PHOTO LONDON 2018
Celebrating the power of photography
Photo London was back for a fourth consecutive year in 2018, once again hosted in the dynamic creative hub of Somerset House. This year’s fair was bigger than ever, bringing to the capital an impressive array of international galleries and photographers.
The much-anticipated annual fair was flooded with press, VIPs, curators and photography enthusiasts immediately from the moment it opened its doors for a preview on Wednesday 16th of May. On show was a record number of exhibitors, including over 100 world leading galleries and an expanded ‘Discovery’ section showcasing 22 emerging galleries and artists. This year’s Photo London celebrated the power of photography and its distinct ability to challenge the way we see and perceive things. With an exciting programme of exhibitions, pavilion commissions and talks it provided fertile ground for debate and discussion on the future of photography. The fair’s early highlights include the awarding of Photo London's fourth Master of Photography to Edward Burtynky, White Cube’s solo exhibition by artists Darren Almond, and special exhibitors like the British Journal of Photography and LensCulture featuring the very latest technology innovations and their applications on still and moving image. In this Gold Circle review for Photo London 2018 we highlight five galleries and their represented artists, who stood out by showing highly aesthetic, non-representational photography. |
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H • Gallery
Alexandra Hedison
Parisian H • Gallery presented rarely seen in the UK works by Los-Angeles based American photographer Alexandra Hedison. This attractive body of work entitled ‘The In Between’ is a series of photographs that capture the temporarily painted windows of businesses as they change ownership. Found across various sites in Paris, Hedison plays successfully with the ambiguity between painting and photography and creates unintentional abstract compositions.
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ALEXANDRA HEDISON
Image 1: Found Paintings #22 (The In Between) 2017
Archival inkjet print on museum paper 90 x 90 cm
Available editions: 2/5; 3/5
Image 2: Found Paintings #12 (The In Between) 2017
Archival inkjet print on museum paper 102,5 x 82 cm
Available edition: 2/5
Image 3: Found Paintings #18 (The In Between) 2017
Archival inkjet print on museum paper 102,5 x 82 cm
Available editions: 1/5; 2/5; 3/5
Image 4: Found Paintings #2 (The In Between) 2017
Archival inkjet print on museum paper 102,5 x 82 cm
Available editions: 1/5; 2/5; 3/5
Courtesy H • Gallery
www.h-gallery.fr
Image 1: Found Paintings #22 (The In Between) 2017
Archival inkjet print on museum paper 90 x 90 cm
Available editions: 2/5; 3/5
Image 2: Found Paintings #12 (The In Between) 2017
Archival inkjet print on museum paper 102,5 x 82 cm
Available edition: 2/5
Image 3: Found Paintings #18 (The In Between) 2017
Archival inkjet print on museum paper 102,5 x 82 cm
Available editions: 1/5; 2/5; 3/5
Image 4: Found Paintings #2 (The In Between) 2017
Archival inkjet print on museum paper 102,5 x 82 cm
Available editions: 1/5; 2/5; 3/5
Courtesy H • Gallery
www.h-gallery.fr
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Crane Kalman Brighton
Karine Laval
British independent photography gallery Crane Kalman Brighton showcased Karine Laval’s other-worldly and colour bursting imagery that captures the leisurely environments of swimming pools and outdoor lidos in summertime.
Laval’s distinct style of work often combines environmental and architectural photography. By blurring genre definitions the artist allows space for emotional interpretation. |
KARINE LAVAL
Untitled #83, 2018
Dye sublimation on aluminium
Courtesy Crane Kalman Brighton
www.cranekalmanbrighton.com
Untitled #83, 2018
Dye sublimation on aluminium
Courtesy Crane Kalman Brighton
www.cranekalmanbrighton.com
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MATÈRIA
Giulia Marchi
‘Fundamental’ is the highly conceptual work by Italian contemporary artist Giulia Marchi. Brought at Photo London by MATÈRIA Gallery in Rome, the artist explores the concept of ‘shared space’ and pushes the boundaries on the notions of the real, the symbolic and the imaginary.
The images are born from something tangible that subsequently acquires a specific symbolism through the artist’s imagination. Sculptural pieces are then presented together with photographic prints adding further on the ‘dimensionality’ of this body of work. |
GIULIA MARCHI
Image 1: Spazio#3, from the series Fundamental (2017)
Image 2: Forma Spazio#3, from the series Fundamental (2017)
Image 3: Spazio#5, from the series Fundamental (2017)
Image 4: Forma Spazio#4 | #7, from the series Fundamental (2017)
Image 5: Spazio#7, from the series Fundamental (2017)
Courtesy MATÈRIA Gallery
www.materiagallery.com
Image 1: Spazio#3, from the series Fundamental (2017)
Image 2: Forma Spazio#3, from the series Fundamental (2017)
Image 3: Spazio#5, from the series Fundamental (2017)
Image 4: Forma Spazio#4 | #7, from the series Fundamental (2017)
Image 5: Spazio#7, from the series Fundamental (2017)
Courtesy MATÈRIA Gallery
www.materiagallery.com
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Kana Kawanishi Gallery
Hideo Anze
Photo London launched its ‘Discovery’ section in 2017 with the aim to showcase emerging galleries and artists. This year Kana Kawanishi Gallery from Tokyo held a strong presence by bringing visually and conceptually strong works from artists who exemplify interpretations of society through photography.
Particularly interesting was the ingenious work by Japanese artist Hideo Anze - Stripe. In this project Anze explores the flicker phenomenon that occurs when florescent light is captured on an iPhone by collecting stripes of colour emerging from the 50Hz electricity frequency used in the east area of Tokyo. ‘If my works are full of colour, it is down to the influence that the environment and the city have on me’ says Anze. |
HIDEO ANZE
Image 1: Stripe (50Hz) 2017:03:22 19:32:57 Shibuya-ku
Image 2: Stripe (50Hz) 2017:04:05 19:08:11 Shinjuku-ku
Courtesy Kana Kawanishi Gallery
www.kanakawanishi.com
Image 1: Stripe (50Hz) 2017:03:22 19:32:57 Shibuya-ku
Image 2: Stripe (50Hz) 2017:04:05 19:08:11 Shinjuku-ku
Courtesy Kana Kawanishi Gallery
www.kanakawanishi.com
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Flowers Gallery
Tom Lovelace
Tom Lovelace’s exquisite ‘Dazzle Site’ installation works are presented by Flowers Gallery in London. His artistic practice evolves around the reinventions of everyday objects, material and process.
Dazzle Site is a site-specific piece, the outcome of an invitation by Yorkshire Sculpture Park for a 2-week residency. After living and working on-site for a period, Lovelace produced a series of images that respond to the site’s landscape, focusing on various locations, and taking aim at creating a sense of uncertainty and doubt. The resulting set of work is highly engaging, extending the photographic content into a physical presence through the effective use of space and materials. |
TOM LOVELACE
Image 1: From Dazzle Site, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 2017, (c) Photo by Jules Lister
Image 2: From Dazzle Site, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 2017, (c) Photo by Jules Lister copy
Courtesy Flowers Gallery
www.flowersgallery.com
Image 1: From Dazzle Site, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 2017, (c) Photo by Jules Lister
Image 2: From Dazzle Site, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 2017, (c) Photo by Jules Lister copy
Courtesy Flowers Gallery
www.flowersgallery.com