Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2024

Interesting exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery marking this year’s photographic portrait award.

I’m going to start with my usual moan about reflective glass on photographs particularly dark ones. In some cases it was very difficult to view the image without seeing yourself and the pictures behind you.

Often you get undefined themes in these shows and this time I felt it was age and trans people. As ever it was worth reading the labels as often the story wasn’t how it first appeared.

I loved the first picture I saw in the show by Clare Brand of an old lady’s eye with the blue eye makeup smudging. Also Drew Gardener’s recreations of American Civil War photographs with the black descendants of the original sitters and Adam Ferguson's pictures of a pastor in the Outback of Australia.

My favourite was this Julia Margaret Cameron like one by Phil Sharp showing the tears on the sitter’s eyes due to the music they were listening to.

This year’s In Focus display was by Diana Markosian, from her series and new publication “Father” which narrates her journey of reconnection with her estranged father. In none of the works is he shown face on to the camera.

Closes 16 February 2025


 

 

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