Caroline Molloy- Remnants of a Visual History (2008-2011) 

http://www.molloyportfolio.com

Alejandro Cartagena - Car Poolers (2011)

In his most recent project to date, Alejandro Cartagena examines New York’s migrant work force, from within the vans that transport them to and from their work sites. Shot from a birds eye-perspective, we are given an insight into a space we would not normally consider.

Awkwardly positioned amongst tools and work materials, or crammed together asleep between jobs; Cartagena’s subjects prompt a discussion into the social subject of his images. Nevertheless, the photographers’ reluctance to draw a conclusion of ‘good’ or ‘bad’ in relation to the reality of the work- is evidenced in the collection. The variety of images and their compositional style, allows for the audience to appreciate the images for what they are and begin to draw their own conclusions and opinions of each scenario. 

Rachel Lowndes - Marks

Marks acts to juxtapose notions of abscence and presence. The empty stage spaces that Lowndes documents, reveal elements of history in relation to the Theatre that we perhaps would not at first be inclined to consider. The evident ‘marks’ and usage of the space, narrates a drama of the surroundings to a new audience.

Here we are given a new insight to such spaces; challenging the role of the audience in relation to the theatre space. At a time when impending funding cuts to such institutions poses a threat to establishments and artists alike across the Arts Industries, Rachel Lowndes’ images draw attention to the importance of the theatre space with audiences worldwide. 

Without the enhancements of lighting or decoration, these settings are examined as permanent structures; allowing the audience to consider the artificiality of their almost ‘day-to-day’ re-working. 

http://www.rachaellowndes.co.uk

MAURIZIO ANZERI 

For more information see artist website and Yatzer article. 

http://www.maurizio-anzeri.co.uk/

Peter Watkins- Piano, They All Would, The Last Kills (Ongoing Project)

3rd Prize- Project, for the WestPhoto annual Photography Prize, on show until the 18th December 2011 at Ambika P3, London. 

http://peterwatkins.co.uk/theyallwoundandthelastkills.html

Mustafah Abdulaziz - Memory Loss

“I’m interested in the connection between how we as Americans present ourselves and our familiar environments and the subsequent disconnects created when we forget how we appear. In a time when our shared culture is represented in such polarising extremes, I looked for the line between me, the drifting outsider, and the scene that strives to appear one way but appears to me another.”

This insightful series of images from photographer Mustafah Abdulaziz documents the inherent contradictions of everyday life. From the people awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Irene on Coney Island, to the patrol car stationed under a tree in Pensylvania. Simply by seeing such ‘ordinary’ occurances, recorded photographically, Abdulaziz highlights the interesting juxtapositions that surround our ‘normal’ lives on a day-to-day basis. 

http://www.mustafahabdulaziz.com/memory-loss

Martina Lindqvist - A Thousand Little Suns (2010)

Runner up in this years Terry O’Neill Awards (currently on show at the Hotshoe Gallery London), Lindqvist’s images capture the strange disquiet of the forrest borderline in Finland. Her project statement reads: 

Marcault and Thérèse Brosse once wrote that, “forests, especially, with the mystery of their space prolonged indefinitely beyond the veil of tree-trunks and leaves, space that is veiled for our eyes… are veritable psychological transcendents.” Forests, in spite of being the most natural of spaces, are truly unnatural for the cultured human being. If we don’t know where we are going, we no longer know where we are, and standing on the brink of a forest always represents this possibility of going deeper and deeper into the unknown.

She explains of the work further in Hey, Hey Shot!: 

‘Having grown up in a big city, I rarely experienced the majesty and serenity of forests. Perhaps because of this, I do have an understanding, a respect (one might even call it a healthy fear) for sylvan expanses and what they come to symbolize: the all-surrounding, disorienting unknown. To a child who might’ve grown up gazing out of country windows, forests (particularly at night) must’ve seemed like foreboding, mysterious places full of wonders and perils.’

With this series, Martina Lindqvist has revisited childhood locations in Ostrobothnia, Finland. Despite expectations for scenes of complete darkness, the landscapes are eerily lit, illuminating the seemingly deserted homes on the edge of the forrest enveloped in deep black skies.

 ”The concept of the border, Lindqvist adds, is a reflection of the experience of an inherited yet closed off culture that was always seen through the eyes of a visitor.”

http://www.martinalindqvist.com/

Ignacio Torres - Stellar 

‘This project began from the theory that humans are made of cosmic matter as a result of a stars death. I created imagery that showcased this cosmic birth through the use of dust and reflective confetti to create galaxies. The models organic bodily expressions as they are frozen in time between the particles suggest their celestial creation. In addition, space and time is heightened by the use of three-dimensional animated gifs. Their movement serves as a visual metaphor to the spatial link we share with stars as well as their separateness through time.’

This incredibly captivating series of images by photographer Ignacio Torres explores the universe, the body and how one may have led to the formation of the latter. A recipe for interesting results.

Torres’ glittering use of colour lends the series an element of fantasy and mystery that acts to enhance the premise of the piece. This is furthered through the artists exploration with 3D photography that transforms the images from a static photograph into a model-esque form. The slightly ‘glitchy’ characteristic of gif. images, is somehow appropriate for a furthering of the works concept. We are able to see the subjects as independent figures within a landscape; enabling us to begin to question the ‘visual metaphor,’ that Torres aims to introduce- of our ‘spatial link’ to the stars, and yet our furthering temporal distance. 

-http://ignacio-torres.com/projects/stellar/

Xing Danwen- Urban Fictions (2004)

Drawing upon themes of ‘urban monotony’, artist Xing Danwen has produced a series of large scale photographs to question the seemingly idilyic urban landscape. 

Looking at her work I instantly want to draw comparisons to the technical processes of Thomas Demand, and artists working with image databases such as google maps, seen in the work of Mishka Henner and Jon Rafman. Danwen has reconstructed model landscapes from digital prints of her suroundings. This contradiction and juxtaposition of scale from down-sizing in photograph and model, to up-scaleing in the final photographic print- heightens a sense of unease and surreality to the body of work. 

Amongst the huge architecture, we see small scenes of ‘everyday life.’ Ranging from the mundane, like smoking a cigarette, riding a bike, to the not so everyday knife murder; these images prompt us to question our surroundings and our position within them.

The figures, modelesque in aesthetic, invite us to relate to them in their activities in some sense or another. (Although perhaps acting the murderer is a less empathic role for us to relate to.)

As a result, the work acts to represent the stifiling, constructed nature of the urban landscape. Placing us as figurines in a ‘concrete maze’ where ‘everyday life’ is part of a game we enact. 

To see more of Xing Danwens work, please see the following link: 

http://www.danwen.com/web/

John Rafman - The Nine Eyes of Google Street View 

Aptly titled after the 9 cameras that document our towns, cities and villages for the purposes of Google Maps; John Rafmans’ work picks out the scenes Google perhaps were not counting on collecting. This source of imagery has proved fruitful for other artists, perhaps notably - Mishka Henner, whose trawling of the site drew together images of prostitutes from around the world. 

Rafman’s series also features scenes of oblivious prositutes; however, it also includes many other scenarios of everyday life that provide an unsuspecting insight into what goes on when we believe no one is watching. As a result, we see sights that make us smile, confuse us and astound. The autonomy of the original ‘see-er’ and the unquestioned availability of such images to anyone with acess to the interenet, calls into question the never ending debates regarding privacy and surviellance. 

The more light-hearted images help to balance out some of those with more questionable content. We are forced to acknowledge that at the end of the day, these are images of everyday life, and everyday occurances that are going on all around us. Rafmans filtering of the extensive database of imagery allows us to share in the act of voyeur, viewing scenes from around the world through a filter of seeming disbelief at the knowledge of their origins. 

To see more from John Rafmans series: http://9-eyes.com/

Jessica Harrison - Pride & Prejudice and Zombies 

http://www.jessicaharrison.co.uk/

Thomas Hein - Archaeology Now

‘Archaeology Now emerged from a casual discovery of a recent eviction in Islington. My decision to photograph what was left behind had to do with my curiosity for the space, the objects, a story and a culture which I’ve always been far from fully understanding. Once again, this attempt to understand through photography might prove futile, but nonetheless there emerges a story that us, as archaeologists of our times, can try to piece together to the best of our capacity.’ 

Runner up for his series in this years WestPhoto Photography Prize. Work on show until the 18th December 2011 at Ambika P3, London. 

Samuel Hense - Petits&Grand

The making of dens and secret hide-outs is one of the most nostalgic memories of childhood. Photographer Samuel Hense documents such abandoned playhouses, allowing the audience to reminise of memories of summer fun.  

http://samuelhense.fr/petitsgrand

THE KING OF PHOTOGRAPHY from Tiane Doan na Champassak on Vimeo.

Tiane Doan na Champassak- The King of Photography (2011)

An insightful photobook produced by photographer Tiane Doan na Champassak, that displays some of the images he has collected of The King of Thailand. The book serves to act as documentation and as an appreciation of photo-enthusiasm; from one photographer to another. 

The photobook is available via The Indie Photobook Library and other photobook outlets: 

http://www.indiephotobooklibrary.org/tag/tiane-doan-na-champassak/