I visited the Taylor Wessing 2019. Photographic Portrait Exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery .

Previously, when I was reflecting on Assignment 2, I wrote “ I did feel that the need to capture the subject as the main person in the frame did reduce creativity in terms of one’s ability to control the frame and what other things were visible in it” (Wilkinson, 2020).  Visiting the exhibition made me realise that I could not be further from the truth.  Faced with the simple question of exemplifying portraiture, one only has to look at the top 3 images to understand how important story telling is to an image as well as the technical framing itself.  I am letting myself off the hook slightly since most of the images in the exhibition were posed whereas in my assignment, they were not.

Pat Martin

First Prize was awarded to Pat Martin (see Fig. 1 and 2) who told a story of his, now late, mother, Pat.  In the series of images presented Martin has managed to capture many different aspects of his mother’s character.  Martin certainly made no attempt to portray his mother in a flattering light, instead choosing to focus on intimate moments, but also sometime humorous as in Figure 2.

In Figure 1, which is an image of his mother against a plain background, the viewer is left to study the subject in very close detail as there is nothing else in the image to distract the viewer.  Gazing out of the frame, there seems to be a sadness and indeed, we learn from the accompanying exhibition catalogue (Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2019, 2019:18) that the image was captured shortly after Pat had lost a close friend.  The image is some combination of grief but coupled with contemplation, perhaps reflecting on her own life.

Figure 2 captures a different side of Pat as although she herself is not smiling, the image on the t-shirt, the dog’s face, and maybe even his mother’s face all carry the same expression.

Enda Bowe

Seen by itself, this image (see Fig. 3) looks much more like the type of image one might have expected to see at the exhibition in the present era.  Aesthetically, the image carries nice tones, and the subject Is gazing out of the frame leaving one to make up a story of what he is thinking; there is little in the frame to give the observer a clue as to where the image is.

Outside context tells us that Bowe tells us that he has captured a series of images that capture life on either side of the peace walls in Belfast (Bowe, 2020).  The series tells a story of the youths in Belfast that are affected by the sectarian troubles that take place there.  Here my own thoughts come into play with some intertextuality as I myself once live in Belfast as I was serving in the Royal Air Force.  Suddenly, I can image what types of thoughts are flowing through the subject’s mind.

The images in the series do not bring many of what I might have expected, there are none showing actual sectarian images or symbols.  The series focusses on the people, interspersed with a small number of contextual shots which show the area to be struggling somewhat. 

This image stands on its own as a single portrait partly due to its beautiful aesthetics and because the viewer is left wondering what the subject is thinking.  But when the outside context is added, I feel that significant poignancy is added, although this may be because of my history there.

Garrod Kirkwood

This image (see Fig. 4) brings a completely different approach to portraiture.  Part of a series that Kirkwood labels ‘England’, he has captured a series of images that portray quintessential Englishness (Kirkwood, 2020).  There is an ode to Martin Parr in the bright colours and the slightly satirical feel to all of the images in the series but particularly this winning one.  

There is surprisingly little information in this image and it is probably the bright colours that initially catch one’s eye however, there is just enough in the image to enable the viewer to understand what the image is and to remember a time when they went to the beach for a day out, well perhaps anybody that born before 1980 anyway.  I think what I learn from this image is what can be achieved by removing everything from the frame other than what you want the viewer to focus on.

What Did I Learn

The biggest learning point is that a requirement to capture a portrait is in no way constraining.  One is free to frame an image and set the content almost without limit.  The important factor is to make deliberate decisions as to what is there and know why.

I think I will remember the variety of images on display and use that is inspiration when I am creating my own portrait images. 

Bibliography

Wilkinson, A. (2020). Assignment 2: Post Submission Reflection. [online] Tony’s IAP Learning Blog. Available at: http://iap.tonys-view.com/assignment-2-post-submission-reflection/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2020].

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2019. (2019). 1st ed. [S.l.]: National Portrait Gallery.

Bowe, E. (2020). Love’s Fire Song. [online] Enda Bowe. Available at: http://www.endabowe.com/projects/love-s-fire-song [Accessed 16 Feb. 2020].

Kirkwood, G. (2020). Projects • Garrod Kirkwood. [online] Garrod Kirkwood. Available at: https://www.garrodkirkwood.com/projects/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2020].

Images

Figure 1. Martin, P. (2018). Mom (Our Last One). November 2018. [image] Available at: http://www.patmartin.co/family-album [Accessed 16 Feb. 2020].

Figure 2. Martin, P. (2018). Gail and Beaux, August 2018. [image] Available at: http://www.patmartin.co/family-album [Accessed 16 Feb. 2020].

Figure 3. Bowe, E. (2019). Neil (July 2019). [image] Available at: http://www.endabowe.com/projects/love-s-fire-song#slide-1319 [Accessed 16 Feb. 2020].

Figure 4. Kirkwood, G. (2019). The Hubboks, September 2018.. [image] Available at: https://www.garrodkirkwood.com/projects/ [Accessed 16 Feb. 2020].