Landscape Trauma

Five interesting exhibitions at the Centre for British Photography looking at how people impact the landscape.

I am cheating a bit by combining these shows into one post but they all fit the theme of the main show and I must admit I’m quite behind with blogging so this seems quite convenient!

The main show featured work by a selection of photographers looking at how the past is visible in nature and recent inclusions into the landscape. Highlights included John Davies pictures of aeroplanes vapour trails, Paul Seawright’s photographs of the sites of sectarian murders in Northern Ireland and Mitra Tabrizian’s strange upside down work, or is it?

Downstairs there was work by Mandy Barker reacting to plastic pollution in the ocean. She brought together similar artefacts found on beaches into montages often looking like kaleidoscope images or in one case a Dutch floral still-life. She aims to raise awareness of the issue via her art.

Upstairs was three small displays Helen Seats large composite images, a look at the career of John Blakemoor showing some of his black and white pictures of nature and his photo books and new work by Jermaine Francis placing black figures in the English landscape reflecting their historical absence from such works.

Closed 24 September 2023


 

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