-ing is available on our new website www.vignettemagazine.com. Download the media pack for full details or email [email protected] for further details.

Ragnar Axelsson Thule whale hunters Page 8

Vignettemagazine.com is the online version of the magazine and is the way we will keep you informed of anything exciting we discover in between issues.

You can also follow us Twitter @vignettemag.

VIGNETTE3

Alex Gregory is a freelance professional photographer available for international commissions. He likes to shoot music, fashion and colourful portraiture, as well as directing music videos.

“This image was originally published last year as part of a series on tattoos for an online magazine. It was shot in Portsmouth in an old disused concrete bunker that we stumbled upon while scouting for locations in the pouring rain. I was travelling light, so only had a single camera mounted flash and a small homemade soft box with me. I actually love

the lack of light in this image. I was pleased with how the light was just about powerful enough to illuminate the model, but there was very little fall-off on the surrounding walls.”

More on Alex and further examples of his work can be found at www.alexgregory.net

Portrait. For consideration please email one portrait photograph. Closing date 30th August 2011.

Page 3 Portrait

FocusWelcome to the second issue of Vignette. Launched in April this year, our first issue received an overwhelmingly positive welcome, which is fantastic.We distributed Vignette out across the country as soon as we could and have had feedback and ideas from all over the UK. Issue 2 is twice the size and over double the print run and we will be sending the magazine to as many towns and cities as we can!

As a teenager working part time in a camera shop I took an order for some film from a customer named Parr. Little did I know that this was the legendary Magnum photographer Martin Parr. Alec caught up with him as he prepares for his latest exhibition, opening soon at Bristol’s new M Shed museum.

In April I spent a inspiring few days in Iceland. Soon after my return I watched a documentary, Last Days of the Arctic, on BBC4 examining the

work of an Icelandic photographer Ragnar Axelsson. I was blown away by these stunning black and white photographs capturing life in and around the Arctic Circle and it is a great pleasure to feature this work in Vignette. In fact the whole team were so impressed that we have dedicated our front and back cover to one of Axelsson’s images. Lou got in touch with him in Iceland and the resulting article is packed full of these awe-inspiring images. There is also a chance to win a copy of Axelsson’s book and have your work featured in Issue 3.

Sarah contacted Martin Wilson to find out more about his original approach to photographic art. We were so taken with his meticulously executed compositions that we have chosen his work for our centre spread.

Finally, we visited a number of the many end of year shows that fill the galleries of the world at this time and talked to tutors and course leaders from some of the UK’s best photography courses and showcase the work of six final seven of this years graduates to represent the Class of 2011.

Alec and Sarah have worked hard to improve our web presence and the new website vignettemagazine.com is now online. A busy few months!

We aim for Vignette to inspire and inform, bringing new names to our readers’ attention, in addition to featuring world-renowned photographers. Issue 3 will be out mid-October and will be bigger again.

We hope you enjoy Vignette and keep in touch and up-to-date via our web activities.

Philip Searle

4

The boundaries between film and photography have always been somewhat blurred. Whether it’s the moving/still images of Eadweard Muybridge or the cinematic photographs of Gregory Crewdson, they contain the narative of a feature film in one static shot. And with all cameras now having a video function, some of which are broadcast quality, more and more photographers are starting to experiment with how much they can make a still image move. With this in mind, Vignette would like to recommend a film/documentary which might inspire you with its strong relevance to photography. Since this is the first one I guess we should start with one of the most famous.

La jetée Directed by Chris Marker, 1962

This now legendary 1962 science fiction film about time and memory in the aftermath of a nuclear apocalypse. Set in Paris after World War III the survivors are forced to live underground and scientists desperatly experiment with time travel a vain hope to save themselves. And a man is haughted by the image of a woman waiting at an airport and the crumpling body of a dying man. But at its heart a tragic love story of a man, a woman and another life neither of them can have.

She waits inside the shed, busying herself to distract from doubt. She wonders if he will remember the date that they so resolutely agreed. She considers how time will have changed him, how it has changed her.

As he reaches the peak, he stops for a moment to survey the rugged expanse. He looks down across the knotted grass to the tiny shed, so familiar from his past and from his dreams. He sees that the door is closed and there is no sign of move-ment within. And he knows that he is too late and she is gone.

Text by Natalia Green

Image by Vincent Chanter, www.vchanter.com

This is a 2 part submission. Submit an image to be written about by email. Closing date 30th August 2011. The chosen image will then be published on our website. Your vignette in response to the image should be around 100 words and submitted by email.

ProcessOn filmRedscale filmSince the last issue we’ve been playing around with redscaling film. So what is it? Well its a term given to the type of image produced when loading a film backwards thus exposing the wrong side of film. As the light hits the back of the film first, instead of the emulsion, the blues and greens are mostly filtered out and what is left is high contrast reds, maroons, and yellows with great depth of colour. However due to the fact that all films are different and not actually designed to do this, the results can be hugely unpredictable. Remember to overexpose your shots by about one or two stops because the light has to travel through the back of the film first.

If you’re looking for a step by step guide on how to create redscale film go to the vignettemagazine.com and look through the Process pages.

Dont fancy making your own? Well you’re in luck, you can buy pre-reversed redscale film which is about £10 for 3 rolls. Just go online and search ‘Redscale film’.

the vi·gnette1. An unbordered picture, often a portrait, that

shades off into the surrounding color at the edges.

2. A short, impressionistic scene that focuses on one moment or gives a trenchant impression about a character, an idea, or a setting.

APPSAndrew Zuckerman MusicBy PQ Blackwell Limited£5.99

Award winning photographer Andrew Zuckerman released an iPad app version of his book ‘Music’ about six months ago, but since we weren’t around then, we thought we’d bring it to your attention now.

“Music” an iPad app, features dynamic portraits of over fifty musicians, from Ozzy Osbourne to Ziggy Marley, Herbie Hancock to Kenny Rogers, and provides us with their perspectives on one of the most universal and yet unexplainable art forms.

The elegant and minimal design makes this a joy to use and really helps focus the user on the content. However saying that, from a photography point of view, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed. Although the images are beautifully shot and look amazing on screen, they play a ‘bit’ part in comparison to the video and text content, with some musicians having only a single portrait.

For me, one of the most interesting features on the app is the behind the scenes section that contains a series of black and white shots taken on set, which gives you a good insight into the kit used and the lighting set up. It’s always good to see what goes on behind the camera as well as in front of it.

At £5.99 its pretty expensive for an app, but hopefully it’ll be the start of more quality photobook apps.

Push it further, cross process, double exposed one exposure on each side of the film, we dont know what’ll happen but surely thats the hole point isnt it?

VIGNETTE5

6 _In profile _Martin Parr

MARTIN PARRMartin Parr has exhibited work all over the world but his latest show is a little closer to home. A resident of Bristol for over 25 years, this summer sees Parr’s first exhibition in his hometown. Sixty of his photographs will go on display in the new M Shed museum on Bristol’s dockside; the museum, charting the history of the city of Bristol and it’s inhabitants, opened it’s doors in June this year. Since Parr moved to the city in the 1980s he has captured the many aspects of Bristol life.

Parr, a member of Magnum Photos, is known internationally for his iconic, instantly recognis- able images. His work often takes a critical look at modern life, and perhaps his most famous work examines life in suburban England. Parr collects photo books and is currently working on the third volume of his books on photo books for Phaidon. He is also working on three exhibitions for 2012, in Edinburgh, Perth and Atlanta.

He was quoted in The Guardian as reflecting,

“ It is strange because I’ve had shows in perhaps 30 different countries but not in Bristol. It’s nice to finally have the opportunity.”

© Martin Parr / Magnum Photos

VIGNETTE7 _In profile _Martin Parr

AJ: Which camera are you using the most at the moment and which camera would you recom-mend to an aspiring documentary photographer? MP: Canon 5DII. It doesn’t really matter which camera you use – it’s the ideas that count and what you do with it.All cameras these days are pretty good.

AJ: Film photography is seeing something of a resurgence, how do you feel about this? MP: Inevitably you get people going backwards, you get nostalgia for film. Now that film has basic-ally been irradiated people will of course continue to use it and go back to it. It’s fine; I don’t have a problem with it. I am not bothered what people shoot on as long as what they shoot is interesting.

AJ: What advice would you give to this year’s photography graduates as they embark on their photographic careers? MP: You’ve got to find a way of getting some kind of connection and passion for your subject matter. Most photographers are very lazy and this shows up in their pictures. The important thing is to find your own voice and you do that by making these connections.

Alec Jackson caught up with the always busy Mr Parr and asked him some questions sent in by Vignette readers.

AJ: Your latest exhibition is in your hometown, Bristol. How has your opinion of the city changed over the years? MP: I’ve always been disappointed by the council. Despite them doing M Shed they’ve never really fully promoted culture in a way that I think other cities like Glasgow have and they have benefited from it. I think they’ve been a bit slow on the uptake but they seem to be getting there much more now. I think M Shed is looking really good - it’s wonderful they have done that - so I think things are getting better. Cultural tourism is a huge market and they have basically not risen to that challenge as much as they should have done. It’s a very comfortable city to live in.

AJ: People have become more and more suspicious of cameras in recent years – have you noticed this whilst you have been shooting? MP: Yes of course it is getting more difficult to shoot in the street but we are still blessed in this country so go out there now while you can! You can still shoot anyone in a public place and do anything you like with it. Of course there are problems when it comes to say children on the beach, very difficult now to do that, 25 years ago it was much easier, but compared to the likes of France we still have a lot of freedom here. It may not last forever; this may be taken away from us, so get out now while you can.

AJ: Have you seen any young photographers recently that you have been impressed by? MP: I did the biggest festival in UK last year, the Brighton Biennial, and with that I showed 13 new emerging photographers and so have a look online and you’ll find all the people I really believed in who are great. Very few of them were from the UK. In the UK we have an institutionalised photography market place. Photographic education is big; we have more photography students than anywhere in Europe; and yet most of them are pretty dull because it has become institutionalised. They’d be better if they

England. Bristol. Neighbours from Goldney Avenue gather to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. The theme for the party is Kings and Queens. 2002

England. Bristol. Playing bowls. 1995-1999.

8 _In profile _Martin Parr

closed down all photography courses and people had to go off and do it off their own backs. Photography courses make people lazy. I’m very much in favour of the flickr community – they seem to be a lot more active and energetic than say the photography educational institutions that we have in this country. I am still teaching, I am a professor at Newport; there are good courses so it’s not all bad news. It’s a bit too much like a womb: you are made to feel important, the work you do is meant to be important and people get away with murder basically. I like the fact you’re laughing Alec – am I winding up your readers?

AJ: I think it’s good- we like that kind of thing - a bit of truth. When I was at University it was very much “you’ll graduate and become this that and the other… MP: …It’s nonsense of course. There must be 7,000-10,000 photography students churned out every year in the UK, maybe 100 of them will get some work. Other people will like photography and do things with it but you’re not going to just show up and be a photographer – it’s the most competitive thing.

AJ:You like Flickr? MP: I like the flickr community – it’s self-policing; it’s like crowd surfing

AJ: You are very interested in collecting photo books; what do you think of blurb? MP: I think Blurb and the other print on demand publishers are fantastic. It means we can get our books out and we don’t have to go to a publisher anymore. We can get them out for £50 but what this does mean of course is you get a lot of rubbish. You need a lot of rubbish to find the good it’s almost like a self-selecting process: you need a lot of mediocrity to understand why the good is better.

AJ: Have you ever suffered from “photographer’s block” or fatigue with photography? MP: No, I’m constantly fighting off the huge number of things I want to photograph and I never have enough time to do it. So the opposite‘s the case - I am overwhelmed with what I want to shoot. I am very lucky to because I get photographic work as well so it’s “how can I squeeze it all in” that’s my problem.

AJ: The Internet has made art more accessible but arguably makes uniqueness and originality increasingly elusive concepts, how do you over- come these challenges? MP: You have to be better at what you do. The competition is huge so it’s only work with that kind of quality and connection that will be noticed. Same rules apply there’s just more of it. If you are good you’ll succeed. This market place constantly needs to be renewed and refreshed so old farts like me don’t get away with everything. Of course I promote younger photographers – that’s what I did with the Brighton festival – most of the people there had never shown before in the UK.I’m all for the promoting of new talent.

“They’d be better if they closed down all photography courses and people had to go off and do it off their own backs.”

England. Bristol. St Pauls Carnival. 2009

England. Bristol. Bristol Avon Regatta. Yacht Salesman. 1989

VIGNETTE9 _In profile _Martin Parr

AJ: You once said, “With photography, I like to create fiction from reality. I try and do this by taking society’s natural prejudice and giving this a twist.” What do you mean by this? MP: I often use prejudice and clichés as a start-ing point and things happen form there. The thing about fiction, Well documentary is very subjective so I am not pretending that what I do is an accurate representation, it’s a personal representation. Therefore it is subjective and the subjectivity is one of its strengths. It’s your relationship to the world and not the world itself that counts.

AJ: What is photography for? What do you use it for? MP: It’s my way of defining my relationship with, and exploring the relationship I have with the world, with all the ambiguities and contradictions that entails.

To find out more about Martin Parr visit his website www.martinparr.com. To discover the history of the Magnum Photos agency and for links to other Magnum photographers visit www.magnumphotos.com.

Bristol and West: Photographs by Martin Parr at M Shed in Bristol opens on Wednesday 31 August 2011 and runs until Sunday 27 November 2011.M Shed is open Tuesday-Friday 10.00-17.00 and weekends 10.00-18.00. See www.mshed.org for further details.

AJ: You have to rush off so thank you very much; what are you up to today? MP: I am editing a film today about a sweet factory in Dudley.

© Martin Parr / Magnum Photos

England. Bristol. Members of the public queue outside the Bristol City Museum to see the Banksy art exhibition. 2009

England. Bristol. Private View at the Royal West of England Academy. 1988

10 _Feature _Make Every Picture Count

Chr

istm

as 1

973;

I w

as 8

and

my

brot

her

was

9 a

nd w

e w

ere

both

giv

en id

entic

al c

amer

as a

s pr

esen

ts. M

y da

d, w

orri

ed

that

we

wou

ld r

un o

ut o

f film

by

Box

ing

Day

, adv

ised

us;

“m

ake

ever

y pi

ctur

e co

unt.”

He

wou

ld r

epea

t thi

s ev

ery

time

we

wer

e ab

out t

o re

leas

e th

e sh

utte

r an

d I t

hink

it b

ecam

e so

de

eply

ingr

aine

d th

at I’

ve b

een

follo

win

g hi

s ad

vice

eve

r si

nce.

Th

at’s

pro

babl

y w

hy m

y w

ork

look

s lik

e it

does

. I p

ut e

very

fr

ame

on d

ispl

ay. T

he e

ntir

e fil

m is

vis

ible

, inc

ludi

ng s

proc

ket

hole

s an

d fr

ame

num

bers

. Per

haps

sub

cons

ciou

sly

I’m tr

ying

to

pro

ve to

my

dad

that

I ha

ven’

t w

aste

d a

sing

le s

hot.

MA

RTI

N W

ILSO

N

Mak

e ev

ery

pict

ure

coun

t

My

pict

ures

are

pai

nsta

king

ly c

reat

ed fr

ame

by fr

ame

on 3

5mm

fil

m. I

dev

elop

the

who

le fi

lm, s

can

it, th

en p

iece

the

final

imag

e to

geth

er o

n th

e co

mpu

ter,

mak

ing

a la

rge

cont

act s

heet

. It’s

onl

y w

hen

the

com

plet

ed fi

lmst

rips

are

laid

sid

e by

sid

e th

at th

e fin

al

imag

e ap

pear

s. T

he p

ictu

res

usua

lly ta

ke m

onth

s to

com

plet

e, a

s ea

ch fr

ame

is o

bses

sive

ly ta

ken

in s

eque

nce.

No

past

ing

toge

ther

af

ter

the

even

t, no

che

atin

g in

Pho

tosh

op. I

f I m

ake

a m

ista

ke o

r ta

ke a

fram

e ou

t of p

lace

I st

art t

he fi

lm a

gain

from

the

begi

nnin

g.

I’m o

ften

dra

wn

to ta

ke p

ictu

res

of fa

irly

unp

rom

isin

g su

bjec

t m

atte

r. I

live

in s

ubur

ban

Lond

on a

nd c

ycle

18

mile

s to

my

day

job

in th

e B

ig S

mok

e, s

o I s

pend

lots

of t

ime

star

ing

at r

oads

and

pa

vem

ents

with

not

hing

to d

istr

act m

e bu

t my

thou

ghts

. The

te

xtur

es, p

atte

rns

and

abst

ract

sha

pes

in th

e ur

ban

envi

ronm

ent

have

a c

erta

in b

eaut

y an

d ev

en b

anal

mun

icip

al s

igns

and

lett

er

form

s be

com

e m

ore

intr

igui

ng a

s th

ey g

et r

ain-

was

hed,

sun

-bl

each

ed a

nd g

rim

e-sp

latt

ered

, tel

ling

us s

omet

hing

of t

he li

fe o

f th

e ci

ty th

ey a

re d

irec

ting

us a

roun

d. B

ut w

hat I

rea

lly li

ke is

pla

ying

w

ith th

e or

igin

al m

eani

ngs

of th

ings

suc

h as

sig

ns a

nd le

tter

ing,

re

arra

ngin

g th

em in

to s

omet

hing

une

xpec

ted.

A

Mes

sage

from

the

Bea

rs

VIGNETTE11 _Feature _Make Every Picture Count

Ano

ther

pie

ce th

at h

ad m

e w

astin

g so

muc

h fil

m th

at

I can

bar

ely

look

my

dad

in th

e ey

e, w

as N

ew L

ife.

Unu

sual

ly fo

r m

e th

is p

ictu

re is

bui

lt a

roun

d na

tura

l fo

rms

– th

e br

anch

es o

f a tr

ee n

ear

my

hom

e. It

was

a

slow

and

dif

ficul

t pic

ture

to e

xecu

te. I

had

to h

old

my

plan

and

the

bran

ch s

till w

ith o

ne h

and,

whi

lst

hold

ing

a re

flec

tor

and

focu

sing

with

the

othe

r. It

al

so c

ause

d a

cert

ain

amou

nt o

f am

usem

ent t

o ne

ighb

ours

and

the

post

man

as

they

wat

ched

me

spen

d ho

urs

stan

ding

in th

e st

reet

on

a ch

air

taki

ng

endl

ess

pict

ures

of b

ranc

hes.

The

bar

e br

anch

es

wer

e sh

ot d

urin

g a

devi

lishl

y co

ld J

anua

ry. I

f my

child

ren

hadn

’t fe

rrie

d cu

ps o

f cof

fee

to m

e, I

mig

ht

still

be

ther

e, fr

ozen

to th

e sp

ot. I

t did

n’t s

eem

muc

h w

arm

er w

hen

the

tree

sta

rted

to b

loom

just

bef

ore

Eas

ter.

The

pic

ture

was

par

t of a

ser

ies

of E

aste

r ‘S

tatio

ns o

f the

Cro

ss’ a

rtw

orks

by

loca

l art

ists

. M

y st

atio

n w

as ‘J

esus

is s

trip

ped’

. I w

ante

d to

like

n th

e ne

w li

fe o

f spr

ing

to th

e tr

ansf

orm

ing

pow

er o

f E

aste

r. I

also

hop

ed it

wou

ld r

ead

as a

cal

l to

actio

n,

as it

quo

tes

a ve

rse

whi

ch is

inte

nded

to in

spir

e us

to

feed

the

hung

ry, c

are

for

the

sick

, clo

the

the

nake

d...

Mos

t of m

y w

ork

is n

ot in

tend

ed to

be

take

n to

o se

riou

sly.

I ho

pe p

eopl

e ap

prec

iate

wha

t I th

ink

of a

s m

y hi

lari

ous

wit,

but I

’m u

sual

ly c

onte

nt if

it b

ring

s a

smile

to p

eopl

e’s

face

s. A

Mes

sage

from

the

Bea

rs,

seem

s to

hav

e ra

ised

the

odd

chuc

kle

whe

neve

r it’

s be

en o

n di

spla

y. P

erha

ps n

ot e

very

one

know

s th

is,

but t

here

are

bea

rs h

idin

g ro

und

stre

et c

orne

rs,

wat

chin

g an

d w

aitin

g. S

houl

d yo

u be

car

eles

s w

ith

your

trea

d an

d st

ep o

n a

crac

k, th

ey’ll

jum

p ou

t and

ge

t you

! I’v

e of

ten

notic

ed th

e sh

apes

of l

ette

rs in

pa

vem

ent c

rack

s, s

o I t

houg

ht if

I w

ent r

ound

rea

ding

th

ese

in th

e ri

ght o

rder

it w

ould

be

like

deco

ding

a

war

ning

mes

sage

from

the

bear

s.

New

Life

One

pic

ture

that

put

me

in a

bit

of a

spi

n w

as L

ook

Bot

h W

ays.

Whe

n th

ey a

re s

hot i

n se

quen

ce, e

ach

arro

w lo

oks

like

it’s

poin

ting

in a

com

plet

ely

rand

om

dire

ctio

n. T

ryin

g to

kee

p tr

ack

of w

here

I w

as r

eally

ha

d m

e re

elin

g. O

ne r

ando

mly

poi

ntin

g ar

row

look

s m

uch

like

the

next

, so

I was

forc

ed to

follo

w m

y pl

an

draw

ing

very

clo

sely

, ver

y ca

refu

lly a

nd v

ery

slow

ly.

It d

idn’

t hel

p th

at I

was

sta

ndin

g on

the

edge

of t

he

pave

men

t san

dwic

hed

betw

een

bust

ling

pede

stri

ans

and,

sna

rlin

g ci

ty tr

affic

. Nee

dles

s to

say

ther

e w

ere

a nu

mbe

r of

mis

take

s. I

got l

oads

of fi

lms

back

from

th

e la

b w

ith ju

st o

ne a

rrow

the

wro

ng w

ay u

p!


Lo

ok B

oth

Way

s


My

wor

k us

ually

find

s it

s in

spir

atio

n in

the

urba

n or

su

burb

an s

pace

s w

here

I liv

e an

d w

ork,

but

a fe

w

year

s ag

o I w

as a

sked

to p

rodu

ce a

pie

ce d

urin

g G

reen

belt

Art

s Fe

stiv

al –

a te

mpo

rary

cit

y of

tent

s pi

tche

d on

Che

lten

ham

rac

e co

urse

. The

gre

ates

t ch

alle

nge

here

was

that

whe

reas

mos

t of m

y pi

ctur

es ta

ke m

onth

s, I

had

to c

ompl

ete

this

pie

ce in

ju

st o

ne b

ank

holid

ay w

eeke

nd. A

s w

ell a

s lo

okin

g do

wn

thro

ugh

my

lens

at t

he g

rass

and

tent

s, I

spen

t qu

ite a

bit

of ti

me

squi

ntin

g up

war

ds to

o, w

aitin

g fo

r th

e cl

ouds

to c

over

the

sun

and

pray

ing

it w

ould

n’t

rain

. Whe

n I’m

taki

ng p

ictu

res

I pre

fer

over

cast

sk

ies,

no

brig

ht s

pots

or

dist

ract

ing

shad

ows.

O

nce

agai

n th

e w

ork

–Thi

s E

arth

ly T

ent –

was

lo

aded

with

mea

ning

for

me;

a m

edita

tion

on

the

frag

ile, e

phem

eral

nat

ure

of th

e ph

ysic

al

wor

ld c

ompa

red

with

the

unex

pect

ed s

olid

ity

and

perm

anen

ce o

f the

spi

ritu

al r

ealm

.

Now

it’s

sum

mer

201

1 an

d m

y 9

year

old

dau

ghte

r ha

s ju

st g

ot h

er fi

rst c

amer

a fo

r he

r bi

rthd

ay. I

t’s

digi

tal o

f cou

rse,

so

she

can

take

as

man

y pi

ctur

es

as s

he li

kes!

VIGNETTE

This

Ear

thly

Ten

t

To s

ee m

ore

of M

artin

Wils

on’s

uni

que

art w

orks

vi

sit h

is w

ebsi

te w

ww

.mar

tinw

ilson

.net

. His

wor

k fe

atur

es in

Pla

yful

Typ

e 2:

Eph

emer

al L

ette

ring

and

Ill

ustr

ativ

e Fo

nts

a bo

ok e

xam

inin

g ho

w d

esig

ners

ar

e us

ing

a va

riet

y of

tech

niqu

es to

pro

duce

ty

pogr

aphy

and

lett

erin

g in

a r

ange

of i

nnov

ativ

e st

yle.

It is

ava

ilabl

e fr

om b

ooks

tore

s, in

clud

ing

w

ww

.ges

talt

en.c

om, f

or a

roun

d £3

7.50

.

14 _Feature _Last days of the Arctic

RAXLast days of the Arctic

In our desire to explore the world, Europeans often head

south, to the sun of the Mediterranean or on long-haul

flights to the far east and Australasia. We don’t tend to

think about travelling north. A short 2 hour flight from

Heathrow can land you in the kingdom of Norway or the

island republic of Iceland, on the edge of the arctic circle

and the edge of human existence.

Text by Lou Taylor

VIGNETTE15 _Feature _Last days of the Arctic

It is from the latter of these two countries that internationally recognised photo-journalist Ragnar Axelsson was born in 1958. Axelsson or Rax, as he is also known, has compiled several books and exhibited across the globe. Axelsson began his career photographing for Iceland’s Morgunbladid newspaper in 1976, and has since worked on commissions for the industry’s most eminent magazines, among them Time and National Geographic. To date Rax has amassed over 20 awards in recognition of his documentary work, including the Oskar Barnack Award, collected in 2001.

Compelled by his fascination with its inhabitants, Axelsson has been travelling to the Arctic for almost thirty years, camera in hand. His ongoing

photographic project visits the hunting communities of northern Greenland and Canada, documenting the traditional lifestyle of this remote and enigmatic population. For centuries the Inuit have endured hostile conditions and honed the skills that they need to subsist in this extreme environment.In recent times global warming has had an increasing impact on their way of life, with many nations wrestling for rights to the territory’s mining and oil resources. In 2004 Rax published Faces of the North, a book on vanishing lifestyles in Greenland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands. In his most recent book, Last Days of the Arctic, Axelsson captures the Inuit struggle against new challenges brought by climate change and mounting economic burden.


“The main figure is often interrupted or blurred, heightening the sense of fragility”


Rax’s images demonstrate his interest in the human element of the story. They also often feature the wider landscape to illustrate that Inuit identity is grounded in the landscape itself, one that they must understand and respect in order to survive. Global warming has upset this fragile equilibrium, threatening their way of life. Whilst the Inuit had no part in causing these changes, they have no choice but to bear the consequences.In placing his subjects within the wider environment, Rax contextualises their plight. A tiny figure, just visible in the majestic landscape, reminds us of human vulnerability in the face of the prevailing might of nature.

Aesthetically, each image alone is beautiful. These are not only discrete portraits but constituent parts of a greater story that captures the reality of this community and the coexistence of man, wildlife and nature. Rax’s black and white images are striking and unforgettable. At times he has an unconventional approach towards composition, which is nothing but successful in creating impact. The main figure is often interrupted or blurred, heightening the sense of fragility. His collection of images has a nostalgic quality, making the images instant classics.


Arctic competitionHave you got stunning photographs capturing the world around the Arctic Circle? Perhaps of the northern lights from Norway or the stunning landscape of Iceland? Enter our competition and your image could appear in the next issue of Vignette; our favourite image will also win a copy of Rax’s book “Last Days of the Arctic”. Simply email your submission to [email protected] with the subject “Arctic” and tell us where it was taken.

The quality of Rax’s work is even more impressive when you consider the extreme conditions he has worked in. He has “trekked through glacial storms, fallen through rifts and awakened on ice that has drifted out to sea”. As far as possible he has immersed himself in the culture of his subjects, granting the images an intimacy without which they would be lacking. Over time, Axelsson has built a relationship with his subjects, as a result his portraiture feels natural and sincere. Some subjects appear determined, others distressed; via Axelsson we see the full spectrum of this remote world.We can experience the pride that the Inuit have in their culture, and the weight of the knowledge that this is in jeopardy. Last Days of the Arctic is both celebration and lament, recording an admirable culture and its dissolution as the Inuit people steer through the “twilight of their society”.

More images from Last days of the Arctic, Rax’s previous projects, and his upcoming book, can be found at www.rax.is. “Last Days of The Arctic” by Ragnar Axelsson is available from all good book stores for around £30. It is also possible to order prints directly from his website hand-printed by the great man himself. Rax is exhibiting in Paris this autumn and London and Milan next year.

20 _Feature _Class of 2011

N E W FACES

Every year thousands of fresh new graduate photographers leave the safe environment of university or college to embark on their careers. The real work now begins. These individuals are entering one of the most competitive industries in the world at one of the most economically difficult times in history. Vignette visited many end of year shows and contacted tutors and course leaders at institutions across the UK to discover more about this year’s new faces.

Class of

2011

Inspired by natural surroundings, Ryan’s work aims to create and frame an idea, the viewer is invited to become immersed in an ethereal space. This simple fashion fairytale story of a girl and her balloon is inspired by Albert Lamorisse’s short film for children, Le Ballon Rouge (1956). It reflects the carefree imagination of a child and is intended to evoke a sense of innocent childhood nostalgia, free of responsibility and cynicism and filled with the joy of simplicity.

RYAN HARDINGwww.ryanhardingphotography.co.uk

BA Photography for Fashion and Advertising

University of Wales, Newport

www.newport.ac.uk

VIGNETTE21 _Feature _Class of 2011

Inspired by a 100 year-old camera inherited from his grandfather, Luke traced its lineage back to Bassano, the famous 19th century society portraitist. The work he has produced as a result examines the notion of inheritance through photographing descendants of the titled elite first captured using this same equipment.

“I had the idea for the project during second year when I discovered the old camera in my house. It took some time to source darkslides, get new bellows made, fit the bellows etc but all the effort definitely paid off. Throughout the degree, I was experimental and challenged myself. One goal I had was to get over my fear of photographing strangers, I had never really conquered it and this was my last

LUKE ARCHERwww.lukearcherphotography.co.uk

chance to do so. I went all out photographing titled strangers using a 100 year old camera. Most of my favourite photographers are what I would describe as slow photographers - embracing the change in pace that using large format brings. This project was really me adopting this. Most of the sittings were one hour (including setting up and packing away); in that time I would normally take 6 frames. My plan for next year is to stay on in Bristol, continuing with the inheritance project, as I have more peers who have agreed to be photographed. I then want to start a project based on land, looking into the financial and psychological importance of land ownership in this country. 2012 will see the second Bristol Festival of Photography and I will be helping organising this.”

BA Photography

University of the West of England

www.uwe.ac.uk


It’s been quite a journey for me since leaving school at 16, and now at 29, finally arriving at my chosen career path. After having tried my hand at computer animation, spending time travelling and holding down various mundane jobs, I have realised my passion for photography.

My photographic style is heavily influenced by my other love, cinema and I take inspiration from the work of Jeff Wall, Gregory Crewdson

TOM HEMINGwww.thomasheming.co.uk

and Cindy Sherman. I endeavour to retain an element of narrative in my images with stylised sets and I study film for my lighting design.

Looking to the future, I hope to shoot editorials or work in advertising, though in the short term I intend to broaden my portfolio with corporate events, PR, annual reports and weddings as I do not want to pigeon hole my work before I find my niche.

FD Professional Photography

City of Bristol College

www.cityofbristol.ac.uk


This body of work was produced out of an engage-ment with Elephant and Castle in south-east London. It started as a series of encounters, photographic and otherwise, within the area and developed into the opening of a pop-up portrait studio and project-space, the International Portrait Gallery, which ran for over a month offering free portraits. The future of the project is to find further ways to extend the process of collaboration inherent in the portrait photograph. This could mean working with subjects’ family albums and personal archives, collecting oral histories and inviting response to images made in the area through writing and drawing on the surface.

EMILE KELLYwww.emilekelly.com

BA Photography

London College of Communication

www.lcc.arts.ac.uk


Postcards From Afar explores the tangible nature of the domestic photograph, alongside the nostalgic connotations associated with the conventional picture postcard. I make 3-dimensional sets using my own standard snapshots, then re-photograph them to create novel, fabricated spaces that I hope incite a deeper sentiment than simply nostalgic or collective recognition within the viewer. I aim to question the role of the traditional domestic, or holiday-style snapshot, and begin to talk about the ephemeral landscape of memory and the photograph within contemporary culture.

BA Photography

University College Falmouth

www.falmouth.ac.uk

TESSA PEARSONwww.tessapearson.co.uk


Within the Catholic religion, parish priests serve as the guide, as the closest representative of Christ usually encountered by believers. The priest is a person authorised to perform the rites of the religion and to act as an agent between individual and deity. This reaches its peak during the celebration of Mass during which the priest performs his role as a vessel of Christ. This form of power takes visual form through the wearing of the vestments that make up the liturgical clothing.

ALBERTO MASERINwww.albertomaserin.com

Within the tradition of the Catholic religion, artists have played a central role in representing the visual message of the church, commemorating events and instilling their doctrine through an iconographic language that has become part of the way we view the world.

BA Photography

University of Ulster

www.ulster.ac.uk

26

Portfolio Review

Photo journalist Alex Digard is currently documenting all aspects of Bristol‘s underground bass music culture, from the monthly Dubloaded dances to the recently defunct Rooted records shop, the hub of the Bristol sound. He also runs the Tape-Echo.com project, an online zine that features Bristol bass music, interviews with DJ’s, label owners and the people that hold this small but internationally recognised sound together.

www.alexdigard.com

01_ Swamploaded

04_ Dread03_ Crowd

VIGNETTE27

02_ Rooted back room

Tom Groves is a London based freelance photographer he works in the studio of internationally recognised photographer Martin Parr. Tom previously worked at Magnum Photos and studied photography at Filton College in Bristol. Groves helped set up The Emporium community arts space in Bristol and is currently shooting a project on European Subbuteo players.www.flickr.com/photos/tomgrovesphoto.

This is an interesting series of pictures to come out of Bristol, which is well equipped for an internationally recognised and a thriving music scene, including the underground bass scene we see depicted here. The make up of Bristol, with a large Afro-Caribbean population, has helped this musical genre swell and mutate over the years into various forms of drum and bass, reggae and a variety of electronic forms since the first King Tubby records arrived from Jamaica. Image 01_ is nicely lit on the face of the DJ but it might be better balanced if you were able to see the deck he’s looking at. Image 04_ has a pleasant shallow focus and the light on the audio cable leads your eye up to the mic well too. I really like the hand gesture as it looks as if the MC is blessing the crowd with his lyrics! The crowd in image 03_ has a great sense of energy and I like the repetition of the arms raised in agreement with the tunes. Also the lens-flare captured connects really well with the circle on the main figure’s t-shirt and leads the eye across the picture so I like that aspect of the picture too. Finally image 02_ brings a different aspect to the series which is far more static and although I like the picture, I feel it doesn’t fit in properly. I like the business of the room and would love to see the bookcase in the left of the image brought up a bit lighter to carry on the repetition of numerous records.

Nicki Musgrave graduated in 2007 with a degree in Cultural and Media Studies from UWE and has worked as an events and commercial photographer alongside a number of Bristol based musicians and promoters.

The black and white photographic depiction of such usually colourful vibrant situations gives the viewer a heightened sense of detachment as well as provides an interesting element of implied solitude of the subjects, particularly in Swamploaded 01_ and Dread 04_. Swamploaded 01_ is perhaps the strongest of the collection in my view, the depth of the shadows give the image an abstract quality as the main subject seems quite removed frommuch of an associative or suggestive contextual surrounding. The composition adds to this feeling although the viewers position at an elevated angle is a little uneasy. The energy in Crowd 03_ provides an interesting contrast to the rest of the images, and intentionally captures the atmosphere and the varying responses of the spectators whilst leaving the musician in the periphery.I particularly like the light flare that seems to create a further barrier between audience and performer. The organised clutter of Rooted 02_ is an engaging subject, however the image could be better composed and would benefit from a little more separation between subject and viewer. Overall this is a thoughtful set of images that stand apart from much of the music culture photography being currently produced.

Matthew Beaman is Deputy Photography Editor of the award-winning Wallpaper* magazine. Since joining Wallpaper* in 2007 Matthew has worked with some of the industry’s most revered photographers.

At times reminiscent of Nick Knight’s iconic book Skinheads, Alex Digard’s grainy black & white images explore an underground and – it could be argued – misunderstood scene that carries with it a strong sense of ideology and social identity. Instead of East London skinheads, Digards’s work focuses on the Bristol bass music scene, encompassing the music, fashion and lifestyle of a small, tight-knit group of people living in the same area.

The strongest images for me are Crowd 03_ and Rooted Back Room 02_. The crowd shot really captures the energy and mood of a heavy dubstep night in full flow and the record shop is a subtle, beautifully lit still life. The contrasting mix of people, environments and still life really work in this series and it would be great to see some further detail, perhaps of the fashions, styles and iconography which contribute to make up the collective identity of the people involved. I think this would enable the work to develop, becoming more than a straight documentary piece, exploring other genres of photography. The portraits are nearly there; Alex has managed to retain continuity with the lighting and feel but I am left wanting more. They are just a little too dark and abstract for my tastes. Overall this is a strong piece of work and it is apparent that Digard has a deep involvement in the burgeoning bass music scene. He is in a great position to delve further and create a really interesting body of work around a subject that many are yet to discover.

28

What’s onBALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art

Mariah RobertsonUsing photographic paper, often at a monumental scale, Robertson’s darkroom experiments utilise analogue techniques now in their demise to create a synergy between chance, luck and her highly-considered methods. Manipulating the tools and materials of the photographic process to capitalise on their inherent strengths and weaknesses, she uses photographs, photograms, colour separation, oversaturated hues and exposes objects directly onto the paper, bypassing the camera lens. An array of chemical drips and mishaps are also used to ‘paint’ the photographic surface. Collageing disparate elements onto irregularly cut photographic paper, Robertson layers them into a single composition to create what she terms an ‘impossible’ image.

www.balticmill.comJun 25 - Oct 30 — Free

Mariah Robertson 6, 2011. Unique C-Print on metallic paper. Courtesy Museum 52, New York. Copyright the artist

Proud Chelsea

The Summer Show: 20th Century Icons To celebrate their 15th birthday, Proud Galleries have delved into their extensive archive to bring you an exceptional collection of the most classic photography of all time, never seen before in one exhibition. Beatles album covers by Michael Cooper and Iain Macmillan, bold portraits of Jimi Hendrix by David Montgomery and David Magnus, and Brian Aris’ candid shots of Blondie will be exhibited alongside prints that take in the length and breadth of popular culture.

www.proud.co.ukJul 14 - Sep 11 — Free

Jimi Hendrix © David Montgomery

VIGNETTE29

National Portrait Gallery

Glamour of the Gods: Hollywood PortraitsNearly 70 vintage photographs spanning 40 years of Hollywood history will be on display at the National Portrait Gallery this summer, including portraits of Marlene Dietrich, James Dean, Joan Collins, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe. Drawn from the archive of the John Kobal Foundation, this collection of work from nearly 40 photographers examines the importance of photography in creating the stars of Hollywood from 1920 to 1960. Studio portraits will be shown alongside film stills used for lobby cards and posters; these had to encapsulate the film plot, or be powerful and dramatic enough to attract film-goers in just one image, resulting in some striking photographs.

www.npg.org.ukJul 7 - Oct 23 — £6 / £5.50 / £5

Street Level Photoworks

Gina Glover: Playgrounds of WarGina Glover’s photographs deal with the monumental and emotional detritus of abandoned military bases, drawing upon Gina’s own childhood memories and her personal sense of vulnerability in the face of threatened military force. ‘Playgrounds of War’ presents the aesthetics of past wars, avoided wars and possible wars. Ranging from collapsing bunkers along the Moray Firth to missile targets in the Baltic States, Glover’s images illustrate not only the massive destructive potential of these places, but also how they have succumbed to the rejuvenating corrosion of time, weather and nature.

www.streetlevelphotoworks.orgJun 11 - Aug 7 — Free

Marlon Brando for Streetcar. Named Desire, 1950 by John Engstead © John Kobal Foundation, 2011

Gina Glover - France, Drop Zone

Vignette is dedicated to delivering inspiring photography to it’s readers across the UK

With a focused readership of professional and ameture photographers across the country. Full details of how your business or organisation can advertise with us can be found online. www.vignettemagazine.com

Advertising this size could have costed you as little as £89.

FOCUSFOCUS

30

OnlineWhat’s on

Tate Modern

Taryn Simon: A Living Man Declared Dead and Other ChaptersA Living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters was produced over a four-year period (2008-11), during which Simon travelled around the world researching and recording bloodlines and their related stories. In each of the eighteen ‘chapters’ that make up the work, the external forces of territory, power, circumstance or religion collide with the internal forces of psychological and physical inheritance. The subjects documented by Simon include feuding families in Brazil, victims of genocide in Bosnia, the body double of Saddam Hussein’s son Uday, and the living dead in India. Her collection is at once cohesive and arbitrary, mapping the relationships among chance, blood, and other components of fate.

www.tate.org.ukMay 25 - November 6 — Free

© Taryn Simon. Courtesy Gagosian Gallery

Eleven Gallery, LondonPaul Hill: White Peak, Dark Peak elevenfineart.comJul 8 - Aug 20 — Free

EB&Flow, LondonDylan Culhane: Transcendental Wayfaringwww.ebandflowgallery.comJune 10- August 26 — Free

Open air photographic exhibition at More London (riverside near City Hall/The Scoop)Anders Ryman: Rites of Lifewww.ritesoflife.comJuly 1 - September 6 — Free

Chris Beetles Gallery, LondonCornel Lucas www.chrisbeetlesfinephotographs.comJuly 20 - August 27 — Free

Scottish Parliament, EdinburghWorld Press Photo Awards www.worldpressphoto.orgAugust 06 - 27 — Free

The Lowery, ManchesterNadav Kander: Selected Portraits, 1999 – 2011www.thelowry.comApril 16 - September 4 — Free

Oxford Castle, OxfordBritain from the Air britainfromtheair.comJune 24 - September 4 — Free

M-Shed, BristolMartin Parr: Bristol and Westmshed.orgAugust 31 - November 27— Free

Rhubarb & Custard Gallery, EtonDarren Nisbett: Chernobyl’s zone of alienationwww.rhubarbandcustard.bizJuly 1-31 — Free

FOAM Gallery, AmsterdamAnton Corbijn: Inwards and Onwards www.foam.orgJune 23 - September 1— 8 euro

9 eyesA collection of the most beautiful, bizarre and dis-turbing images from Google Street View. The new street photography?www.9-eyes.com

Dear Photographtake a picture of a picture from the past in the present.dearphotograph.com

Image FulguratorJulius von Bismark, an artist in Berlin who uses off camera flash and camera modification that allows him to subvert other people images without there knowledge.www.juliusvonbismarck.com/fulgurator

Alternative PhotographyArticles, instructions and technical descriptions on how to carry out work in alternative photographic processes and non-silver techniques. The instruc-tions are provided by photographers, teachers and instructors actively working in the process.www.alternativephotography.com

Strobist®Learn How to Light. The world’s most popular free resource for learning how to use off-camera flash.strobist.blogspot.com

DOFMasterTools for calculating depth of field over various camera formats, including an online calculator and smartphone apps. Great for rangefinders!www.dofmaster.com

Sony World Photography AwardsDeadline: 4 January 2012www.worldphoto.org/competitionsVarious competitions offering photographers of all abilities, ages and backgrounds the chance to gain international exposure for their work, plus many more benefits including cash prizes and camera equipment.

Bristol A Second Look Deadline: 31 August 2011www.secondlook.org.uk Looking for images that capture unnoticed aspects of Bristol that we might otherwise pass by, the small things we might take for granted, details with hidden interest or beauty, or places which people might not normally be able to see. The competition is free to enter and open to everyone who lives or works in Bristol or its surrounding areas.

BJP International Photography AwardDeadline: 15 September 2011tinyurl.com/BJPcomp Open to both amateur and professional photograph-ers working in either film or digital, this unthemed competition consists of two separate categories - one recognising a coherent series, the other a stunning single image. Photographers are welcome to enter both categories and to enter more than one series or image to win photographic kit and a framed, printed exhibition at London’s HOST Gallery.

Submissions from 1 July 2011To submit online – visit www.rwa.org.ukFor a pack – call 0117 973 5129

The RWA is inviting submissions of painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture and architecture from both amateur and professional artists for the annual open exhibition.*

*Entry fees apply. Artwork hand-in dates/locations to be decided.

159 Autumn Exhibition CALL FOR ENTRIES

Philip Munoz: Noughties Girl, Oil on Canvas, 2011 Photo: Max McClure www.maxmcclure.com

Belfast, UKBelfast Photo FestivalAugust 4 - 14 www.visionexposed.comThis biennial is Northern Ireland’s first major photographic event celebrating some of the finest national and international contemporary photography and visual culture. Including work from Simon Burch, Allan Sekula, Christopher Martin and many more.

Opportunities

Festivals

The Terry O’Neill Tag Award Deadline: 22 October 2011www.oneillaward.com Supporting photography from a range of fields, and boasting a first prize of £3,000, the fifth annual O’Neill Photography Awards are open for submissions in categories including Fine Art, Reportage, Fashion, Documentary, Landscape, Wildlife and Portraiture.

Eye on SustainabilityDeadline: 31 August 2011tinyurl.com/EOScompDocument sustainability issues as you see them - from the stunning beautiful illustrating what’s at stake to the starkly truthful illuminating what needs to be done - to win a Nikon D3100 and have your photo appear in National Geographic magazine.

Countryfile Photographic Competition: Best in ShowDeadline: 12 August 2011tinyurl.com/CFPcompBest in Show has 12 categories open to amateur photographers in the UK. Finalists’ images will be included in the Countryfile 2012 Calendar, with two equipment prizes also to be won.

Royal West of England Academy Autumn Openwww.rwa.org.ukA mixed discipline exhibition, including painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture and architecture.

Hereford, UKHereford Photography FestivalOctober 28 – November 26www.photofest.org

Paris, FranceParis PhotoNovember 9 - 13 www.parisphoto.fr

London, UKPhotomonth - East London Photography FestivalOctober - November 2011www.photomonth.org

Perpignan, FranceVisa pour l’image - International festival of photojournalismAugust 27 - September 11www.visapourlimage.com

Arles, FranceLes Rencontres d’Arles July 4 - September 18www.rencontres-arles.com

Groningen, NetherlandsNoorderlicht International PhotofestivalSeptember 11 - October 9www.noorderlicht.com

VIGNETTE31

Lucia Herrero, Belfast Photo Festival ISSUE 3

COMING OCTOBER

Issue 2

Documents

Transcript of Issue 2