Satellite Group Updates

© Dorota Biosot

The theme was Making Strange. 17 of us zoomed in.

We kicked off with a presentation from Arun on Making Strange exploring the art movements in and around the beginning of the 20th Century that it related to. I won’t attempt to describe it here but there will be a blog post at some point from Arun on it. But we did reflect how much there were echoes with our current situation. Then Fabrizio presented work from the group with a couple of photos per person exploring the theme. We then cycled through them a second time with people giving some explanation or context to their photos. This was really strong and interesting work.
There was a lot of energy around this and a sense that this theme can continue either building towards an exhibition or a publication or something. We didn’t have much time at the end to discuss where it might go but do share your ideas and thoughts on that.

The one item from the last meeting was the suggestion that we might pick up an intervention ideas as a group but again we didn’t have time to explore that further.

The web site has been active this last month which is great. It is a group web site, and not mine so do contact me about anything you would like to write or post on the blog which is effectively the front page, or on member’s pages. If you haven’t got one and want one just get in touch.

Edmond shared news of workshops he is doing for Open Ealing and he will email round the group.

We looked at themes for the next few months. Ironically next month was scheduled to be themed on travel. So we decided to go with the irony and keep the theme. Frankie plus another will curate the evening. But do have a think of what you might do on the theme.

A huge thank you to Arun and Fabrizio. I keep thinking the meetings will stop being so good at some point. But they continue to be fabulous thanks to the effort everyone has put in.

Jonny

© Bergina Leka

Good to ‘see’ you all and again, my apologies for the odd glitch. 
I started the meeting with a look at a video that Ann Rold had sent us (attached), which I found amazing and I for one shall be expecting this from my next cup of coffee, once we can actually get back into a coffee shop (they’ve had plenty of time to perfect their art).
We discussed the Sony Picture awards, which as you’d expect were of an extremely high standard.
After this, we were royally entertained with an excellent presentation that David Mooney had prepared over lockdown, representing the photographic life he had led. This was a classy piece of work, with some great pictures and well done to him for having taken the time and trouble to put it together. If anyone else has something similar that they’d like to share please let me know.
 We then moved onto the main event, our theme pictures for the month, which this month went under the title ‘Windows’. This included some fabulous work from everyone, in particular though Bergina and David’s pictures, which drew great applause and lengthy comment from many, so well done to them. See the gallery here.
 Our virtual meeting next month will be on 21 July at 7pm, and I will be in touch nearer the time with the details etc. but do please let me know if you’d like to present something; otherwise I might feel compelled to inflict something of my own on you all! You’ve been warned.
 Our theme will be ‘Open’ and I look forward to seeing you all then – cheers Andrew Wilson

Our third successful LIPc Zoom meeting during the coronavirus lockdown, again organised by Jan Cylwik and co-hosted by Heather Martin. There were a total of 25 participants, of whom 18 presented images. The chosen theme was “Dawn / Dusk”; alternative themes being Covid-19 and Own Projects.

Dawn / Dusk: despite being dedicated photographers, not many of us seemed to be able to wake up early enough to photograph the dawn. And when it came to dusk – technically the period after sunset – this was interpreted as any time after the shadows lengthen to moonrise! Responding to a primal connection, our well travelled contributors capture the magic of these times of day in Mpumalanga, Durban, Egypt, East Java, Norway, Greece, Sri Lanka, Canada, Australia and Greenland [Rashida, Hady, Jim, Nusse, Jan, Robin, Geoff, Theresa & Frankie]. The light there is different but, in truth, are the colours really better than in Britain: St Albans, Torridon, Edinburgh, Dorset, Croydon and London parks [Austin, Jim, Alec, Frankie, Heather & Edey]? Eschewing the classic orange disc of the setting sun, most aimed to capture the layers of clouds & vapour trails or water, still or moving, illuminated by the sun’s rays – the successive layers of gold, pink and orange needing no Photoshop enhancement. Others captured the moment when the artificial town and city lights reveal private spaces and contrast with the soft blues of the sky, while Steve rose before dawn to capture the fish market at Billingsgate.

Covid 19 & Own Projects: Here Dorota captured the deserted parks during the early stages of lockdown while Nusse’s photographs of half demolished domestic buildings captured textures of anaglypta wallpaper. Heloise adds a different perspective on the coronavirus story by printing newspaper headlines directly onto leaves using the sun’s rays, while Ingrid continues to explore identity and her Latvian roots – her mother’s beautiful but grave eyes gazing through the bureaucracy.

Steve Jones

Mechthild Belton

Frankie McAllister

Alec Wyllie

Robin Barr

Austin Guest

Jan Cylwik

Edith Templeton

Jim Paterson

Ingrid Newton

The next Central London Group Zoom Meeting will take place on Wednesday 8th July at 18.45. The theme for the meeting is “Personal Projects” but you may instead show images from your response to Covid19.

On-line Zoom meeting held 13 May 2020

This was our second successful LIPc meeting during the coronavirus lockdown, again held via Zoom – organised by Jan Cylwik and co-hosted by Heather Martin. There were a total of 18 participants (including Theresa live from Australia), 13 of whom presented images. The theme was “Fake” with alternative themes being Covid-19 and Own Projects.

Fake: Fake silk flowers and fake Japanese food caught Austin’s eye, while for Dorota it was real planting for a Milan tower block – so perfect it looked unreal. Jim’s fake hand held a real knife, dripping with fake blood and Frankie’s skilful use of double exposure created intriguing artificial landscapes.

Covid-19: Ingrid overlapped the themes with fake news headlines about coronavirus, using a variety of carefully selected fonts, superimposed on scenic black and white photos. Text and words were key to Heather’s coronavirus signs: some said “No Entry” and “Normality suspended” while others entreating us to “Stay well”. Likewise, Jan’s moody video loop invoked a groundhog day repetition inviting the question “when will this end?”. Steve’s VE day photographs showed socially distanced tea drinkers.

Own projects: In the telephone booth series by Chris, it is the small changes that you notice. Edey captured the sculptural qualities of a tree which had been brutally cut back but was starting to regrow. The structural quality of trees also feature in Nusse’s strong black and white images as well as in Theresa’s photos of a muddy Aussie mangrove swamp, combining shade with piercing sunshine. Also taken in Oz, Geoff’s use of intense RGB colours change our perceptions of familiar landscapes transforming rocks into buried Gormley statues.
Jim Paterson

Teresa Levitt

Jan Cylwik

Frankie McAllister

Austin Guest

Jim Paterson

Steve Jones

Edith Templeton

Ingrid Newton

The next Central London Group Zoom Meeting will take place on Wednesday 10th June at 18.45. The theme will be Dawn/Dusk or alternatively you may show your own Projects.

© James Wilkinson

Lovely to see everyone last night and I hope you all experienced a slicker show last night than before (it will require a few extra things from you next time but nothing too exacting – thanks James K for your tips, be back to you on that). Josie sends her best wishes and thanks everyone for their kind thoughts; fingers crossed she pulls through.  
I started the meeting with a quick look at the internet, where I had found some fabulous material to share. 
We then moved onto the main event, our theme of ‘Escape’ and glad that with the new system we were able to engage in some voting and I attach our ‘winners’. You can view the gallery here. Stand outs and there were many – I loved Juliette’s creativity, Nick’s cello player (especially the back story), Ati’s upside down balcony, Nigel’s extraordinary balloons, and because I am personally very fond of them, James’s swans queuing to pop in to our local M&S.  
Thanks again everyone and our theme next time will be ‘Windows’ and I loved the way that our meeting was pivotal in our choosing this, as it just seemed to metamorphose out of a conversation we were having towards the end.
Have a good time in the sun and catch up soon – our meeting in June is set for 16 June and looking back, it’s funny to remember the extra things I needed to do at my home at this time of year, for instance, I shan’t be missing getting out on my roof to place old curtains across my windows to keep the light out (good times and let’s hope they return sooner rather than later and we can get back to the Coach & Horses). Cheers Andrew Wilson