Post Unseen & beyond...

Our beauteous stand at Unseen with 

Robert D. Phillips, Anne Leigniel & Deborah Baker on display here.

Well back in Blighty & a wonderful new show to boot. 

Deborah Baker's show opened to much fanfare last week, if you haven't had time to visit please drop in to see it. Her talk next week (Tues 22 Oct 18.30 - 20.00) is not to be missed, and another Salon session too (only one for this show I'm afraid folks) see all the details here.  

The audience begins young these days

Her talk will include an exclusive glimpse into the development of both her photographs in conjunction with the creation of her stunning woodland garden. Places are filling fast so book your place to avoid disappointment on the night. Doors close at 18.20 so don't be late!

So Unseen Photo Fair, what a great week. After lectures the week before at Foam Museum on collecting photography I was happy to bump into most if not all of the attendee's at the fair. This was a wonderful way to feel right at home. My assistants Emily & Katherine were invaluable & kept me going. Katherine will be blogging about the most amazing experience I had at the fair, namely having 2 tintype portraits done by the wonderful people at the Tintype Studio - so I won't say too much here, keep an eye here for her post!

For the time being here is a great video of one of mine developing! It was so exciting & really interesting as it is a mirror image, making me think about doing a self portrait as I haven't for many years - over a decade in fact. The image was easier for me to look at because of this, but odd for other people...

Here I come...ready or not

Then there was also the JR fun after a wonderful meal with fellow gallery directors & collectors. I had seen a similar setup in Arles but had no time to partake, so I seized upon the opportunity. Several friends did as well. 

As you can see I was quite pleased about it

Sadly Katherine's pic was scuffed by the time I had chance to see it, but her 'blue steel' look is superb!

Then I spotted us on the cover of a Dutch newspaper! 

Here is the floor plastered with our mugs. 

Now another wonderful exhibit that is not to be missed in Amsterdam is at the Stadsarchief Amsterdam which is on till 5 Jan 2014. The building is amongst my favourite in the city, with it's wonderful art deco facade. I shall be reviewing the book that accompanies it also. It was a wonderful surprise to come across it & one of the best shows I have seen in a long time. You can also choose the cover of your catalogue here! 

A.Jager 

c. 1866

An exhibit on the ground floor of stereo images, fascinating. I have a stereo camera myself & really enjoy seeing the results, stepping back into a place via the 3D image. These pictures although taken long ago showed how little has changed in this wondrous city.

 Going through 40,000 glass negatives - to find this selection - the curator has shown dedication beyond all imaginings with a remarkable show of works by Jacob Merkelbach's studio.

One of the studio's specialities was portraits for actors to display their talents. Here we can see one actor with a whole plethora of 'looks' with cleverly styled hair & makeup which allowed her to transform from one character to another. 

Examples of the films that the actors were in placed underneath the photos really is a great way to see a moving image as well as a still one.  

Again, here is the transformation from a black & white photo to a theatre poster. 

Some of the photo's were just plain stylish...

Curator & Assistant Conservator

Then the building itself with the vault below is fantastic. 

Some of them have also been used as small gallery spaces.

Needless to say I had a marvellous time with many museum visits in between. 

Even the parks have photo's in them.

More soon...

Autumn is upon us...curating the Vole & other spaces...

Helén Petersen's work awaits it fate...

Hello dear reader, with summer well & truly over my favourite season has almost begun. Autumn I am told in the Northern hemisphere officially begins on September 22nd till December 20th! With that in mind the art calendar also begins in earnest with so much to see we will barely know where to start.

Unseen opening 2012

As you may or may not know L A Noble Gallery is in between exhibitions & off to Unseen Photo Fair in Amsterdam 26 - 29 September. I am off to Foam Museum to give some collecting lectures on Tues/Wed evening, so before I head out thought it only fair to post beforehand.

Phillip Wülfing's domestic image in a warm wooden

 frame compliments the space beautifully

A new show is always an exciting time as the preparation leading up to it finally becomes a reality. It's a bit like looking forward to a holiday without the beach bit.  In this case the change of venue provided a new challenge from a curatorial point of view, which I relish. Curating the same space is good, but the creative solutions you have find to make the most of a new space is all the more satisfying when they work. 

Katherine & Emily measure

In the current Maybe A Vole space with its grey walls allows the work to ‘pop’ as the contrast pushes the wall back & the images forward. We are so used to white walls in art galleries & often by altering the status quo an audience can receive the work differently. This refreshing change of backdrop, with warm toned wooden furniture also has the effect of perceiving the pictures in a more domestic setting. Measuring the space is the first essential step to establish what will fit comfortably in the space. 

 Lanscape/portrait mix it up & measure

With 31 works & 15 artists to display the first task was to look at the sizes  & see which were the largest works – where they would be best placed in order to utilize there size within the whole exhibit. 

So Helén's work goes up in 

the middle of the left wall 

The larger works of course are apt to stand out, so hanging the largest works first sets up the balance for the rest of the display. 

Then the scale can be played with...

Anne Leigniel's work on the right wall

By hanging the smallest works at the furthest point emphasises the depth of the room even more - encouraging the viewer to come further into the room and stand closer to the smaller work in order to look at it at its optimum distance. 

Make it bold

The height can also be played with, by stacking one work above another.

Sketch it out

As a visual person I find that a combination of scaled drawings & placing the works themselves against the wall to see how well they fit in the space is the best way to realise your vision. Planning a wall can take a lot of measuring, but well worth it. 

The spaces in between works if too large or small can ruin the flow of the exhibition. When done right you barely notice the curation. Bad curation stands out a mile. 

I think back over the best shows I've seen & invariably the best curated shows not only make a greater impact but also encourage you to look at each & every work. 

Variety adds to the interest of the work 

playing with horizontal & vertical lines

If placed badly your interest can be lost or works missed all together. I have seen works obstructed by pillars, other objects like plinth's in the way so that I couldn't get close enough to see the detail of a picture on display behind it. 

A painting is not painted at this angle so why hang it so?

A little trick if a picture has to be hung from a rail - to stop it hanging forward, put a slice of cork behind it so it doesn't lean forward. Alter the width of the cork for the deisred effect. The weight of the picture will hold it place. The cork doesn't slip. You can buy these things but  just save your corks & voila! A painting is not painted at this angle so why hang it so?

Already the depth of the space is accentuated by the size

 of the works in relation to the space

It's always good to 'walk the show' as if you are a visitor. Walk in & go left, right, clockwise, anti-clockwise to see if anything is lost or not given the space it deserves. The size of a space needn't be a negative if the show is well thought through. 

My most recent planning has been off site for Unseen. To plan the walls each work was printed to scale (nothing fancy) with a wall made to scale out of paper. I prefer to use 10cm as 1 meter as it's a nice size to fit on a table. Then with the images cut out they can be moved around & visualised pre-hang. 

Of course there may be minor changes on the day, but this prep is really invaluable, especially for a fair when there is a limit to the time you may have to hang your walls. Last year we had the whole space hung in 3 & 1/2 hours! Not bad. 

Then presentation, clean clear labels - or in the case of the Summer Salon - numbers to label the works in a more subtle way giving the works more space on the wall. With photography I am dismayed when labels do not give all the appropriate info. I went to a very large exhibit recently which did not disclose either the type of print or if it were a vintage, modern or exhibition print. Some looked like they were there for context & not originals at all. This in my opinion is unforgivable. 

If the info isn't displayed with the work it needs to be available to the audience wether it is for sale or not. I always include the following info if possible, either on the label or available if asked for so as not to overload a label with too much text: I've put the bare minimum in bold.

Name of artist/photographer

Title of work: Either italicised or 'like this'

Date taken/made

Date printed/made

Edition - 1 of 5 or 1/5 or #2 from an edition of 5 for example

Type of print/medium: Archival inkjet print on ***paper / C-type etc... NEVER giclée (see previous rants for why)

Price: Either + VAT / excluding VAT / inclusive price outright

Occasionally the series may be mentioned or the other sizes available - but usually this is obvious or is on other hand-out materials/leaflets.  

It's the finishing touches that make a space pleasant to be in, wether that be a bunch of flowers on the desk or comfortable seating & space to move around in. 

Model planning

The next show at L A Noble Gallery is In Paradiso by the wonderful Deborah Baker & in order to work out the way in which her large & small works would be displayed a model of the whole space was made. We even have furniture to really get a sense of scale. (Thanks Emily) 

The hang will be dramatic, I can barely wait! Watch this space for more pics. In the meantime see the website, Facebook, Twitter or the gallery Twitter for updates...see you at Maybe A Vole or in Amsterdam soon!

Our Summer Salons & why collecting photography is important for photographers?

Foam Amsterdam 2012

Having lectured on collecting photography in many universities, galleries & museums around the world, there is one thing that keeps coming back to me - why don't more photographers attend them?

Well the obvious answer is that they think that it's irrelevant to them as they make the photographs. True, but creating the work is only the first part of building a career as an artist in the art market.

Foam Amsterdam 2012

Understanding the way in which audiences think about photography, approach it as an art & eventually in some cases become collectors of the medium is an invaluable insight. This should not in any way alter any artist's approach or artistic vision - making images purely to sell not only destroys your credibility but also your soul in the long run - but having a window into the mind of the collector can help with many things...

Foam Amsterdam 2012

My collecting lectures give both practical advice to collectors and allow for each person attending to be more confident about their passion, feeling safe in the knowledge that they are not making silly mistakes when buying art. The most asked questions are about the definitions between vintage, modern & posthumous prints & their comparative value. Also, the importance of editioning in relation to the exclusivity of a work as well as its future value. 

As a photographer understanding the different ways in which a collector approaches a purchase can be quite an eye opener. Like any collector there are many ways in which individuals prioritise their choices. Overall I always advise to buy what you love, but also to buy wisely. Paying over the odds for a work which is uneditioned or has come from an edition far to large to be considered 'limited' - sadly a very overused term in todays society in all areas of commerce - can often illuminate common misconceptions about the market as a whole. 

With so many ways in which we now consume art beyond the gallery walls how does an artist break through to become a collectable entity & what is it that separates a good artist from a great one? How do new collectors find the work that they will eventually purchase & what considerations are important to make the decision to buy? 

The forthcoming course presents solutions to these questions & also gives attendees the chance to put the information they have been given into practice during the last session of the course. In an intimate group it is also the perfect opportunity to meek like minded people & get to know others who have a shared passion for the medium. For more information about the course on Wednesday Aug 21st see this link & contact the gallery to book a place.

L A Noble Gallery Salon's 2013

This summer our Salon sessions have been full fantastic work & people, with very different approaches & varied interests in subject matter & photographic techniques. 

Some brought their work in print form, framed, or on  their laptops. From finished works to works in progress the feedback & encouragement from myself & the others taking part was also mixed - as each person's experience & opinions brought new ideas to every image discussed. 

The discipline of talking about only one photo for 5 minutes is a great skill to have - putting several things into practice. Speaking to an audience for a set amount of time with only one image means that what you have to say needs to be delivered in a coherent & interesting way. 

To some 5 minutes is no time at all, to others it may be a lifetime. Really articulating what your photograph is about from literal & a conceptual standpoint with only one image to show that is harder than it looks.

After each  person has spoken the rest of the group offer questions & advice for another 5 minutes. This focus is great practice for doing a full length talk in the future.  

The responses & advice brought all our participants together despite the diverse interests they all had on a more personal level. Our second group all swopped emails to keep in touch beyond the event & continue the support of each others endeavours & discussing their work in greater depth. 

What I love about getting groups of people together is the opportunity for everyone to discover something new albeit another artist whom has relevance to their practice or a new friend to banter with about art. 

I would like to thank all those who have attended so far. I have really enjoyed the salons & am so glad that the response has been so overwhelmingly positive. 

On a professional & personal level i feel privileged to share this experience with all the photographers who have come so far & look forward to the next salons. 

So far there has been a great mixture of approaches, subjects, printing techniques & concepts to see & discuss. 

If you want to take part in the next salon on Tues 20th August please contact the gallery, there are limited places but we are happy to add you to the waiting list if one session is full to attend the next. For full information see this link.