Four presentations as usual.
John Levett kicked things off with a meditation on how to talk about photos, taking recent photos of his own as reference but ranging wider in his argument. Along the way this touched on the matter of how terminology relates to purpose: the ‘snap’ may not aspire to art but it may still carry a wholly purposive revelation. When presenting work to others is it good enough to simply say “Here’s some photos, what do you think?” John’s answer, which most in the room would agree with, was “no”.

Kathryn Alkins showed a set of photos taken as she explored and learned about the area around Deptford Creek – an area new to her. The photos were notable for high colour and vivid abstractions while preserving a sense of the history and changes going on apace.

Peter Luck ran rapidly through a long series of images forming the latest part of his Long Walk Across London. There was a general feeling, which he welcomed, that projection was not the best medium for the presentation of these images; that, with the intention to present a spatial cross-section of London, a frieze-like on-the-wall presentation, allowing the viewer to make cross-references and comparisons, would be more appropriate – however ambitious that might prove to be.

Barry Cole went back into his archive showing photos from 1997 of the teaching in the school at which he was then head. A primary school with 65 different languages spoken. The photos showed the high degree of concentrated attention of both staff and children. Our discussion was as much on the changes in education and its context as on the photos which served exceptionally well to provoke such a discussion.

Report by: Peter Luck