LIP Central September 2023 Meeting – LIP Satellite Groups

Featured image © Jim Paterson

The theme for the September meeting was ‘Villages of London’, with the usual option of showing personal projects. Eight members presented their work.

Edey showed images of the “Westminster Village”, centred around Victoria Street. Her portrait-style monochrome images captured modern office buildings and old streets, including one from 1722 which prompted discussion on when we stopped adding dates to new structures.

Janet explained that as a New Yorker she sees the whole of London as a village. She presented pop-up views of London skylines and West End streets near Christmas, made by producing four identical prints of each scene and then cutting and arranging them into layers.

Mark captured late afternoon colours and reflections around Greenwich, including street scenes and a market trader with striking hair set against a darkened background.

Austin presented scenes from a recent walk around some north London “village” areas, including Highbury, Canonbury, Newington Green and Stoke Newington; the latter featured views of the area’s churches and of Abney Park cemetery.

Alec showed some colourful views from within a shopping centre in Walthamstow, with the geometry of the building mirrored by the merchandise. He had also photographed a cheese seller at the local farmers’ market.

Moving onto personal projects, Sue showed close-up images of surfaces of allotment sheds in Tottenham, capturing light, shadows, textures and distressed paint finishes under directional light.

Nusse presented a range of wooden boats, under sail or beached by low tide, in Greenwich, Mull, Cornwall and Leigh on Sea. Their background settings were also of interest, particularly the new architecture beside the Thames.

Jim revealed a series of black and white images he had taken while living in Ladbroke Grove in 1970. These included himself, his wife and friends in a flat, along with people observed at Speakers’ Corner and in and around Portobello Road. These were all much appreciated for their value as social history.

Next month’s theme will be ‘Trees’.