Samuel Bradley

I am a photographer on the verge of graduating. Currently interning at www.mackbooks.co.uk.

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• Deutsche Börse Prize and some Paul Graham

  Today I went with my flatmates to see the Deutsche Borse in London. As the photographers gallery is currently indisposed, it was in a building that’s part of the university of Westminster.

   Jim Goldberg won this year, which is fine by me. I thought his part of the exhibition was the best, or at least I liked it the most. I can’t say out of the nominees who I think contributed the most to photography in Europe, that’s for the prestigious jury to decide, which they did.

   

  The image above is one of my favourites from the series ‘Open See’ by the winner, Jim Goldberg.

  “Open See documents the experiences of refugee, immigrant and trafficked populations who travel from war torn, socially and economically devastated countries to make new lives in Europe. Fusing Polaroids, video, written text, ephemera and large and medium format photographs (taken in places as varied as Iraq, Bangladesh, China, The Balkans and Congo), Goldberg uses his varied and experimental approach to photographic storytelling to reflect on issues of migration and the conditions for desiring escape.” (from the Deutsche Borse website)

  Here’s Jim’s magnum profile, which is really the only place online you can look at his work I’m aware of, as his website is under construction. The other nominees if you’re interested in a bit of googling were :

  Elad Lassry

  Roe Ethridge

  Thomas Demand
  

  I liked Lassry’s part of the show, but I wasn’t crazy about Ethridge’s, and Demand doesn’t speak to me at all to be honest but I appreciate his vision I suppose.

  

  We also hit up the Paul Graham (above) show at the Whitechapel. It’s a huge retrospective of his work over three different rooms. I wasn’t actually as blown away as I thought I would be and I think that’s because PG is the master of well edited photobooks, so seeing his stuff on the wall didn’t feel the same. Still really great to spend an hour scrutinising his beautifully detailed prints. I’m not a great lover of galleries to be honest though. I get tired and just want to buy the book and crash out in a cafe. I don’t resent going to exhibitions, because it’s good to see things in the flesh, but it has to be something I really really want to look at.

  I really have to emphasise if you’re not familiar with the work of some of the artists above, that many of them don’t have an amazing online presence. If you really want to see Paul Graham’s work properly, buy one of his books, the new retrospective of his work is around £30 I think and you will in no way be disappointed. I just think that in this age of everyone having a flashy photography website, the greats are a lot more guarded because they don’t need to advertise themselves so much, they already have the prestige. Unfortunately it means it’s hard to get new people interested, especially those who don’t have access to a good library or bookshop. I’m rambling now, but do your research and don’t neglect print! If you love photography, go out and find it ‘IRL’.

  28 Apr 2011 / 12 notes