The acclaimed photographer Robert Frank once compared the nature of black and white photography to that of “the alternatives of hope and despair to which mankind is forever subjected.”
In the control of their materials and approach to their subject matter, the seven photographers in this exhibition have expanded upon Frank’s binary perspective and, instead, elected to occupy the grey area in between. Works in exhibition include Beata Bartkevicha’ s luminous landscapes which draw on the pictorial conventions of nineteenth century painting to develop a project that is at once both studiously topographical and intensely personal, and an elegantly quiet series of styled portraits by Siobhan Raw that draw their inspiration from novels translated into a series of film stills.
In avoiding the clichéd romanticism or misplaced neutrality often conferred upon the black and white photograph, these photographers have sought to employ a breadth of tonality that, in turn, reflects the subtlety of their representations of the world around them.
written by photographer Nick Bright
Mono C runs from the 29/10/12 – 03/11/12 at The Shop, Christmas Steps, Bristol