Chris Beetles Photography, Monday 21st February http://www.chrisbeetlesfinephotographs.com/
Visited the Eve Arnold exhibit with the 'foci' from set reading in mind, technologies of display, space and labels. All images were displayed in a black frame (varying thicknesses) with a white window mount. Bizarrely, where some prints had been sold, there were gaps where presumably the new owner had already taken the image away. For me this gave a sense of imbalance, where the orginal curators decisions had been disrupted and the patterns of frames had been truncated. The only hint that something was once there was the indicative hook in an empty space. One image was hung on a closed door, the others on painted 'stone' (off-grey) walls, the door for once making me consider that invisible space. Perhaps this was where the missing photos were hidden. The photographs were without labels; a number linked to a remote images list was the only 'caption', making you look carefully at the content. The image list also included prices - a more commercial gallery - and seemed more focused towards selling although the viewer had to deliberately collect a list and cross reference number with information. Perhaps there was no reason to label as the iconic Marilyn Monroe was easily recognisable, and the ambiguity of the anonymous 'performers' and street photography heightened. The space was lit by very strong white lights, which glared sometimes uncomfortably onto the glass covered surfaces of the works. This also forced the viewer to cast a shadow over the images, so that , despite being unable to touch we still were part of an encounter. Arnold shows an interest in order, multiples and reflection, alongside fame. Although predominantly black and white, the two colour images in contrast became a focus in the room, in particular the one hung alone providing a stark contrast to the rest. Collections of photographs were arranged sometimes to create contrast, sometimes showing a theme like darkness, or exposure. A small and awkward alcove housed some of the seemingly less favoured images, although this I'm sure was not the curator's intention.
