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Stefan Lubomirski was warmly welcomed back after a few months absence and he surprised us with early photography from his youth. As one might expect of Stefan, his youth was unlike that of most of us. No back alleys and war damage from Stefan. No, Stefan started off with wild life photography in the natural parks of west Africa. Typical! One wonders if Stefan had someone to recharge his camera once the film ran out. Stunning shots though.

 

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Angela Schooley has been experimenting with photo-etching using her own archive material. It’s early days for Angela using this technique but her current involvement is addictive. The processes that Angela is engaging with have an instant engagement; distancing us from the availability of instant image making. Patience doesn’t come easy for many of us these days. Historical techniques of image-making draw us in with an accompanying patience. Angela will report as her practice continues and her savings dwindle.

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Gareth Davies discussed ‘layering’ in relation to his work at Stanmore Park. ‘Layering, in my terms, means the addition upon addition of elements of a space. The obvious example is the demolition of on era’s street and replacing it with the contemporary. To Gareth it is the extended evolution of a natural space. In Gareth’s case it relates to the landscaped garden or, rather, the garden estate. The initial work that Gareth shared was related to Stanmore Park. The technique of panoramic representation that Gareth uses can be disorienting — think of it as trying to place oneself in a Möbius strip. We’ve asked Gareth to keep the reports coming.
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Barry Cole followed-up from his presentation last month to give us Digital monochrome 2: Silhouettes and Shadows. Barry writes: “I’ve become fascinated by the shapes people make in public either in groups – the spread and positioning of the members or as individuals – the shape of their actions frozen in time. In making the photographs monochrome I’m hoping to pare down the detail to just what I see as the basic element – the shape. Importantly, Barry gave us the benefit of the ‘printed print’. Like Angela’s etchings, holding and feeling the texture of the print provides an appreciation otherwise absent.

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A fine evening at the closing of which we also discussed (briefly) the business of recording change over time. Cambridge has a lot of that going on at present. John Levett reported, illustrated and questioned the worth of the recording of this evolution. Does what he is doing do the job? Silence descends.

Until next time.

John Levett