The Mermaids and the Poodle, Hayling Island Carnival, 2005. Paul Baldesare
You are invited to the opening of English Carnival at the Shoreditch Gallery, The Juggler, 5 Hoxton Market*, London, N1 6HG on Thursday 2 Oct, 6.30-8.30pm
*Hoxton Market is just off Pitfield St (between Coronet St and Boot St), close to Old St tube.
The show runs from 29 Sept- 31 Oct 2008, weekdays 8-6 : Sat10-4 : closed Sun and is a part of Photomonth 2008, the East London photography festival.
English Carnival shows the work of four documentary photographers who have each been inspired by the carnival tradition and carried out long-term projects on Carnival in this country. Although they have at often worked together, each has a distinctly different approach to the subject in their photography. All four photographers have shown work extensively and their pictures have been published widely in books and magazines.
Lyme Regis , Bob Watkins
Paul Baldesare and Bob Watkins have photographed traditional English carnivals since the early 1990s, and they received an Arts Council National Lottery Grant in 1997-8 to continue their project. A show of their work organised by Kent Arts toured a number of venues in the South East. Baldesare in colour and Watkins in black and white both show the highly idiosyncratic and sometimes esoteric side of the traditional carnivals that result in their peculiar fascination.
Notting Hill, 1996, Peter Marshall
Peter Marshalls black and white prints from the 1990s are from Notting Hill in Carnival , published in Visual Anthropology Review in 1999 with an essay and comments on the pictures by George Mentore, who took part in Notting Hill in the 1970s.
Hayling Island, Dave Trainer
David Trainers striking black and white portraits come from traditional English carnivals and fairs. His work has been included in shows in leading galleries, including the Tate Gallerys How We Are: Photographing Britain.’
You can see more of the work on these projects at the English Carnival website, and a selection will be on show at the Shoreditch Gallery. Please do come if you can – I hope to meet some of you at the opening.