Paris – A Beautiful City

Last Weekend I was in Paris, I’ve not been for over 20 years and what a thrill it was!

Paris is a beautiful city. I saw it in bright sunshine on the Saturday and heavy rain on the Sunday, even in the wet it has a romance and a mystery all of its own. Of course I took lots of pictures and they will be appearing around the place over the coming months.

Like London all the big exhibitions have queues but the jewels do not, at the far end of the Louvre is the Orangery, a small and completely separate space, it’s packed with work by the very best  including Monet‘s Water Lilies. It’s small enough to see and absorb in a morning, although the quality of work is so high you can easily make a day of it if you want to.

If you want a hidden treasure visit the Gustave Moreau Museum, within walking distance of Montmartre it is special, very very special. Located in his former home (he made plans for the museum during his lifetime) it’s exquisite – I don’t want to tell you too much because if you are like me it will spoil the sense of wonder and excitement as you walk wide eyed through the building – there is simply not enough time to get the most from it.  I would suggest you go first thing in the morning or immediately after lunch, they close for lunch and if you plan a quick visit you will regret  having insufficient time. It is as much about his work as his family relationships – look carefully for all the doors on the 1^st floor they alone tell a story.

The Ritz – Ilkeston

 

Many people have praised the superb Art Deco Ritz Bingo and Social Club in Ilkeston, the former cinema that still has much of it’s original interior intact.

Art Deco is brash, it’s about flair, strong design and colour lacking the manners of for example the Arts and Crafts Movement, so this is how I’ve chosen to edit it. Strong lines and super saturated colour to bring out that brashness, this editing approach has aged the building that was designed 20 years after the end of World War One.

These images came through the need to try out a new camera, for the first time in ages I used a pocket sized compact, whilst they don’t have the ‘grunt’ of the big stuff,  they do have the lightness and fleet of foot that the big stuff lacks,  the letterbox format and very short lens give huge scope and fitting in the palm of your hand they are almost totally discrete.

Books and Letters

Books and Letters

We all get to a point where we look back and ask questions. The Books and Letters images have come from just that. Emptying  Mothers house in 2005 following her passing away in 2004 a family archive was found.

Books is a set of  4 images of prayer books, bibles and hymn books that were given to mum,  my grandmother and grandfather and a woman who I believe to be my great grandmother, some of these books are well over 100 years old.

My Father kept many personal letters, presented very simply ‘Letters’ is a collection of 8 letters he received at various points in his life. They include letters written to him as a young man by his parents and brother (including letters from Poland sent in 1948) and letters from Mother whilst he was in Japan. The final letter is one of many letters home written by me as a boy whilst away at school,  it’s  included because  it’s addressed to our family home at Collingham where he and mother spent well over half their adult lives, both passed away whilst still living there.

What Is England – Urban

As one of 50 photographers taking part in the ‘What is England’ project this is my image for Urban, I’ve already put in person, group, work, play, and now this the 5th of 6. The remaining image – yet to be shot is rural. I have decided to shoot everything in a football context.  A sport I’ve had little contact with – appart from attending the odd match here and there.

Take from the image what you choose, my interest is in  the lights, and more importantly the cricket lights  in the back ground.  Really they are symbols of difference and influnce, be they race, gender, ethnicity, abitily and wealth of a mixed and varied city where you can see every social problem. 

Gav

Welcome to the blog

The purpose of the blog is to keep you aware of some of my current work, this is generally personal work,  but on occasions will include new trials and tests as part the development of my body of work.

My main site is linked at the top, there are contact details throughout the main site.   

I will only post one or two new images, no more  the rest if there is a bigger set will be found on other sites, these are just to get you interested!