GROUP AGM

The Group AGM will be held on Saturday 23rd March at 2 pm in the Grafton Suite, Grafton Hotel, 130 Tottenham Court Road, London.

Nomination forms for the Contemporary Group committee are available in the Downloads section.

Photographer Liz Hingley will give an informal talk.

 

 

 

Contemporary Group

 

When the group was established in 1989, its purpose was the encouragement of a form of photography which breaks with the long tradition of production of "one-hit wonder" or “wow factor” photos where that is the prime justification for the images. The aim was towards photographs that make a point, most particularly through production of a coherent body of work rather than single imagery. This was termed "personal" work, based on the general form of personal projects undertaken by professional art photographers, a situation that still applies today. A recent example is Sleeping by the Mississippi, by Alec Soth:

 

"A huge part of my personal work is finding my subject. This involves daydreaming, wandering, editing and reshooting ... it takes forever. The process is introspective and I always work alone."

... Alec Soth conversation with Barry Schwabsky, in From Here to There: Alec Soth's America.

 

It is the ideas and meanings of a body of work which are intended to be contemporary, not the literal meaning that photos have been taken in recent times.

 

Shortly after the group was formed, the RPS also established Associateship and Fellowship distinctions for this type of work. It was obvious that the type of work encouraged in group members and in submissions for these distinctions would differ from work that has its basis in camera club or photo salon traditions. It is much closer to photographic college final year projects for undergraduate and postgraduate student work. Photographers working in this area seek inspiration from work exhibited in major galleries and by studying published contemporary photobooks by major authors. Such references often show clearly that interpretation of meanings underlies imagery instead of adherence to “rules” of composition or aiming for impact, which typifies camera club or photographic salon exhibitions. It is about the “why” rather than the “what”. A major step forward came in 2005 when the Society recognised contemporary distinction submissions could also comprise photobooks, constructed work and even work shown in other locations where the context formed a component of the submission.

 

With the opportunities now available through the World Wide Web to study and understand contemporary professional art photographer's personal work and the much wider availability of published photobooks, which are a research source of ideas and design in their own right, the encouragements for pursuing contemporary styles of work are nowadays greatly enhanced.

 

Reviewing some of the RPS contemporary distinction submissions makes it clear that the types of work gaining distinctions generally follow a range of genres from fine art to documentary, although ideally work is not to be pigeonholed, as the message really is that anything with merit goes; rules and guidelines are constraints to be avoided where the work or the author sees fit. The main need is to show an intellectual purpose and concept underlying the project, a rewarding objective to attain in giving purpose to the photographer’s work above simply the attainment of a distinction.

In summary, the Group’s aim is to encourage development of ideas and bodies of work which have stand-alone purpose and value to their authors and to the wider photographic community.

 

Group activities:

 

• Production of a quarterly full colour Group Journal with a mix of articles aimed at encouraging readers to think more deeply about photography, text and images about member projects, articles on gallery exhibitions etc.

 

• An online e-newsletter published midway between Journal publication dates with news of timely interest such as gallery exhibitions and published book reviews.

 

• A number of postal portfolios circulating within group membership in the UK and Europe.

 

• Local meetings of sub-groups in the UK, currently established in the South West Region, the North West, the East Midlands and the North East.

 

• A major Group organised conference with professional photographer speakers, normally held on an annual basis.

 

 To join the Group, contact Simon Bibb simon@rps.org

the RPS Membership Manager

 

Group Contacts:

Secretary – Bob Gates ARPS, bob@robertgates.eu

Chair/major event organiser – Avril Harris ARPS, avrilrharris@blueyonder.co.uk

Postal portfolio – Anne Crabbe FRPS, info@annecrabbe.co.uk

Group Journal editor – Patricia Ruddle ARPS, patriciaruddle@btinternet.com

Distinctions advice – Douglas May FRPS (panel chair),

Brian Steptoe FRPS, bsteptoe@compuserve.com

 

Sub-group contacts, see www.rps.org/group/Contemporary