#splashandgrab

I invited Max Ferguson the founder editor of Splash & Grab magazine to come and talk to the students as part of the New Contemporaries series. Max gave a really inspiring talk, initially discussing his last major body of photographic work, the poignant‘ WE ARE RWANDAN ‘, which examined the lasting effects of the genocide in 1994. After which he explained how over the last few years his focus had been on publishing, initiating Splash & Grab Magazine with a collective of former UWE students. He discussed the difficulties of publishing, the importance of social media and how creating Splash & Grab had opened up lots of opportunities for him, including working at the FT magazine. His talk was thoughtful, considered and inspiring and hopefully it has left a lasting impression on the students. 

Who do you think you are?

Issue 3 of Splash & Grab explores how we define ourselves in a precarious world. The magazine includes two pieces of text I wrote. The first, ‘Broken With Sunshine’ is about Sander Marsman’s ‘Dianna: Every Day Is Dressed Up.’ 

“Dianna was born in 1935 as Léonard. For 55 years she lived her life daily as a man, but privately dressed herself as Dianna, making only occasional appearances as a woman... One of the most obvious purposes of photography is its evidential capacity, but the underside of the photograph as evidence bearer is its role as guardian of secrets. Dianna’s photographs act as both, they have a double life of their own.”

Secondly I wrote about Christopher Bethell's 'The Duke of Earl', a complex photographic story about Bethell’s search for personal identity through unveiling his deceased grandfather’s life in America. 

“Through the photographs we see [Bethell’s] journey as a pendulum that swayed vigorously between fiction and reality, or containment and escape, eventually resting in subtle vibration at Joey’s grave.” 

JAVIER FEDERICO KAPLAN

The light, shadows and contrast immediately drew us to these images. They are from Argentinian film editor turned director turned photographer Javier Federico Kaplan. Now based in Miami, Florida Javier is working for a production house as a photographer and director. See more of his work here. 

SALEEM AHMED

“I am lost somewhere in-between American and Muslim. One is a nationality, while the other is a faith, yet they both struggle to coexist. On one hand I am angered by the radicals that have hijacked my religion, while on the other hand I am angered by the constant feeling of being singled out in my own country. There is no way to avoid this awkward feeling, especially growing up in a post-9/11 world, in which American society has dissected my identity and placed it under a microscope.”

See more of Saleem’s work here. 

SUBMISSIONS OPEN - ISSUE 3

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