Tish Murtha: Works 1976-1991

Interesting exhibition at the Photographers Gallery of work by documentary photographer Tish Murtha.

Murtha documented social deprivation in the 70s and 80s in a series of six collections of work starting with Newport Pub in 1976 looking at the clientele of a local pub. The commentary emphasises the deprivation angle but I found I was seeing moments in people’s live frozen in time. The work had a certain pathos but also humour. The pictures could almost have been from any era which made me think that British poverty looks the same whatever the era.

 
I loved a picture of two children playing on a street and one in the London by Night series of Soho scenes which she produced with Karen Leslie, a sex worker, of her dancing.
 
Closes on 15 October 2018
 
Review
Guardian


 

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