Looking Back - 2014

Wow - and what a year!

I will open by indulging with, what in my view, was the high point - in more than one way, and although this is a picture taken of me rather than by me there was a serious message to this daredevil stunt I did back in June Yup, I jumped out of a perfectly good aeroplane in aid of the RNLI, raising £580 in the process. I loved every minute of it and I will be back to do more skydiving just as soon as I can, with the aim of doing a solo freefall - yee-haaaa!

Well, that was June, what of the rest?
It has been a year full of great highs and unfortunate lows, both personally and work-wise.
It has been a year of decisions and changes.
It has been a year which has challenged my determination, my strength and my emotions.
It has been a year which opened up new experiences and ideas.
It has been a year where I have had some success and recognition.
I guess this is what you might expect through any year but the main thing is I'm still here, even if I have been a bit quiet of late, and I'm looking forward to great new challenges in 2015. (More of those in the next post) However, before we leave 2014 behind let me pick up on some of the favourite images and highlights from the year.

January

2014 arrived with gusto, when we felt the full Atlantic force down in West Cork.

A first visit to the wonderful city of Glasgow for Burns weekend. So much to see, including the fabulous Transport Museum. A return visit is a must.

February

Big changes! The decision was made to stop hiding and transform as Celia Bartlett Photography - a new look and a new website 

Still finding time for going out to enjoy a favourite place with a favourite walking companion

March

Back out to another favourite place - West Cork, with lots of plans to mull over

Visiting an interesting location on a shoot for a well known, quality supermarket - now one of my regular clients.

April

Another new work association with a great name - and one we already have a personal interest in to boot!

Who can't resist a bluebell wood?!

May
 

Private view for my Open Studio - with special guest.
Two weekends in April / May

Back to the stunning scenery in West Cork, with plans now starting to take shape.

June

A selfie with a difference! Admiring one of the many motorbikes at the annual Meldreth charity motorbike show.

Reaching the middle of the year with an early start for the Summer solstice sunrise at Lowestoft

July

Theatrical photography, now a regular feature throughout my working year, whether it be outdoors or indoor



 

Covering big events is also part of the working year - and the biggie of the year was the Tour de France but look who stole the show?!

Delighted to have had a sell-out souvenir book off this once in a lifetime event.

August
 

Photographing politicians - one of two I had the brief to fulfil this year:- The Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Haselhurst MP

A visit early on in the process of the Tower Poppies - just amazing!

September 

Another ride out to the Ace Cafe London for the buzzing Annual Reunion

An extra special early-morning photo shoot at the stunning Glendalough upper lake, Co Wicklow, Ireland.

Magical!

October

Surfed back in to Ireland ahead of the West Cork Photography Weekends I had been planning for months.

A reflective evening just before my first guests finally arrived for the Photography Weekends.

And so successful they were, I am rolling them out again in Spring 2015!

November

The first of the regular annual events that take place in November - the big noise of the fireworks ...

...contrasted with capturing the serenity of the Remembrance Sunday Parade.

December 

Rounding off the year covering an event that would bring joy to many families - the Homecoming Parade - the troops had returned home from Afghanistan in time for Christmas

I would like to thank you for your support over these past twelve months and may I now take this opportunity to -

Wish you all a Very Happy New Year.
May it be full of joy and happiness!

I look forward to sharing 2015 with you.

Open Studio 2014

Open Studios is upon us again. Well actually, to be precise, Saffron Walden Open Studios.

As some of you regular followers know, I have 'Open-Studioed' in the past but due to a number of factors, I have opted for this earlier and smaller affair of the Saffron Walden event this year, rather than the big Summer event linked with Cambridge.

However, the important information for now is that I open my doors in the morning...

Saturday 26th April
from
11 am to 6pm

and again on

Sunday 27th April

Hope I might see some of you over the weekend, and if that isn't enough, I do the whole thing again next weekend too!

I don't wish to directly publish the addresses of all of the Open Studio participants (including my studio) here but all the information you need to find us is contained in this link.

During the week, I will update you with how things are going and exactly why I am doing an Open Studio but first, here is a glimpse back at a couple of pictures (thanks to himself) from last night, when a class crowd came to support me on my Private View night. Thanks all!

Turn the Page

'1 - 100' Artistbooks

Last year I toddled off to Norwich for the first 'Turn the Page' artists book fair. An inspirational exhibition for those of us who love book arts.
Today I toddled off to Norwich again for 'Turn the Page' 2013 (hard to believe where that year has gone!)
Accompanied this year by a good friend, with whom I had studied at Post Graduate level at LCC, we were excited to see what was happening in the world of Book Arts, having both digressed back to our respective disciplines of photography and illustration

Mentioning Book Arts to most people, I am usually met with a blank stare. Mention bookbinding, and most will have something similar to this in mind. It goes without saying that all book artists will either have embraced traditional bookbinding within the art or will be aware of the methods which they may have adapted to suit their own needs. For myself, I find hand stitching codex book blocks a wholly satisfying process, as making books is another hat I wear. Very shortly, I will be embarking on a very special hand bound album for a certain newly-wed couple.

Having worked on bespoke albums in the past, I also get equally enthusiastic about the limits to which making books or book arts can be stretched to.

There are those who just can't seem to accept that a book should be anything else than a codex form but book arts encourage exploration, experimentation, fun and enjoyment. This is what I found when I studied at LCC, and now the MA study in Book Arts is available at Camberwell.

At 'Turn the Page' 2013 there was work which on first appearance seemed like a normal book. On closer inspection, it had come about from pages of thoughts which had been written down, torn out and screwed up, a process being repeated today for regenerating into another new book.

'The Wastepaper Project' Joanna Holden

 The books moved from the almost bizarre...

Karen Apps

...to the cute. Here books had been altered (some may view this as sacrilege!) the bunny having fully movable arms and legs, and being made from the cut pages of the selected book.

Other notable work came from Nicola Dale, with her intricately hand cut pages (timelapse). Theresa Easton with her colourful printmaking drawer, and Miranda Campbell who I had first encountered at the Minories in Colchester.

What was clear today is that Book Arts is as exciting as it has always been, with forty artists sharing their passion at Turn the Page 2013.

I look forward to 2014 and maybe I will have something to share then too.





Whilst visiting Norwich, it seemed sense to 'make a day of it' and we dropped into the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts located on the UEA campus.

I hadn't visited this art museum before and I spent the first twenty minutes of my visit taking in the impressive architectural work of Sir Norman Foster. Pre-dating Stansted Airport, another Foster building which I have come to know pretty well due to my regular flying visits to Ireland, the similarities in the construction were clear to see. The Sainsbury Centre has now recieved listed status as an example of high-tech architecture.

By contrast, the space below is filled with an amazing and mostly historical collection amassed by Robert and Lisa Sainsbury.
Henry Moore and Francis Bacon are alongside each other, and here the Little Dancer by Edgar Degas appears to look up in architectual amazement.

This work struck a chord with me. My Wednesday evening yoga sessions are sometimes like this- my mind alerted to dinner by a grumbling empty stomach, rather than concentrating on the beneficial poses!

Finally a piece which has quite an impact on those who see it. Stranded is a six metre long crystal-encrusted skeleton of a minke whale.

"Stranded raises issues of the dramatic changes in the chemistry of the planet’s oceans and brings awareness to the threat of coral reefs and the marine food cycles"

This reminded me that very shortly I will be returning to Ireland, where I am involved with the IWDG and where I hope I will again be fortunate to enjoy the sight of whales, including Minke, Humpback, Fin whales, and maybe even a basking shark or two in the waters around South West Cork.

Still, I will turn the page to that on another day. Today was all about art. Aren't the chapters of life great?!

The Merits of Exhibitions

A room in the Ansel Adams Exhibition at Greenwich

A little while back, I found a slot in my current tight schedule, to make an enjoyable trip up to London for the purpose of taking in some photographic exhibitions.

"Why do you go to exhibitions when you can see it in a book or on the internet?" I get asked

If you have ever visited an exhibition of work, and in particular, work which comes over as outstanding, then you will have half an inkling as to why viewing work in a gallery has merit.
I had already planned to see two exhibitions:
The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize National Portrait Gallery (The final day was imminent)
Ansel Adams Photography from the Mountains to the Sea National Maritime Museum, Greenwich (Until 28th April)
Then I became aware of another must see, prompting a snap decision to go to London.
Lewis Whyld Riots Revisited, Strand Gallery (On for one week only)

All such very different exhibitions both in subject matter and modes of production but all worthy of note.

Each year I endeavour to visit the Photographic Portrait Prize where it is always interesting to observe styles and trends. 2012 broke the trend set in 2010 and 2011 where the winning images sported young red-haired girls associating with animals. Although not the winning image, the exhibition did open this year with a hard looking man with a ginger animal! However, the winning image of an anxious young woman in Boliva had emotions which this time I was comfortable with (unlike the 2010 winner)

The background to each of the portraits was posted on the wall of the gallery, and made enlightening reading for me but only after each image had been contemplated. (A note here to the NPG, it would be lovely to have this information included in the catalogue for all of the images, not just the winning images) It is perhaps important not to read this information prior to viewing as it puts us, the viewing public, into a similar position to the judges, who always select the images on their visual merits alone.

Looking at other trends within the sixty images, the dominance of colour images was once again clear, and there were no trendy angles or jaunty poses, just pure classic positioning. The biographies also revealed that there was a high proportion of UK linked photographers who had been successful in 2012, as was the fact that many were either art school graduates or photographers working in the industry. Equipment varied from high end medium format cameras, through to all levels of pro and semi-pro equipment... except for one. An image by 'photo-interested' Nathan Roberts, taken of tourists at the National Gallery cafe provided a shard of hope that anyone can be successful here. His atmospheric image was taken on a... smart phone.



Moving on to another contemporary exhibition, Riots Revisited was a calmly located airing of a selection of images by Lewis Whyld, taken during the London Riots in 2011.
A photographer for the Press Association and based in London, he was one of the first photojournalists on the scene on the first night and was also there during the days that followed. As the tensions mounted, it was said that Whyld was at times forced to use his mobile phone to record the images for fear of his own safety. Some of his images were subsequently seen the world over and many were published in our own national press.

On entering the peaceful gallery, it wasn't long before the heat of those nights was rekindled. Recalling my own fears from the reports of those unsettled summer nights, the overwhelming red glow of the burning buildings jumped out from the exhibition prints. Silhouetted riot police and hooded youths was a motif often repeated in the imagery, the tensions clearly visible. However, it was one image in particular which made a big impression on me. Against a burning red background, swirling smoke provided the movement in towards the focus of the image; four on-duty police horses.
The most striking feature of the image, a single white horse produced emotions first of compassion then of bravery. His hard work during those awful days was ultimately recognised as Boris the Met Police horse did indeed receive an award for his bravery.

An outstanding set of images from Lewis Whyld, which deserved to be aired for longer than the week they were afforded. However, may they also be a reminder of how close to volatile some situations become and remain thankful that we seldom experience incidents such as this in this country.



Finally, having been suitably refreshed, I set off for a complete change of scene at the Thursday, late night opening of Ansel Adams Photography from the Mountains to the Sea exhibition at the National Maritime Museum. Sadly I misjudged my timing to reach Greenwich and ended up lacking time to do the exhibition justice.

Adams, an American, began his life in photography during the 1920s and went right through into the1970s and beyond. Being noted for his stunning black and white landscape images of places such as Yosemite, his dedication to photographing and then producing the very carefully tonally balanced images, gained him respect. His images were being shown in galleries alongside conventional art, something almost unheard of for photography. Today, his images are considered as fine art, with reproductions of his work regularly appearing, and on countless items, such as calendars and greeting cards.

My first impression was of the almost timeless quality of the images, although landscapes such as these often wouldn't show up the man-made progress of time. However, it was the water and seascapes which drew my attention on this occasion. With many of his images using long exposures, he succeeded in capturing the movement of the water whilst still maintaining an element of crispness. One image in particular illustrates my point. The Atlantic Schoodic Point 1949 was taken after two days of setting up and waiting for exactly the right conditions, such was Adams perfectionism. The long exposure "blurs the water, giving the picture a tender melancholy feel"

Now, I have written before about my personal view on 'milky' water and my dislike of the current popular trend to horrendously 'over-milk' images, so much so, dynamic seascapes are becoming flat to the point of 'why bother'. Adams illustrates beautifully that it is possible to capture the dynamics and the beauty of the action of water, in both this image, and also many of his waterfall images too, without losing sight of what water is. In the short amount of time that I was viewing his work, it made me think carefully and come to one conclusion. It is high time to reconsider how we might view our own images. As true representations of what we see, or of abstract imagery? For me, milky water falls into the latter category and as such, I feel has an imminently finite place in today's true photography. The tides are changing. Without actually harking back to the past let us reconsider the merits of the skills of the old photography masters.


So, the merits of exhibitions? If they are nothing more than thinking space then that is value in itself.
Enjoyment? Now that is valuable.

Wildlife Photographer & Everything was Moving

A snaking line of schoolchildren pass through the main hall of the Natural History Museum
(Photography is not allowed within the actual exhibitions,
however, all of the Wildlife Photographer images can be viewed online)

Every year I make a point of travelling up to London to go and enjoy a morning at the Wildlife Photographer exhibition in the Natural History Museum. It makes a change to go an admire someone elses wonderful images for a day rather than, as usual, sitting in front on my monitor being self critical with my edits. However, this year, not only is there this exhibition currently showing in London but there are at least five further exhibitions worthy of a look right now.

It is a case of the proverbial bus- wait a long time for one, then several good shows all pop up together: Cecil Beaton; Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize; Ansel Adams; Cartier-Bresson and one at the Barbican which looked interesting, Everything Was Moving. Photography from the 60s and 70s, the latter being my choice for the afternoon viewing.

Images in the Wildlife Photography exhibition are always beautifully displayed via backlit frames and in a darkened room, which adds to the whole viewing experience. For me, two hours spent here is not unusual, as I'm always keen to read the technical details for all the images (Pretty much all Canon and Nikon contributions this year! A couple of to be expected, Hasselblad and a Mamiya but not until nearly the end do Sony and Fuji put in an appearance. Again, mostly DSLRs but a Canon Powershot pops up in the 10 years and under category)

So, what of the images? As with every year, there are those shots which make an instant impression and those which either take a little longer to appreciate the subtleties or just 'don't do it' for me. Of this last type, the winning image in the Urban Wildlife category didn't sit easy with me. Did it look too set up? Was the squirrel stuffed? I might be doing Kai Fagerström (Finland) a great disservice for all his patience to capture the shot but there is just something...
However, there were plenty of other images which appealed to me for one reason or another. It might have been composition, as in the polar bear image by Ole Jørgen Liodden (Norway) with everything in the right place, to Remo Savisaar (Estonia) beautifully simple black and white image. Sam Cairns (UK) had a similar simplicity with his fulmar image. He was one of seven of the thirteen young photographers who were from the UK, which is encouraging to see.

In a different vein, an image from the Wildscapes category by Fortunato Gatto (Italy) personally appealed to me as there was a distinct similarity to the landscape on the Isle of Eigg to that of some of the western Irish landscapes I love. Moving on to the World in Our Hands category, (where the precarious relationship with man and nature is studied) the joy I had from the Eigg landscape was rudely shattered by an image by David Chancellor (UK) (winner of Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize 2010) entitled 'Trophy Room' Now this is just me here. I can understand going out and shooting for food, but to shoot (managed shooting or not) to furnish your room with the trophies of the killing, like this, is just obscene. The repulsion of how man carries out unnecessary slaughter continued in Paul Hilton (UK/Australia) image of the shark fin trade, fuelled by the demand from China's increasing middle class population.
(Note. It is the actual subject matter which I am uncomfortable with here and not the photographer who is raising the awareness)

The Chinese link continued into the Wildlife Photojournalist category. To a degree, Steve Winter (USA) 'Tiger Tale', and more so Brent Stirton (South Africa) with 'Deadly Medicine', showing horrific images of the carnage to the rhino population by poachers supplying the misguided needs within the Chinese medicine trade. By this time my emotions were at a jangling high and I needed something to calm the soul once again. A glance at Charlie Hamilton James (UK) wonderful giant otter started to put a smile back on my face. Then I retraced my steps back past the wonderful Wildscapes and to the stunning Botanical Realms where all of these images had the desired calming effect. However it was to be Jasper Doest (The Netherlands) image of an often photographed Japanese macaque that finally brought me back to where I came in, and it became my favourite image of the exhibition. Clearly not the judges choice but I loved the beauty of the droplets of snowy rain on the finely detailed hairs, the closed eyes providing that feeling of contentment that the little primate was experiencing in the warm waters in which it sat.

After the unexpected emotions of the morning, I was open minded as to what to expect at the Barbican (a place I still can't feel comfortable in!) with Everything was Moving "Exploring how artists and photographers intersected with their historical moment and the world they inhabited during the 1960s and 1970s"

However, I was in for another heightened experience with some truly amazing photo-documentary images from happenings within my own lifetime but which were remote from my own comfortable years of growing up.
South Africa; Southern States Black America; Vietnam. All would pop up in the news items of the day although I had little understanding of what was really going on. These images from twelve different photographers in assorted global locations, really captured the feelings from the era. I was back up on that emotional rollercoaster again. Sadly, I really hadn't allowed myself enough time to do justice to this incredible collection and I can only recommend that you need to allow yourself plenty of time if you do go to visit this exhibition.





So, another calming period was required whilst waiting for the post rush-hour train home. A reflective walk along the Embankment followed by a very pleasant pub meal, provided me with the feet rest time that is required after 'Exhibition days'.

I now have the prospect of two more such days to take in the remaining four unviewed photographic exhibitions.
I had better check my diary!

Six Weeks and Counting

Apart from Cambridge Open Studios being this region's largest art event, it is also my biggest push of the year.
Whilst I take part in other shows during the year, this is the one where my all-new work is produced and shown.

The planning began as I packed away COS 2011 and has been in and out of my thoughts on a regular basis since. Not only do I have to prepare my exhibition work but as with all open studio events, the studio itself has to be prepared to make it visit-worthy. That means for two weekends, my domestic environment is completely re-arranged to turn home into gallery. If anyone knows the usual organised mess I work in, they will know it is quite a miracle transformation (and I'm sure I am not the only artist that this is applicable to) but somehow, transform it does.

My focus this year is 'Local' meaning anything within a 25 – 30 mile radius of here and it seems quite appropriate that I have also had a second local focus to work on. Cambridge Open Studios is a huge event, this year with over 250 members opening 180 studio doors to the public. Technically we are out of county, but as we come under the Cambridge postcode area, we can also be members of one of the longest established open studio organisations in the UK. However, being 'out in the (relative) sticks' has its problems too so this year a group of 13 of us artists have pulled together to try and shout out that Open Studios happens here in our little corner too.

Saffron Walden & District Trail brings us all together in one convenient leaflet to complement the now familiar yellow Cambridge Open Studios guides that appear at this time each year. Our studios range from pottery to chair making, photography to printmaking, textile art to illustrating and of course, a wide range painting styles. Whilst this year we are unlikely to have a web presence of our own, the trail leaflet provides visitors with the information needed to get started. It will soon be available in our area, and found in galleries, shops, libraries, tourist offices, in fact, the same locations as the main guide.

So, do look out for the Saffron Walden & District Trail leaflet, pick up a copy along with the main guide and make a plan to come and visit us during the weekends in July.

Weekend 1  July   7­­­ – 8
Weekend 2  July 14 – 15
Weekend 3  July 21 – 22
Weekend 4  July 28 – 29

11am – 6pm Meet the artists in their studios

Cambridge Open Studios                            

...also taking place in Saffron Walden & District!

Look out for these yellow flags in July

Last Few Days of...

Get along to Cambridge if you can.

Williams Art
Dale's Brewery, Gwydr Street, Cambridge

Friday night is a special drinks evening too!  6.30 – 9

Currently Showing...

A successful opening night of Narrative by the Cambridge Creative Network
at Williams Art in Cambridge.

Narrative
continues until 1st April
Monday to Friday 11am — 6pm
Saturday and Sunday 11am — 5pm

Showcasing the work of seventeen members of the Cambridge Creative Network, we are proud to be displaying a mix of art, printmaking, illustration, 2D and 3D design, ceramics, jewellery and automata. For those who didn't manage to catch any of my 'Aspects of West Cork' photo documentary essay, there is a second chance to see (and buy!!!) two of the panels from the sixteen that were first exhibited in July 2011, here at Narrative. There is also a selection of greeting cards available, alongside all the work from my fellow artists of course.

Greetings

For all of you who love greeting cards that can't be found anywhere else, from Friday, look no further than

Williams Art, Cambridge

There, I will have available, a new range of Ailec Photography, high quality, limited edition art print cards.
Some of my African themed mounted prints will also be alongside the main body of work I will have on display in:-

'Narrative'

 a joint exhibition from the

Cambridge Creative Network

Upcoming Exhibition

Just in the final stages of working on some pieces to go into this joint exhibition with the Cambridge Creative Network in Cambridge.

I will be there on the evening of Friday 23rd March along with all my fellow artists, so do drop in and say hello.
If you can't make it to the Preview don't worry, the exhibition will be open until 1st April.

New Baby!

At two days old, the new addition to the Canon family is certainly drawing a lot of admiring eyes. This was the scrum today to get a hold of this much rumoured, third 5D sibling. As you can see, it was the male eyes it was attracting and I wasn't prepared to fight with my handbag to get to the front.

I'm in no hurry for the upgrade though as it tends to benefit the HD video users more. I will wait until the fuss dies down, then I might just take a look but meanwhile I will save my (imaginary) £3k for other uses.

“You really have to look”

Looking, Hockney-style

'Flat' from the camera

"You really have to look" was what came over clearly in the BBC Culture Show Special on Hockney, 'The Art of Seeing'

Hockney has an ethos which I subscribe to whole-heartedly - looking. Over the past year, one of the main driving forces behind my posts, has been to bring things... anything, little things, important things to general attention, rather than being overlooked. I can spend hours 'out in the field', looking, observing, watching. It might be people, places, happenings, wildlife, or my favourite thing, light. The latter can add a magic to all of the other elements and without it, many things would either not be seen at all or just be seemingly mundane. It is when things appear mundane, they become overlooked - but they shouldn't be.
Remember recently,
The pile of apples (post)
The sun dog (post)
The red feet (post)
They were all things that were posted because I had been looking. Not everyone might find these posts thrilling or exciting but if just one person spent a little time looking as a result, then it has all been worth it.

I can't admit that I had been seeing colour quite the way Hockney does though, but I will certainly be looking harder from now on. As a photographer, I do seek to portray realism in my images rather than being illustrative, so my interpretation of 'the tunnel' above is in praise of, what can only be described as his colourful work. A couple of weeks ago I was fortunate to acquire tickets to his landmark exhibition at the RA. Unfortunately it was unbearably busy which did detract from the enjoyment somewhat but don't be deterred. If you need some colour to cheer you at the end of these Winter months, I can't recommend 'A Bigger Picture' enough.