Kitty

Dafydd Jones’ project ‘The Last Hurrah” visually documents student life at Oxford University during the 1980s, providing a powerful record of the future British establishment. "I had access to what felt like a secret world. It was a subject that had been written about and dramatized but I don't think any photographers had ever tackled before. There was a change going on. Someone described it as a 'last hurrah' of the upper classes." 

Jones documented Oxford University at the start of the eighties, rife with black ties and ballgowns. A change was on its way - best described as 'the Return of the Bright Young Things'. At this time, Oxford University was synonymous with the wealthy, the powerful and the privileged. Many of the young people in these pictures moved on to have careers in the establishment including Boris Johnson and David Cameron. In these photographs, however, their youth is undeniable: teenagers in full suits celebrate the rise of Thatcher in England and Reagan in America, in between punting on the river, chasing romance and partying through the night. "It was Thatcher's Britain, a period of celebration for those that had money".

The Last Hurrah shows a world that has been written about and dramatised, yet never photographed. Affectionate and critical, it pokes affectionate fun at its subjects while celebrating English eccentricity. From the architectural marvels of the colleges to misty mornings along the river at dawn, this is Oxford at its most beautiful - and the students of the 1980s at their most raw and honest.

Through my Personal Investigation, I intend to emphasise British culture by focusing on portraiture and the narratives that follow. By exploring the lives of different subjects and groups I am hoping to establish a deeper understanding and interpretation of modern day British culture, photographing my subjects closely in order to catalyse empathetic and intimate emotions throughout my work. Intimacy is a concept that I am going to keep at the heart of my project through the portrayal of relationships and emotion- the feeling of connection and parallel experiences between subject and audience is of upmost importance to me. ‘Britishness’ is a concept I have been attracted to throughout my initial year of study; I am planning on pursuing this fascination with a more direct focus in order to create a clear, relatable and enthralling narrative, symbolic of British traditions and ways of life.

I have chosen to focus on the themes of portraiture, narrative and a documentary style. These are styles of photography that I have experimented briefly with in the past; but a big shift from my previous work which has primarily been fashion-focused. My interest in ‘Britishness’ is not a new one; people have intrigued and excited me since before I can remember. By connecting with and getting to know the people I photograph, my project will be intensely personal to me; each photograph will be symbolic of a particular person and their story.

As an English Literature student, writing is something I adore, along with being an avid reader, therefore I am anticipating that the narrative side of my work is something I am going to enjoy. Quintessentially British books such as Bridget Jones’ Diary and Normal People, as well as films such as Notting Hill and Love Actually all contribute towards the aesthetic of my photography style. My interest in British history (also influenced by television programmes such as The Crown and Its A Sin) has definitely made an impact on my interest in British culture.

BARRY LEWIS - Capturing the essence of a very British 1980s holiday.

Inspired by Robert Frank and Tony Ray-Jones, the photojournalist took a “loving but harsh approach” to depicting the then-fading glamour of Butlins’ holiday camps. “I was trying to capture the sort of innocence and organised fun I remembered from my annual family holidays in camps,” Barry states, describing his photographs, which illustrate the fun and excitement of people letting go on holiday. Lewis’ photographs are also evident of Butlins’ fading glamour, a monoculture of unconscious racism, and the loneliness of some individuals desperately seeking escape and love. 

One of the things I love so much about this exhibition is that it evokes such strong feelings of empathy. Such sensory images; looking across the gallery you can almost feel beads of salty sweat trickling down your neck, coarse grains of sand between your toes, rich, soft licks of Mr Whippy rolling across your tongue. The chaotic array of seagull attacks, beach games and family conversations all contribute towards a feeling of relatability; the subjects, captured innocently showing purely their true characters, display characteristics evident of every day life, and every day people. 

Frenzied content juxtaposes with typically central, focused compositions, allowing for a breath of fresh air amongst the array of vividly active photographs. A sense of movement compliments these compositions, creating images that feel close and intimate whilst carrying an air of havoc. Personality is another thing so poignant throughout this exhibition; each image represents a narrative. 

The exhibition, showing at Newlyn Art Gallery and the Exchange, focuses on the relationship between photography and the British seaside from the 1850s to the present. Images of beaches, hotel life, holiday camps, dressing up and dressing down, wild waves and coastlines all combine to create a rich picture of our resorts.

As well as featuring the work of respected photographers including Jane Bown, Henri Cartier Bresson, Vanley Burke, Anna Fox, Paul Nash, Martin Parr, and Ingrid Pollard, the curators have included rich and often unknown work from across photography’s history, including Raymond Lawson’s remarkable chronicle of family life in Whitstable.

Martin Parr and Britishness 

Despite admitting to a love-hate relationship with the country of his affectionately insightful images, Martin Parr is known and loved for his wry observations of Britishness. The photographer’s signature saturated-colour work provides a vivid record of everyday British existence in all its infinitely varied guises. 

Parr’s work is frequently shot with a sense of humour that hovers uncomfortably between comedy and tragedy. Though the photographer embraces both high and low culture- his work can be found on everything from tea towels to swimsuits- he considers himself first and foremost a social documentary photographer, focusing on class, identity and consumerism throughout his four-decade career. What I love so much about Parr’s work is that the photographs themselves never tell the whole story; Parr’s photographs are accompanied in print alongside stories and interviews, penned by Parr, illustrating the lives of his subjects and events of their daily lives. The viewer is always invited to bring their own ideas to the equation in a bid to understand what it means to be British in an era of globalisation and mass migration.