#86: Offline Journal Newsletter: 19 Dec '24
Christmas 2024 update and audio
Hello again
As Christmas fast-approaches, here’s an update on the recent first SIGNATURES photobook talk event, along with some pre-Christmas audio on photography for your listening pleasure.
Have a peaceful and relaxing break over the coming weeks and I look forward to sharing more on photography in Wales with you in 2025.
Brian
The first SIGNATURES photobook talk event at The Turner House gallery last Saturday afternoon proved very popular and, with all tickets snapped up, saw a full house for guest speakers Robert Greetham and David Hurn.
Greetham provided not only a deep-dive into his work and inspiration behind his self-published RITES & TRACES (2001) photobook, but also some insight on the large and important collection of Italian fine art photography held in the Aberystwyth School of Art.
Following a coffee break in the Turner House upper gallery with the opportunity to explore the ever-expanding ‘Box of Zines’ from around Wales, attendees returned downstairs for an equally insightful discussion between David Hurn and Josie Atkinson, publisher at RRB Photobooks, on Hurn’s meeting with photographer André Kertész and desire to produce his own take on the subject of reading when he reached 89 years old.
Copies of both books were available on the day, and are still available to purchase.
If anyone would like to secure one of the few remaining copies of RITES & TRACES, please email me and I’ll put you in touch with Robert Greetham. ON READING will be available via the RRB website store when it re-opens 1 January 2025.
Two new zines were contributed by photographers to the ‘Box of Zines’ at the event, and I’ve now catalogued the contents of the box and will share this in advance of the next event. If you have a photozine (finished or dummy) of your own that you’d like to add to the collection for people to be introduced to your photography, please email me at: offline.journal@gmail.com
A big thank you to everyone who came along to the first SIGNATURES afternoon and thanks also to Jane and Lewis from The Turner House gallery for hosting and being so supportive in organising the event. Given the interest and positive comments generated by this first event, The Turner House and Offline Journal plan to host more next year.
Information on guest speakers and date for the next event in early 2025 will appear here in the Offline Journal Newsletter and on the Turner House gallery website.
www.turnerhouse.wales
ONLY VANS - Owen Pritchard
One of the additions to the ‘Box of Zines’ collection is ONLY VANS, a self-published A4-size photozine by Cwmbran-native Owen Pritchard.
I had the pleasure of discussing the zine with Owen online, and you can listen to the story behind his sensitive study (with the eye of architect) on a fixed caravan park and its location in the Gower, modelled on a - ever-so tongue-in-cheek - ‘lads mag’, with the Vans as muses.
@pritchard.owen on Instagram
All images © Owen Pitchard
THE VALLEYS - REFLECTIONS
Next to share the story behind his photograph included in THE VALLEYS exhibition currently showing in Museum Cardiff is Paul Reas. This image also formed part of the photographer’s contribution to The Valleys Project.
PAUL REAS
www.paulreas.com
@paul.reas on Instagram
Between now and early January 2025 when THE VALLEYS exhibition ends, I’ll be posting individual stories behind the images, narrated by the photographers themselves, here on Offline Journal newsletters and then collecting them all onto a dedicated page. I’d like to thank the photographers who responded by recording their own story and supplied the corresponding image. Do try to go along and see the exhibition in Museum Cardiff as the range of photography (and art) on show is impressive.
THE VALLEYS
Various art and photography exhibits
25 May 2024 - 5 January 2025 (extended)
Museum Cardiff, Cardiff CF10 3NP
www.museum.wales/cardiff
Ffocws 2024 Open Call at Ffotogallery
Ffotogallery is inviting applications for the next round of its FFOCWS scheme, described as “part of Ffotogallery’s mission to support early-career visual artists in Wales”.
Ffocws is open to artists and photographers based in Wales working with photography or moving-image based in Wales who have completed a BA, MA or similar level degree (such as from The Black Mountain College, Open University etc) or course of study in any creative discipline such as Photography, Fine Art, Filmmaking, Graphic Design, etc.
– Ffotogallery website
Application is also extended to, “early-career artists working with photography or moving image based in Wales, who have not gone through formal education who have reached a point where this opportunity would make a difference to their practice”.
Details on the scheme are available on the Ffotogallery website via the link below.
The deadline to apply is one minute before midnight on 12 January 2025.
www.ffotogallery.org/news/ffocws2024