OCA Study Day – Drawn by Light, Science Museum, 6th
December 2014
What an interesting session at the Science Museum recently
with tutor Wendy McMurdo, her interpretations of some of the image groupings
were very astute. It was a shame that the group was too big and that might well
have put new study day students off. Normally a study group is only half the
size and it's much more informal. Still, I really enjoyed it.
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The images themselves, supplied from the collection of Royal
Photographic Society (RPS) range from the real beginnings of image creation in
the 1830s when metal plates were used with bitumen washed with acid to leave an
negative image to Fox Talbot’s print from a paper negative. Also included were examples of daguerreotype images which were produced
around the 1840s which were simple images unable to be reproduced.
Here's Wendy below, with second tutor Rob Bloomfield on right hand side, talking about a couple of images in the
second gallery. (I took this picture before we were told 'no photography
please' ). Wendy has written up on the WeAreOCA website about the visit and you can read her thoughts on the visit here.
The RPS was founded in 1853 when like-minded photographers such
as Roger Fenton got together to create the Photographic Society which later
became the Royal Photographic Society.
In the second gallery there is an exhibition of pictures like they would
have been seen in the early exhibitions of the Society. This wall of 40 pictures was hung haphazardly
just as it would have been in the 1850s.
It was overwhelming to see so many pictures crammed together and
difficult to take in all at once. It
would take the most part of a whole morning to give them the respect they
deserved.
The curator of the exhibition had put together unusual
groupings of pictures and, for example, I was unaware that Don McCullin created
still life pictures as well as being a war reporter. His style of dark, brooding images carried
over into the still life picture hung beside one of his better-known pictures
of refuges and war situations.
I had seen a few of the images on display before but it was
fascinating to hear Wendy discuss the various aspects of each
picture/grouping/background. It was also
good to meet other students who were travelling on the same long road to a
degree in photography or creative arts.
One or two I had met before and one woman I had often read on the OCA
forum but never contacted. I suddenly
realised who she was and we were able to connect in person rather than over the
impersonal Internet.
I also went round the ‘Make Life Worth Living’ exhibition, by
Nick Hedges for Shelter taken in the 1960s.
He
photographed slum housing in major cities such as Birmingham, Manchester,
Leeds, Bradford and London, documenting the
distressing conditions faced by more than three
million people.
I also took the opportunity to use my camera on the walk back
along Exhibition Road to the South Kensington underground station. The winter wonderland skate park, at that Natural History
Museum, was in full swing and I found lots of opportunities to complete the
Exercise 1.7: Getting the Parr ‘feel’.
Great fun!
Comments from other study day participants on Facebook were:
Comments from other study day participants on Facebook were:
Fazel Ali My first study visit, and I did enjoy it. I really wanted to go back in again and study the pictures again but had other duties that day! Should've looked through the booklet whilst inside as it gave some explanation about reasons for groupings etc. Perhaps food for thought for next time.
Chris Lee I very much agree that it was a new insight into photographers, the history and their work. I was very disappointed that we weren't split into two more manageable groups, considering the OCA had put on two tutors. I found I couldn't contribute to the sit down afterwards as there were too many students.
Catherine Banks Looks like a missed a good one, although I did go to the talk by Johanna Ward which was so illuminating. Good as well to know there was a large group (in one way) as it means there was lots of interest in what was on offer. Have you sent comment direct to OCA? The idea of two groups is a good one.
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