Congratulations to LIP member Tim Mitchell who has been awarded a bursary from the Photofusion Salon 2012 for his documentary project A Fish out of Water, a photographic study of the breaking of the RFA Grey Rover (A269 of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary), Canada Docks, Liverpool 2010-2011.

Tim was one of four photographers to be invited to exhibit recent unseen work in the new annual exhibition Photofusion Select 2013. Photofusion Select will run from 3 – 30 May at Photofusion in Brixton, with a launch party and artist talk during the month. http://www.photofusion.org/newsletter/einvites/einvite0413.html

A big congratulations to LIP member Jonathan Goldberg for scooping a prize in the Environmental Photographer of the Year awards. The Environmental Video of the Year Award of £1,000, judged by Robert Harding World Imagery, was awarded to Jonathan for Shaking the Tree, which shows how one man inspired an army of fruit harvesters in his local community. See the video here on YouTube. The exhibition is on until 3 May at the Royal Geographical Society in London, before touring to Cumbria from 25 May – 1 September, and returning to London in Autumn 2013.

We need to hear of any items you want included in the AGM Agenda – just email our Secretary Kathryn Geels secretary@londonphotography.org.uk any time up to 13th November. The final lists of candidates and the AGM Agenda will be emailed to members on 14th November.

THE FUN PART
Once the formalities are done with we will be offering wine and soft drinks and the usual nibbles. Last year’s AGM/Social was a great success and we hope this year’s will be even better. It’s a real chance to meet the present and future committee face to face and to chat with lots of other LIP people. We are also planning another Photographic Quiz (with prizes) and we will have an ongoing slideshow of members’ images.

DATE: Tuesday 27th November
TIME: 6.00pm prompt
LOCATION: The Crypt at St George The Martyr (MAP)
Borough High Street
London SE1 1JA

We hope to see you there – PUT THE DATE IN YOUR DIARY!

It was very much in the modest nature of the man that the scope of our comments was limited by the little that we could find out from various sources. Recently however, Greg Lucas, a long time personal friend of Barney and himself a photographer, wrote the following piece for Barney Gibbens’ recent Memorial Service at The Mansion House, which considerably adds to what has already been noted on this website:

Many of us know that Barney Gibbens had a life-long interest in photography. Barney was a talented landscape photographer and committed Camera Club member. But few knew of the vast and lasting contribution Barney made to Independent Art Photography in Great Britain during the 1980s and 1990s.

Perhaps his love of the subject came from his father, whose tome-like family albums (made yearly, from the mid 1950s onwards) documented the Gibbens clan, through photographs that demonstrated an in-depth understanding of the medium way beyond that of the average ‘amateur photographer’.

At the time of her death in 2005, Fay Godwin was Britain’s best known landscape photographer (a role she’d inherited from legendary Bill Brandt). Barney both believed in and admired Fay’s work very much, and became a close personal friend. In 1995 Barney provided the financial support necessary (but unforthcoming from The Arts Council, due to cuts) for her seminal book, The Edge of the Land. The book depicted the British coastline, the seaside resorts and clifftop walks we all know, in a new light. To this day the publication is an inspiration for many of my photography students. Barney went on to support Fay’s work (by buying prints and funding exhibitions) right up until the time of her death. Fay Godwin’s archive was considered so important that it has been acquired for the nation. It is housed at the National Media Museum in Bradford. Much of the work we can see there was only made possible because of Barney’s generous support.

In 1990 Barney helped Paul Hill, another one of Britain’s leading landscape photographers, by providing funds for his book White Peak Dark Peak. When it was published it retailed at £15.00. I’ve just looked it up second hand on Amazon and its fetching £88.00! Barney had a very good eye indeed!

Between 1969 and 2005, Creative Camera magazine was Britain’s most important ‘Art Photography’ journal. It was going through hard times in 1997 when I introduced Barney to its editor, David Brittain. Barney provided the magazine with a suite of brand new Apple Macs and other digital equipment. The magazine provided a platform and a voice for generations of ‘emerging talent’ fresh out of college or university, and without Barney’s support (agreed over a lunch in Battersea Rise) the magazine might have folded. Barney went on to support publications for London Independent Photography and many photographic organizations.

In 1998, my monograph Mrs Sharpe’s Cracks was nominated for the prestigious Citibank Photography Award (the Booker Prize of the photography publishing world). There was a half-page feature in The Times. It helped launch my career. And who funded the book? You guessed it, Barney Gibbens. Barney Gibbens was one on his own. Independent Art Photography has lost a true friend.

Greg Lucas
(DeMontfort University, Leicester)

Urban Photo Fest is a festival of events taking place with international contributors and partners throughout London involving photographers, artists, filmmakers, urban researchers and anyone with an interest in the representation and evocation of urban life. Festival events are taking place from 4th to 13th of October at a multitude of venues across London.

London Independent Photography is partnered with the Festival and its members feature in presentations throughout the duration.

Members of The London Villages Project will be presenting “The Idea of Village” on Wednesday evening 10th October at Goldsmiths, members of the LIP-CUCR group Crossing Lines will be holding a workshop and Private View of their new exhibition HOME at The Greenwich Gallery and John Levett will be chairing a discussion at Foto8 on ‘Urban Photography that Speaks’.

The full Photo Fest programme is here: http://urbanphotofest.org/home

Full details of the LIP-related events can be had from John Levett here: john.levett1@gmail.com

This event features an artist’s talk by Holly, followed by individual mini photo-shoots and a social. Participants will learn about the artist’s unique style of photo booth and then create their own individual or group images in Holly’s ‘DARKROOM Picture Parlour’.

The ticket price includes the talk, a mini photo-shoot, a small print and a digital file of the image(s) made. Guests are invited to pose as dressed up or undressed as they like, receiving the opportunity to become a classical nude or to create surreal tableaux for example. Props and inspiration provided or bring your own!

9th November 2012, 7-10pm
Cost: £12 per person, £20 for a couple/pair, groups of 3 or more £9 per person
Email asidebsidegallery@hotmail.com to book

Aside-Bside Gallery
5-9 Amhurst Terrace
Hackney
London E8 2BT

Transport: Hackney Downs or Dalston Kingsland overground

A number of LIP members have been engaged in a year-long project interpreting their idea of a London Village. To coincide with two exhibitions, a book of the Project was released, and is now available for purchase: unique collection of excellent photographic work that features photographs by 62 London Independent Photography members, and some short essays on some individual series.

You can order this book directly from ubyu.
For more details and to place an order, visit:
http://lvp.ubyubooks.com.

Barney, an outstanding professional IT company leader, was an enthusiastic and talented amateur photographer. When LIP began 25 years ago it counted itself lucky to have such a notable person taking an interest in our group.

LIP’s committee, and in particular its energetic founding Secretary, Janet Hall, felt the need after five years of existence for a publication to show to potential workshop leaders, exhibition venues, and other interested parties, which would reflect the standard and variety of the work being produced by its membership. At the time, Roger Estop was the Editor of LIP’s magazine and he was asked to produce a suitable publication.

Show magazine – cover photo Peter Marshall

When Roger was asked what he could remember about Barney he came up with the following anecdote which is perhaps a fitting tribute to the man and a suitable record of our indebtedness to him:

My one contact with him was when we produced ‘show’ magazine in 1993 to mark the fifth anniversary of LIP. A company called Black Sun sponsored the magazine by providing all the graphic design and production work. But we had to find the money to print – a smart glossy number without advertising and with a low cover price. At Janet’s suggestion I contacted Barney. I called him from a red phone box in Sloane Square outside the Royal Court theatre. I introduced myself, told him what we were doing and that we were looking for funding to cover printing costs. He asked me how much this would be and then said ‘that’s fine I’ll cover that’. It meant that we could go ahead without any stress. He did not want to be credited in the publication. He was certainly a very important and quiet supporter of LIP.

Barney Gibbens was made an Honorary member of LIP in appreciation of his help.

There is a biography at www.justgiving.com/Barney-Gibbens

Sean recently completed another participation-based book project, “Ambiguous”, which is available on Blurb. For further details visit Sean’s website.

Les Rencontres d’Arles is the highlight of the international photography calendar: last year festival attendees were estimated at 84000, including prominent international collectors, curators, gallerists, artists, publishers and photographers.

Last year LIP memebers exhibiting included Graeme Webb, Sabine Thoele, Camilla Broadbent, Catlin Harrison, Anthony Carr and John Spiller, alongside award winning photographers such as Ed Kashi, Marco di Lauro, Carlo Bevilaqua, Manuel Cosentino, Kate Peters and Mirjana Vrabaski.

Theme: “An Eye for an Ear”
Deadline: 10th May 2012

Exhibition Dates:
2 Jul-23 Sep 2012 Arles, France
Jan-Feb 2013 Penang, Malaysia

See www.photographyopensalon.com for further details.