The Photographers' Gallery
Dave Heath
Heath photographed the history of America. He could be classed as a documentary and experimental photographer. This is because his photographs challenge the boundaries of documentary photography by them being displayed in a unique way. His work captures the isolation of modern society. Heath had a difficult childhood after being abandoned by his parents at four years old. He had to live in orphanages and foster care homes in Philadelphia. At fifteen he came across an essay in a life magazine, this inspired him to become a photographer. In 1952 he was sent to Korea as a machine- gunner. When he was there he captured his first landscapes. He photographed soldiers that weren't on the battlefield. This may suggest that soldiers are more than just fighters, they are humans with feelings too. After the war he returned to Philadelphia, he was able to capture the atmosphere of the streets in America. He focused on isolation, this could represent how he felt as a child when he was abandoned. By taking these photographs he was making a statement about how lonely society was in America in that time.
Overall, I found Heath's exhibition very interesting. From looking at his work you can feel the pain that he felt as a child as his photographs represent isolation. I liked they way his photographs were displayed in different formations. Personally, I would have liked to of seen some of his photographs bigger scale. I would have also liked to have seen some objects that went with his photographs as it makes them come to life. I think this exhibition has a very strong concept as it documents how isolating the streets of America were in the 1950's. In Heath's bio he states that he 'immediately recognised himself in this story and photography is his means of expression.' Photography was a way of Heath to express himself after having a hard time as a child. The first piece that caught my eye was the first display. I liked the fact that it was displayed with space between the photographs, this allows the viewer to focus on the small details. The second photograph I was drawn to was 'Chicago,1956.' You can see a strong sense of isolation in this photo. The woman is on her own and has her head down. This suggests that she may be struggling and exhausted, it represents what it was like living in 1950's America as no one is helping her. I personally think that Heath is more of a documentary photographer as he shows reality through his photographs. I can also see how people may think of him as an experimental photographer because he slightly manipulates his photographs by changing there formation and brightness.
Laia Abril
Abril's exhibition explores the history of abortion. To begin with she looked into early contraceptive devices and testimonies from women, health professionals and abortion right activist. Abril's work documents the lack of legal and safe abortion services. She also explores the politics behind abortions and how 'lawmakers' decide on women's reproductive rights. She creates an overview of the triggers, stigmas and taboos surrounding the termination of pregnancies.
Personally, I liked Abril's display as it had a strong concept and there was a variety of different medias used. The first piece I was drawn to was 'Lambs Of Christ' and 'Army Of God'. It displays two newspaper articles of 'Wanted' men. I like the way she brought her research together and used it to back up her work. By reading these articles, it makes us realise how serious the issue of abortion is in modern day society. The men that were 'Wanted' exploited women's abortion rights. The second piece that I was drawn to was the grid of women's portraits. By slightly blurring their faces makes us wonder about their identity and why they are trying to hide it. This reflects the stigma around abortion. After reading the description of the piece, I found out that all the women died of denied abortions. This represents how women are exploited against in society today as their deaths could have been prevented if they were allowed abortions. The last piece I was drawn to was the portrait of the woman with the map and clothes. I like the use of the map and the clothes as if gives us context behind the work. I think this exhibition was very thought provoking as it makes us think about our own views on abortion.
Arwed Messmer
Messmer's project explores chapters in recent German history. He challenges the concept of archiving images and how there interpretations can change overtime. This project has a diverse range of materials from documentary photographs. Most of Messmar's exhibition focuses on crime scene photography as well as police forensic work. He uses unpublished material to create new narratives that question photographs ability to function as proof.
Overall, my favourite part of Messmer's exhibition was the curation. I liked the way that the photographs were displayed in abstract formations, this emphasised the story in each photograph. The first piece I was drawn to was called 'Isolation' the name of the piece could be represented through the gaps between the prints as well as how isolated and silent the crime scene photographs are after the crime is committed. They have a very eerie and ominous mood. Some of the photographs are repeated and zoomed in, this shows the crime in detail and creates suspense. The second piece I was drawn to was the full body shots displayed in a line. From looking at it, I think that it represents identity and diversity due to the range of different looks. I personally think that the prints would have looked better without the pins holding them up as they were quite distracting. The third piece that I was drawn to was the map with the books. From my point of view it represented a sense of location, it documents objects that comes from different countries. I liked the way that this piece included physical objects, this made it more realistic.
