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All photographs taken on Nikon f-501 

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                                                         1st April 

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The Last Hurrah by Dafydd Jones

Dafydd Jones’ project ‘The Last Hurrah” visually documents student life at Oxford University during the 1980s, providing a powerful record of the future British establishment. "I had access to what felt like a secret world. It was a subject that had been written about and dramatized but I don't think any photographers had ever tackled before. There was a change going on. Someone described it as a 'last hurrah' of the upper classes." 

Jones documented Oxford University at the start of the eighties, rife with black ties and ballgowns. A change was on its way - best described as 'the Return of the Bright Young Things'. At this time, Oxford University was synonymous with the wealthy, the powerful and the privileged. Many of the young people in these pictures moved on to have careers in the establishment including Boris Johnson and David Cameron. In these photographs, however, their youth is undeniable: teenagers in full suits celebrate the rise of Thatcher in England and Reagan in America, in between punting on the river, chasing romance and partying through the night. "It was Thatcher's Britain, a period of celebration for those that had money".

The Last Hurrah shows a world that has been written about and dramatised, yet never photographed. Affectionate and critical, it pokes affectionate fun at its subjects while celebrating English eccentricity. From the architectural marvels of the colleges to misty mornings along the river at dawn, this is Oxford at its most beautiful - and the students of the 1980s at their most raw and honest.

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Grayson Perry - famous for dissecting British "prejudices, fashions and foibles".

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Statement of Intent

Through my Personal Investigation, I intend to emphasise British culture by focusing on portraiture and the narratives that follow. By exploring the lives of different subjects and groups I am hoping to establish a deeper understanding and interpretation of modern day British culture, photographing my subjects closely in order to catalyse empathetic and intimate emotions throughout my work. Intimacy is a concept that I am going to keep at the heart of my project through the portrayal of relationships and emotion- the feeling of connection and parallel experiences between subject and audience is of upmost importance to me. ‘Britishness’ is a concept I have been attracted to throughout my initial year of study; I am planning on pursuing this fascination with a more direct focus in order to create a clear, relatable and enthralling narrative, symbolic of British traditions and ways of life.

I have chosen to focus on the themes of portraiture, narrative and a documentary style. These are styles of photography that I have experimented briefly with in the past; but a big shift from my previous work which has primarily been fashion-focused. My interest in ‘Britishness’ is not a new one; people have intrigued and excited me since before I can remember. By connecting with and getting to know the people I photograph, my project will be intensely personal to me; each photograph will be symbolic of a particular person and their story.

As an English Literature student, writing is something I adore, along with being an avid reader, therefore I am anticipating that the narrative side of my work is something I am going to enjoy. Quintessentially British books such as Bridget Jones’ Diary and Normal People, as well as films such as Notting Hill and Love Actually all contribute towards the aesthetic of my photography style. My interest in British history (also influenced by television programmes such as The Crown and Its A Sin) has definitely made an impact on my interest in British culture.

Martin Parr and Dafydd Jones are two individuals whose photography I am particularly interested in looking into and experimenting from, as well as artists such as Grayson Perry. The concept of Britishness is vague and vast, therefore I am planning on forming my own theory by tying in a variety of different influences. To develop my ideas and show experimentation I am going to photograph people in different places around England. Each place will provide a range of people, each with their own story and impact which I hope to illustrate through my photographs. Modern British culture is so diverse, therefore I am planning on travelling to different areas of England in order to ensure my work illustrates the varying different cultures that build up ‘Britain’. I am planning to shoot primarily on film, using both my Nikon f-501 and my Hasselblad medium format camera. The only equipment I will need to consider is film and a light meter- the aim is for my photographs to be as raw and truthful as possible. 

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BARRY LEWIS - Capturing the essence of a very British 1980s holiday.

Inspired by Robert Frank and Tony Ray-Jones, the photojournalist took a “loving but harsh approach” to depicting the then-fading glamour of Butlins’ holiday camps. “I was trying to capture the sort of innocence and organised fun I remembered from my annual family holidays in camps,” Barry states, describing his photographs, which illustrate the fun and excitement of people letting go on holiday. Lewis’ photographs are also evident of Butlins’ fading glamour, a monoculture of unconscious racism, and the loneliness of some individuals desperately seeking escape and love. 

Shot on Kodachrome colour film, Lewis’ photos are washed with a rich, vivid wave of colour, creating intensely animated compositions parallel to the gaiety displayed by the subjects. Full of humour and charm, the collection of images capture a defiant national spirit at a time when Butlins’ vision of “fun for all the family” was under threat from cheap foreign travel and the faltering English weather. The photographs seem to be looking back to a vanished age- the hair and clothing styles, the attitudes, the activities, the wartime buildings, with a certain innocence in a world before mobile phones and the internet. Evocative feelings of nostalgia are displayed through a focus on quintessentially British activities and relationships; red faced musicians and fresh faced young sweethearts personify the idea of old British holiday culture. 

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Seaside : Photographed

One of the things I love so much about this exhibition is that it evokes such strong feelings of empathy. Such sensory images; looking across the gallery you can almost feel beads of salty sweat trickling down your neck, coarse grains of sand between your toes, rich, soft licks of Mr Whippy rolling across your tongue. The chaotic array of seagull attacks, beach games and family conversations all contribute towards a feeling of relatability; the subjects, captured innocently showing purely their true characters, display characteristics evident of every day life, and every day people. 

Frenzied content juxtaposes with typically central, focused compositions, allowing for a breath of fresh air amongst the array of vividly active photographs. A sense of movement compliments these compositions, creating images that feel close and intimate whilst carrying an air of havoc. Personality is another thing so poignant throughout this exhibition; each image represents a narrative. 

The exhibition, showing at Newlyn Art Gallery and the Exchange, focuses on the relationship between photography and the British seaside from the 1850s to the present. Images of beaches, hotel life, holiday camps, dressing up and dressing down, wild waves and coastlines all combine to create a rich picture of our resorts.

As well as featuring the work of respected photographers including Jane Bown, Henri Cartier Bresson, Vanley Burke, Anna Fox, Paul Nash, Martin Parr, and Ingrid Pollard, the curators have included rich and often unknown work from across photography’s history, including Raymond Lawson’s remarkable chronicle of family life in Whitstable.

Dafydd Jones, Barry Lewis, and Daniel Meadows all photographed at Butlins in the 1970s and Grace Robertson records the raucous goings-on of a women’s day out to the coast in the 1950s. Enzo Ragazzini captures the anarchy of the 1970 Isle of Wight festival, while Stuart Griffiths makes a bleak narrative of the 1990 rave scene in Brighton. Composer Benjamin Britten and tenor Peter Pears, partners in music and in life, created a haven by the sea that they preserved in photographs.

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Martin Parr and Britishness 

Despite admitting to a love-hate relationship with the country of his affectionately insightful images, Martin Parr is known and loved for his wry observations of Britishness. The photographer’s signature saturated-colour work provides a vivid record of everyday British existence in all its infinitely varied guises. 

Parr’s work is frequently shot with a sense of humour that hovers uncomfortably between comedy and tragedy. Though the photographer embraces both high and low culture- his work can be found on everything from tea towels to swimsuits- he considers himself first and foremost a social documentary photographer, focusing on class, identity and consumerism throughout his four-decade career. What I love so much about Parr’s work is that the photographs themselves never tell the whole story; Parr’s photographs are accompanied in print alongside stories and interviews, penned by Parr, illustrating the lives of his subjects and events of their daily lives. The viewer is always invited to bring their own ideas to the equation in a bid to understand what it means to be British in an era of globalisation and mass migration.  

Parr thinks of his photography as an ongoing investigation of human interaction, leisure and context. Parr is interested in how people live and present themselves to others, particularly in how they display their values. His subjects have included the spectators of a championship polo game, everyday tourists and the goings-on at one of the oldest schools in England. He has a knack for capturing events that are both quirky and mundane, and in attitudes both critical and humorous. Parr also has the unusual practice of presenting the same photographs in different contexts- as art objects or art books, as well as in advertisements and as editorial work. In recent years, Parr has become more interested in filmmaking, and has also been exploring different conventions of fashion photography, which I am interested in exploring more deeply. 

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More inspo

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Inspo 

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Brainstorm

Within my personal investigation, I want to begin by exploring different genres of photography that I haven't yet experimented with. My main focus throughout my coursework has been fashion photography, so over the next few weeks I am going to shift my focus from the clothing to the person and focus more on the portraiture element. Portraiture is the area of photography I find that I can connect to the most; there is something about looking into someones eyes, even through a screen, that creates a real feeling of intimacy and empathy for me. Intimacy is something I have grown to really appreciate in photography, so it is definitely an element of focus I am going to try to maintain. Another thing I am really keen to focus more on throughout this body of work is the idea of Britishness... all the stereotypes and perhaps the unexpected elements that make up todays British culture. This is something that influences and interests me massively. Different styles of portraiture photography I am planning on experimenting with include documentary, youth culture, narrative, film and street. I am also going to experiment with different types of mixed media, including cyanotypes and working more closely in the dark room. During my personal investigation I really want to step out of my comfort zone, try new things and HAVE FUN !!! I am planning of taking more photos on my medium format cameras, as I absolutely love shooting that type of film. Connection and intimacy are two things I am determined to capture in my work.