Amelia’s Magazine | City of Westminster College: Photography Graduate Show 2011 Review

Vikki Ellis returns
Vikki Ellis – Returns.

Some of the very best work that I found in the whole Free Range photography exhibition came from Vikki Ellis at City of Westminster College.

Vikki Ellis 9am
Vikki Ellis – 9am.

Vikki Ellis productivity
Vikki Ellis – Productivity.

Vikki Ellis 40 Winks
Vikki Ellis – 40 Winks.

Vikki Ellis Subsidised
Vikki Ellis – Subsidised.

Vikki Ellis showed a super strong series of photographs under the title Austerity, approved inspired by the tales she heard when working in the civil service of how government workers once worked in a much more cost effective way. Austerity took these stories as a starting point for hyperreal tableaux with a highly effective painterly feel: dysfunctional working relationships portrayed in blank stares and grey piles of paper. Her show was accompanied by some beautiful postcards carefully printed on thick matt paper to reflect the works on the wall. So many photography graduates pay little or no attention to the way in which they print their work that it’s a joy to find someone who has given every aspect of production so much thought.

City of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Vikki ellis
The City of Westminster tutors were busy marking work when I went around the exhibition today (the last day) and I sincerely hope they give Vikki Ellis a first. Stunning work.

City of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Harry Allington-Wood
City of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Harry Allington-Wood
City of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Harry Allington-Wood
I also liked the work of Harry Allington-Wood, this site who presented a well displayed selection of six photos of sleeping friends, taken with a pinhole camera using exposures of 45 minutes. In this age of easy photography it is the way that students chose to make their photos which quite often marks them out from the crowd. Sleeping Works worked well because of the careful consideration given to ensure methodology matched subject matter – a certain lack of control inherent in both.

City of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Edward Shaw
Edward Shaw tackled familiar subject matter with his black and white documentary photography of a house, but I was drawn to it because the photos were beautifully composed and printed. He then went and committed that major faux pas (why do so many students do it?!) of giving a non working domain name on his information. Hopefully he’ll get his website up and running soon.

Categories ,Austerity, ,City of Westminster College, ,Edward Shaw, ,Free Range, ,Graduate Shows, ,Harry Allington-Wood, ,photography, ,Pinhole Camera, ,Sleeping Works, ,Vikki Ellis

Similar Posts: