Walking Cardiff : Book launch

Ffoton joined Newport-based photographer John Briggs for a special event in Cardiff on Saturday 9 November to launch ‘Walking Cardiff’ - a new book he collaborated on with author and poet Peter Finch and published by Seren Books.

l-r: photographer John Briggs, writer Peter Finch, and event Chair - novelist and literary critic Grahame Davies

“Walking Cardiff is a new book published by Seren and brings together twenty walks around the bustling capital of Wales in a guide that visits the new and the ancient, the difficult, the undiscovered, the lesser-knowns, the artistic, the entertaining, the quirky and the unexpected - uncovering Cardiff past and present for all to enjoy.”

— Seren Books

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The authors describing some of the more interesting walks around Cardiff. Image © Brian Carroll

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The animated Peter Finch describing the ‘psychic centre’ of Cardiff with photographer John Briggs capturing the moment. Image © Brian Carroll

To mark the launch of the new book, Seren hosted a free event in Jurys Hotel in Cardiff bringing together author Peter Finch and photographer John Briggs in conversation with Grahame Davies.

Our thanks to the authors and Seren Books for agreeing to record the event.

You can find out more about the book on Seren’s website - www.serenbooks.com

James Morris @ Ffotogaleri y Gofeb

The very special Ffotogaleri y Gofeb in Machynlleth played host to photographer James Morris on Saturday 14 September for a talk about the work he produced for his Time and Remains project on Palestine and some of the issues it raised for his photographic practice.

James was joined in conversation by writer and poet Damian Gorman, who also discussed his own work where he has tried to test if (and how) the written word, especially poetry, might have anything to offer at all in situations of real ongoing violence and civil unrest.

Photographer James Morris speaking in Machynlleth. Image © Brian Carroll

“The origins of these photographs lie in a pine forest, walked through at the start of my first visit to Israel when I came across the unexplained crumbling walls of seemingly ancient structures, a small stream running by . . . a plaque announced it as “an oasis,” “a recreation area, a place of water, of hope, of peace, of vision.” Later that day I found a film online depicting a recent visit to the same location by Israeli Palestinian citizens. Elderly men recalled that as children those remains had been their village, the terraces their fields, the water their spring; they had been made internal refugees by the 1948 war during what they called their ‘Nakba’; their village flattened, their right of return refused, a planned forest of imported pines veiling their former world. Such divergent interpretations of place were a potent introduction to the dislocation in their land.”

— PHOTOGRAPHER: JAMES MORRIS, PHOTOGRAPHER’S NOTE IN TIME AND REMAINS OF PALESTINE, (2016)

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Writer & Poet Damian Gorman in conversation with James Morris. Image Copyright © Brian Carroll

Listen to the talk and audience Q&A below. Many thanks to James and Damian for allowing Ffoton to record their discussion.

James’ work was exhibited in Ffotogaleri y Gofeb as Time and Remains of Palestine - a selection of work conceived by the photographer during a period of time he spent in Israel and Palestine, and was open to the public (free) from 11 June until 5 October 2019.

You can find out more about the latest Ffotogaleri y Gofeb events and exhibitions via their website:
www.ffotogaleriygofeb.co.uk

Rituals of Intimacy - Photographers Talk

On Saturday 30 March 2019 Geoff Young and Diane Bailey, curators at Ffotogaleri y Gofeb in Machynlleth, brought together celebrated photographer and teacher John Blakemore along with Pete Davis, Marian Delyth, Peter Cattrell and Aled Rhys Hughes for a unique talk on landscape photography.

Rituals of Intimacy, taken from John Blakemore’s writings provided the inspiration to bring together Ffotogaleri y Gofeb’s Collection 1, a special exhibition featuring the work of the five photographers and was exhibited from November 2018 until 19 April 2019.

Many thanks to the photographers and curators for allowing Ffoton to record the talk and share the audio below.

Photographer John Blakemore

Image © Brian Carroll

Photographer Peter Cattrell

Image © Brian Carroll

Photographer Marian Delyth

Image © Brian Carroll

Photographer Aled Rhys Hughes

Image © Brian Carroll

Photographer Pete Davis

Image © Brian Carroll

Dan Wood & Paul Cabuts: In Conversation

Photographers Dan Wood and Paul Cabuts sat down for a conversation on Dan’s work, contemporary photography in the Valleys and Dan’s new book ‘Gap in the Hedge’

Saturday 15th September 2018

Hosted by The Workers Gallery situated in Porth in the Rhondda Valley, this talk seemed a natural extension to Paul Cabuts’ ‘Valleys Project’ talk at Ffotogallery 31 May 2018 as it promised to explore the ongoing lure of the south Wales valleys in contemporary Welsh photography by one of its own - Dan Wood.

Spookily describing themselves as, “Purposefully NOT publicly funded. The WORKERS is committed to being fully independent & creatively resourceful”, Ffoton couldn’t resist the invitation to visit the Gallery, listen to and record this fascinating talk. Enjoy.

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Paul Cabuts introducing the talk in Porth

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Paul Cabuts and Dan Wood in conversation - with a selection of work from ‘Gap in the Hedge’ on the walls around them.

Dan’s latest book ‘Gap in the Hedge’ is available to purchase from Another Place Press
See more of Dan’s work and projects on his website www.danwoodphoto.com
Follow Dan on Twitter @danwoodphoto and Instagram @danwoodphoto

View more of Paul's work and read his essays on photography on his website www.paulcabuts.com
Follow Paul on Twitter @PaulCabuts

Images © Brian Carroll

BILL JAY & BRITISH PHOTOGRAPHY FROM THE 1970's Event

We went along this weekend to The Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol for the premiere screening of the new Do Not Bend film on the life and influence of photography writer, educator and maverick Bill Jay - and a full day of fantastic talks from influential photographers making work in the UK during the 1970's.

The premiere screening last night (Friday 20th April) at The Martin Parr Foundation had a packed house and those attending weren't disappointed. Co-producers Grant Scott and Tim Pellatt created a very informative and touching tribute to Bill Jay - respected by many photographers and students in the UK where he was first editor of the influential Creative Camera magazine which ran from 1968–1969 before founding and editing twelve issues of the equally respected Album magazine from 1970-1971. Jay then moved to America in 1972 and founded the Photographic Studies program at Arizona State University, where he was professor of art history and taught photography history and criticism for 25 years.

To a wider community of photography enthusiasts, Bill Jay will be remembered as co-author with long-time close friend David Hurn on their popular book On Being a Photographer, first published in 1997 and still in print.

Ffoton's Brian Carroll caught up with Grant Scott to hear about the inspiration for making the film and his response to the audience reaction at the Premiere screening. Listen below...  

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Conversations between presentation sessions at The Martin Parr Foundation. © Brian Carroll

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A lovely moment of mutual respect: photographers and old friends Markéta Luskačová and David Hurn catch up after many years. © Brian Carroll

The following day (Saturday 22nd April) was packed with talks from influential photographers working in the UK during the 1970's; with the programme consisting of...

John Myers
Myers was shooting a mixture of portraits and urban landscapes in the Birmingham area in the 1970s in a project called ‘Middle England.’ He is currently working with RRB Photobooks to publish his full archive and their first book together, titled ‘The Portraits’,  will be launched on the 21st April to coincide with Myers’ talk.

Markéta Luskačová in conversation with Ken Grant
Luskačová has lived in London for almost 45 years and photographed in the East End in the 1970s. This work culminated in a show at the Whitechapel Gallery.

Peter Mitchell
Mitchell’s landmark colour exhibition ‘A New Refutation of the Viking 4 Mission’ was shown in 1979 at the Impressions Gallery, York. Peter will discuss the ideas and concepts behind this and his other bodies of work.

Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen
Finnish photographer Konttinen has lived and worked in the Newcastle area for nearly 50 years and is a co-founder of the Amber collective. She will talk about her Byker work from the 1970s which was recently acquired and shown by the Tate Modern. More recently Sirkka returned to Byker and photographed the new estate and it’s inhabitants that replaced the original community for her project Byker Revisited.

David Hurn in conversation with Martin Parr
Hurn was a pivotal figure of this decade, working both as a fashion photographer and  photojournalist.  At the time, his London flat was almost regarded as the creative hub of British photography. He will be in conversation with Martin Parr.

David Hurn in conversation with Martin Parr in the final session. Hurn had the audience entranced (and often in stitched with laughter) with his anecdotes, views and trademark frankness. © Brian Carroll