Showing posts with label narrative. Show all posts
Showing posts with label narrative. Show all posts

Wednesday, 25 June 2014

Telling Tales #3 Lottie Davies 'Love Stories'

©Lottie Davies Courtesy of L A Noble Gallery
Title: Waterloo Station (Anthony and Joy 1975)  (2013)
Series: Love Stories

To see the full premise of Lottie Davies Love Stories series I encourage you to look at her blog & perhaps even send your own story…

By collecting the stories (written accounts) from both parties involved Davies recreates the first meeting of couples from all walks of life. This on-going series does not set out to accurately depict each meeting – as to do so would be frankly impossible. In asking for the ‘story’ of the meeting from each person concerned in written form she is presented with tow versions of the same event. As with her other work Davies allows for a dialogue between the written word & visual interpretation – using her artistic licence to narrate the story within the framework of the initial text. Not dissimilar to the process of making a movie from an existing work of fact or fiction such as a novel or screenplay, alterations are made, lights go on & the camera rolls.

In Davies' case the camera shoots still images but the principle is the same – however her goal is to do so in one still image. Without the luxury of the moving image many elements have to be presented to the viewer in one sitting. 
Millennium Falcon
©Lucasfilm Incorporated
Oh I remember the days...

When conveying multiple narratives in one ‘take’ attention to detail is everything. The less post-production the better, a realness can be delivered like Star Wars using miniature model star ships rather than CGI – not to say that no special effects are ever needed, but the more that can be done in the ‘real’ the better & more believable the resulting work. The frame becomes the stage for a tableau. The medium allows it to breathe as the life-like duplication of her characters are brought to life.

Although the location, people and era may be changed from the original transcripts, the emotional feeling shown is not. As with her series Memories and Nightmares when the author’s of the first texts see the finished result the undoubtedly express their joy at the ability Davies has to depict their feelings of the time they wrote about.

In doing so we as the viewer are given carte blanche to make our own interpretations of the story – often placing our own feelings and narrative with the work.


©Chloe Rosser 
Lottie Davies (centre) with actors
Kirsty Ellen Wright & Samuel J Weir at L A Noble Gallery 


Her nimble fingers edit and spice these stories into cohesive wholes – but like any great story, we are left with personal interpretations of our own.

25th June, 18:30 – 20:00, Lottie Davies will be giving a talk about her work on Love Stories followed by a Q&A. After this one of the actors, Sam J Weir, in her photographs will be giving a performance especially written and directed by her for the exhibition. 

Works from Love Stories 2012-2014 by Lottie Davies will be on display at L A Noble Gallery as part of Capturing The Narrative: A visual exploration of fact & fiction
For further details see the website here.

Narrative Values – Artists Talks & performance programme – Wed Evenings at L A Noble Gallery

25 June 2014  - 18.30 – 20.00
Lottie Davies will discuss the use of narrative as a constant theme within her practice, followed by a Q&A.
After the talk actor Samuel J Weir – who appears in Davies’ work - will be performing a work directed by Lottie Davies.

Places are extremely limited. To book a place, please email hello@lauraannnoble.com with ‘Narrative Values – talk reservation’ in the subject line. Spaces will be reserved till 6pm. 

Tickets on the door will be subject to availability on the night. Any latecomers will not be able to enter the building after 6.15pm as the talk is being recorded.
£5 per-person (Please include your telephone number for conformation.)

The gallery will be open as usual from 11.00 – it looks to be a fascinating & intimate evening – we look forward to welcoming you.






Sunday, 1 June 2014

Telling Tales #2 Brittain Bright 'Opening Lines'

 Untitled
Series: Opening Lines
©Brittain Bright  

They say a picture can speak a 1000 words – so a photograph trying to introduce the thoughts & ideas one has when reading an entire novel would seem like a very tall order indeed. However, this is exactly what Brittain Bright set out to do from the viewpoint of the reader in her series Opening Lines.  Using the first lines of various novels, both real & fictitious she drew upon her extensive knowledge of the texts & genres she chose to create this fascinating series. As a Harvard University graduate of English & American literature (BA Hons), holding an MA in Fine Art Media at The Slade School of Fine Art & about to complete her PHD at Goldsmiths University in English Literature,  she was well placed within the literary & artistic world to take on such a challenge. 

Each image contains the same protagonist, a woman (the reader) & also occasionally other characters whose character whose sex may or may not always correspond to the original text. The viewer becomes the reader, whose omniversal presence we see throughout. She places herself into the narrative as she reads rendering the text immaterial. “This is a form of extreme personalisation to consume the text by entering into it’” says Bright. In doing so Bright allows the viewer to open up to a similar experience – posing a more interactive experience.

 Untitled
Series: Opening Lines
©Brittain Bright  

Choosing to photograph on medium format black & white film the photographs are instantly imbued with a sense of period, something past, something written, thus placing the pictures in the past tense whilst present. Without the distraction of colour the authenticity of each ‘opening line’ is reinforced.

Don’t be mistaken that Bright’s series bears any relation to Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Stills series. This common misconception is easy to reach at a glance. Sherman’s work typifies film genres – appropriating styles, generalising styles – to raise memories of film through self-portraiture. Bright does not appear in Opening Lines other than as the architect & director of her photographs. Sherman’s role is that of an imaginary blonde actress styled to embody post war American clichés in cinema such as murderess, sex kitten, housewife or ice-cold sophisticate amongst others (there are 69 in total) without a hint of irony. As Andy Warhol said, “She’s good enough to be a real actress.”

In Brittain Bright’s series the educated eye sees beyond the staging & into the connection with the work it relates to. However, when this work is exhibited the ‘opening line’ is not prominently displayed – in fact the reverse is true. The books, which coincide with the work are also displayed – in order to suggest not only the literary implications of the photograph but also to impart the viewer – inviting them to read & experience the work first hand. This results in a more visceral incentive to become part of the work. 

Untitled
Series: Opening Lines
©Brittain Bright 

By placing her audience into a more responsive mind-set Bright leaves us room to breathe & enter into more imaginative realms. You are no longer a passive onlooker but a protagonist of the work itself. Being given such freedom – or should I say options (you can opt out & not take part at all if you wish) – the narrative can be bent & twisted to expand much further beyond Bright’s (the author’s) vision.

Opening Lines are open-ended questions, the beginning of something, filled with possibilities, starting a sentence that you feel duty bound to finish – or asking a question in which you need to seek the answer.

Each photograph is inspired by the imagination, skill & authorship of a work that although now rested in the canon of literary history can now re-animate in the minds of a new audience – literally growing in depth meaning before our eyes…

Witty, serious, dramatic & detailed, each picture dangles a thread waiting to be pulled.

Opening Lines by Brittain Bright will be on display at L A Noble Gallery as part of Capturing The Narrative: A visual exploration of fact & fiction
Exhibition dates: 12 June  - 5 July 2014
Venue: L A Noble Gallery, Maybe A Vole, 51 King Henry's Walk, London N1 4NH
Transport: Dalston Kingsland Overground

For further details see the website here.


Narrative Values – Artists Talks & performance programme – Wed Evenings at L A Noble Gallery

18 June 2014  - 18.30 – 20.00
Brittain Bright will discuss the use of narrative as a constant theme within her practice, followed by a Q&A. 
After the talk in response to Bright’s Opening Lines series in collaboration with Goldsmiths Writers Centre : Corrine Barber, Charlotte Heather & Elly Parsons will be performing 5 minute spoken word pieces especially for the exhibition.

Places are extremely limited. To book a place, please email hello@lauraannnoble.com with ‘Narrative Values – talk reservation’ in the subject line. Spaces will be reserved till 6pm. 

Tickets on the door will be subject to availability on the night. Any latecomers will not be able to enter the building after 6.30pm until the mid-point break & will still be charged the full ticket price.
£5 per-person. (Please include your telephone number for conformation.)

The gallery will be open as usual from 11.00 – it looks to be a fascinating & intimate evening – we look forward to welcoming you.

All works on display are for sale - for further information please contact the gallery. 





Wednesday, 14 May 2014

Telling Tales #1


©Johanna Ward ©Brittain Bright ©Lottie Davies

With only a few weeks to go till the next exhibition opens at L A Noble Gallery I finally have some time to reflect & write my blog dear readers...


The theme of the show is all in the title, Capturing The Narrative: A Visual Exploration of Fact & Fiction - with works by three fantastic artists Brittain Bright, Lottie Davies & Johanna Ward. They each use photography to tell stories - albeit their own or someone else's in a very different way…

©Brittain Bright

Despite their different approaches, each photographer ultimately offers their narrative to the viewer to interpret as they see fit. Dictating a story in pictures rather than text is never the intension. Although images will always paint a more ambiguous picture than the written word, a great deal of care has been taken by each artist to direct rather than impose the meanings, stories & layers of each work. In doing this each photograph stands up in its own right alone when in isolation from the other images in the series it is part of. 

Approaching the works with this in mind perhaps relaxes our approach. The key to enjoying & getting the most out of the work is not to try to fully understand each & every picture or even every intension of the artist when, why & how the image was made. By gazing at the images, taking your time (something I rarely see in galleries & museums these days) & really looking the most remarkable details can reveal themselves when you least expect it. 


At this early stage I won't go into detail on the works in the forthcoming exhibition - as the best time to reflect upon these is over time - which I always find divulge more to me the longer I live with the work (I adore it already - but good works just keeps getting better) on the gallery walls; part of the addiction that is living & working with art! Having time to spend with a work is never a bad thing. Even if you don't like something aesthetically it doesn't mean that it has nothing to offer you intellectually. Dismissing a work as bad or being overtly critical is much easier to do than finding something within it to discuss. I'm sure the proliferation of imagery in our lives gives us a faster response time in registering what a picture is - but context is everything. Glancing at a pile of images on a search in Google is one thing - but standing in front of a work of art on a wall is another. This wall may be in a museum, gallery or even someone's home. We find it hard to disassociate from the works 'value' in monetary terms - but stop & think about it's cultural significance. 


Emily Allchurch & Lisa Creagh looking fabulous as ever

I recently visited the Richard Hamilton exhibition at Tate Modern with two of my artists Lisa Creagh & Emily Allchurch. Today with a more sophisticated understanding of advertising, corporations & capitalism it would have been easy to renounce some of his work as his critique of the aforementioned as clear & obvious today.

The Critic Laughs (1971-2) by Richard Hamilton (1922-2011)
©The estate of Richard Hamilton

But stopping & placing them in the context of when they were made - the work suddenly commands a deeper respect. There is always value in looking back. Often the aesthetic language we take for granted has got lost in the hectic mass-media filled lives we live today. Has something stood the test of time or even predicted the reality we live in now back then…?

Phillip K. Dick

When I am discussing this phenomenon one person always springs to mind, Phillip K. Dick. Now I am no expert on his work, let me make that clear from the outset (this is territory I cannot compete with much more learned readers of his work) but I am constantly amazed by his almost mystical foresight. If I mention his name only my best geek friends know who he is. I give a clue first, saying he wrote Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. If that is met with a blank stare I know there is more explaining to do, usually starting with "You might know it as Blade Runner?" To which an "Ooooh HIM, oh yes" is the usual response. Short of a very long essay as to why he is so relevant today, but I would never finish this post so just one example to make my point



Film adaptations of his works such as Minority Report 1956 - based on a science-fiction short story by PKD - focus on precognition of crimes yet to be committed. Taken in context - written nearly 60 years ago - this would seem excessively paranoid, however a research paper on Precognition Agents exists today! See here for the paper by the Scottish Executive Research Unit. Science fiction can be strangely predictive


(A great short story by PKD I would reccomend is a disturbing tale called The Hanging Stranger & my favourite book is Man In The High Castle, if you were interested.)


©Duane Michals
The Vanity of Animals, 2004
11 x 14 Silver Gelatin Photograph, Ed. 25


Whilst thinking about narrative photographers I must mention the might Duane Michals - whose work I love - the man even moreso as his witty persona & passion for photography made for one of the best artist's talks I have ever seen. See more of his work here


©Duane Michals

This work about Schrodinger's Cat is a particular favourite & still makes me chuckle. A nice way to end Telling Tales #1. 

More tall tales in my next post! 

Details of the next show & programme of events are below. I'm really looking forward to all of the events & interpretations by writers & the dashing actor Samuel Weir (who appears in Lottie's work).

Due to limited space please book early to avoid disappointment - pre-paid places will take priority. We have in the past had to turn people away, so please contact the gallery via hello@lauraannnoble.com to secure your place. 

Exhibition: L A Noble Gallery

Capturing The Narrative: A Visual Exploration of Fact & Fiction - with works by Brittain BrightLottie Davies & Johanna Ward.

12 June - 5 July 2014

Free Entry
Opening Hours: 11.00 - 18.00 Tue - Sat

Venue: Maybe A Vole, 51 King Henry's Walk, London N1 4NH
Transport: Dalston Kingsland Overground

EVENTS:
Programme of Literary evenings: £5 pp - payable in advance (tickets on the night subject to availability)

BOOKING NOW:

Wed 18 June, 18.30 - 20.00
Brittain Bright, artist talk about Narrative Photography. 

Wed 25 June, 18.30 - 20.00 
Lottie Davies artist's talk with performance by Samuel Weir, directed by Lottie Davies

Wed 2 July
18.30 – 20.30
Johanna Ward artist's talk followed by a spoken word performance inspired by her work.

Collecting for Beginners
Sat 28 June
14.00 – 17.00 (Payment in advance, non-refundable, Poa)
Book a place for these events by emailing hello@lauraannnoble.com
Please include a contact telephone number for confirmation.
For further information please see the website