Facing Britain
British documentary photography since the1960s
Facing Britain brings together for the first time almost all important representatives of British documentary photography since the 1960s in a large survey exhibition outside the UK.
Long forgotten and only recently rediscovered positions such as John Myers, Tish Murtha or Peter Mitchell are shown alongside works by world stars such as Martin Parr and David Hurn. The show thus offers a unique insight into the developments in the field of photography in the United Kingdom, which are interwoven with continental Europe and North America, but also independent of them. The documentary aspect proves to be one of the great strengths of British photography, which is capable of depicting a part of Europe in transition in a multifaceted, surprising and artistically original way. Facing Britain was therefore deliberately chosen as a temporal bracket for the period of Britain's membership of the European Union and their forerunners between1963 till 2020. Particularly in view of the current Corona pandemic, the exhibition proves to be a break in the artistic development of an entire nation.
"Stunning documentary photographs of British life from the Facing Britain exhibition."
The Times Magazin, Photography Special
Whitley Bay, 1978 © Markéta Luskačová
Participating photographers
Mike Abrahams, Meredith Andrews, James Barnor, Rob Bremner, Rachel Louise Brown, John Bulmer, Tessa Bunney, Elaine Constantine, Thom Corbishley, Robert Darch, John Davies, Craig Easton, Anna Fox, Ken Grant, Judy Greenway, Mohamed Hassan, Paul Hill, David Hurn, Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen, Kalpesh Lathigra, Barry Lewis, Markéta Luskačová, Kirsty Mackay, Fran May, Stephen McCoy, Niall McDiarmid, Daniel Meadows, Roy Mehta, Sandra Mickiewicz, Margaret Mitchell, Peter Mitchell, David Moore, Tish Murtha, John Myers, Mark Neville, Kevin O'Farrell, Martin Parr, Mark Pinder, Yan Wang Preston, Ryan Prince, Kavi Pujara, Tony Ray-Jones, Paul Reas, Sophy Rickett, Simon Roberts, Michelle Sank, Syd Shelton, Hazel Simcox, Dave Sinclair, Homer Sykes, Alys Tomlinson, Jon Tonks, Dan Wood and Tom Wood.
Foto: Mr. & Mrs. Hudson. Seacroft Green. Leeds, 1974 © Peter Mitchell
Facing Britain describes the various epochs from the decline of the coal industry, the Thatcher era with the Falkland conflict, the Brexit that split the island into two parts. A special focus is on the 1970s and 1980s, which were influenced by David Hurn, Tish Murtha, Daniel Meadows, Peter Mitchell, Tony Ray-Jones and Martin Parr, when artistic documentary photography gained an importance worldwide.
„A formative period for British photography, in which the strength of the documentary movement really came alive“. Martin Parr
New Brighton. From 'The Last Resort'. 1983-85 © Martin Parr / Magnum Photos
Early on, Parr had knowledge of the work propagated in the Rhine and Ruhr metropolises of Duesseldorf, Cologne and Essen, which also influenced John Myers, Anna Fox and Paul Hill. In England, the work of David Hurn, Chris Killip, John Myers or Daniel Meadows, which was less well known in this country, was regarded as the photographic reference. The photographer Tony Ray-Jones, who died early in 1972, was considered the British Garry Winogrand and pioneer of contemporary photography in Great Britain with his impulsive and direct street photography.
The Brasher sisters, left: Lyn, right: Stella, Southampton. May 1974 © Daniel Meadows
In contrast to the United States - where the first large-scale photo exhibitions such as Family of Man (curated by Edward Steichen, 1955) or The Photographer's Eye (curated by John Szarkowsky, 1964) were already held at the MoMA in New York. In Germany, the Deutscher Werkbund already showed Foto und Film in 1929 in Stuttgart, an overview exhibition on the working and application areas of photography and film. Artistic photography in Germany only achieved its breakthrough, however, with its presentation at documenta 5 (1972) in Kassel.
Black Copper, London 1985 © Dave Sinclair
In Great Britain, photography was not considered an autonomous art form until the 1980s. Not even before 1985 British photographers were honoured with exhibitions at the Photographer's Gallery and Barbican Art Gallery in London or the British Council. Only individual photographers such as Tony Ray-Jones or Peter Mitchell were honored with small solo exhibitions from 1969/70 on. The first major survey exhibition on British documentary photography in Great Britain did not take place until 2007 under the title How We Are: Photographing Britain at the Tate Britain, London. Subsequently, the British Council's exhibition No Such Thing As Society: Photography in Britain 1967-1987 toured the UK, Poland and Sweden from 2008 to 2010.
Tenby. Castle Hillat the elegant seaside town of Tenby, South Wales. 1974 © David Hurn / Magnum Photos
This late tribute to the pioneers of British documentary photography also demonstrated the difficulties of photography in Britain. British photography - apart from its established Magnum photographers such as David Hurn or Martin Parr - had difficulties to assert itself on the international market, not least because of its socially critical or political content and socially critical approaches, which are unmistakable in the work of Ken Grant, Tish Murtha, Homer Sykes, Paul Reas or Anna Fox.
Fortunes are being made that are in line with the dreams of avarice. Business, 1987 © Anna Fox
Facing Britain presents a portrait of the unique foreignness of Great Britain - divided, unequal and interspersed with classes, but marked by deep affection, humanity and humour. The photographs speak for themselves, bear witness to artistic concepts and attitudes and convey historical contexts. They call for a view of today's United Kingdom beyond the clichés. Inequality and identity are still the key concepts that dominate the nation and define what makes the exhibition more relevant than ever. Previously virulent themes such as youth unemployment, the decline of the mining industry or protest and demonstration against the policies of Margaret Thatcher are historically illuminated in the exhibition and critically questioned by the participating photographers.
Harlesden, North West London, 1989 – 1993 © Roy Mehta
Recent works by Kirsty Mackay, Paul Reas, Robert Darch, Roy Mehta or Niall McDiramid also reflect current issues on topics such as gender justice, consumer society, Brexit or migration.
My Favorite Color is Yellow, 2016 © Kirsty Mackay
Facing Britain presents for the first time the development of British photography in the UK over the past 60 years including the influence of photographers of colour, female photographers and the young generation. To present and to understand the significant shift from social documentary to artistic photography will give a new perspective on British photography!
Dundonald Road, 2019 © Kavi Pujara
Press / Impressions
"Facing Britain is a revealing exhibition about the attitude of a society caught between protest, desperate workers and hip bankers. And you should have seen this show, because it shows us insights into a reality of life that we did not know before, but which are necessary for a deeper understanding of the social upheavals on the island."
Martina Conrad, SWR 2
"Impressive group exhibition!"
Patrick Bahners, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
"And just as the intense portraits of Daniel Meadows add up to a picture of society, the synopsis of "Facing Britain" results in a finely detailed, very sensually comprehensible picture of a country."
Johannes Breckner, Echo Culture Darmstadt
Installation views Kunsthalle Darmstadt
"Life without make-up between Aberdeen and Brighton, Belfast and Ipswich: British documentary photography from six decades on the "English Way of Life" is a remarkable rediscovery."
Rheinische-Art, cpw
"Loving portait of the unique foreignness of Great Britain"
Franz Geib, Gocher Wochenblatt
"World-class"
Corinna Denzer-Schmidt, Niederrhein Nachrichten
"The collection moves between deep cuts in British history and society. [...] But in between is the full, endearing and whimsical life of the kingdom. Sometimes critically appraised, sometimes exposing, but never embarrassing, and often with enigmatic humour."
Petra Hartmann, Goslarsche Zeitung
Installation views Museum Goch
"The exhibition curated by Ralph Goertz overwhelms with its thematic diversity, strikes tones from the finest humour to the greatest dejection, shows people from the lightness of being to the search for recyclables on the rubbish dump. [...] Alongside this humorous, often to the point, contemplation of typically British idiosyncrasies, the exhibition also shows painful conditions to the point of punching in the pit of the stomach."
Jörg Kaspert, Harzer Panorama
"Facing Britain" provides many facets of Britishness, and thus a telling reflection of the distinctive traditions, mentalities and habits of the inhabitants. English, Scottish, Welsh - and migrants. At the same time, the exhibition captures the deep contradictions and fierce conflicts of British society in concise images. Wonderful exhibition.
PHOTONEWS, Klaus Honnef
"A powerful imagery. No fewer than 47 of these photographers are now represented with individual works or series in the show “Facing Britain” curated by Ralph Goertz in the Kunsthalle Darmstadt, which adds up to an impressive retrospective of British documentary photography from the early 1960s to 2020."
Chritsian Riethmüller, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
Installation views Mönchehaus Museum Goslar
"Facing Britain gives viewers a glimpse into the social and political realities of Britain, but does not escape its depiction of the everyday life of the multicultural community formed by the citizens of the former empire."
Anna Piątkowska, Dziennik Polski
"Facing Britain - British documentary photography on display at the Museum of Photography in Krakow. This is the story of the island as seen through the lenses of the best documentary photographers."
Aleksandra Błaszkiewicz, wyborcza.pl
"Facing Britain tells the story of the island through the eyes of well-known documentary photographers such as David Hurn, Martin Parr, John Davies and Anna Fox. They showed the British reality when the mines closed, the country was ruled by Margaret Thatcher, the consumption of goods increased and society was divided into different camps."
Ewelina Bajorek-Dziuban, LOVEKRAKOW.pl
Installation views MuFo - Museum for Photography Kraków
"Facing Britain is also a survey of British documentary photography of the past 60 years, which has hardly changed in its directness, but which has at least opened up the boundaries to art photography."
"The small South Town gallery has thus achieved a coup. Until now, the group exhibition curated by Ralph Goertz has only been shown in museums, and GAF is the first photo gallery. "We feel very honoured," says photography professor Rolf Nobel. Around 130 pictures by 25 photographers are hung, there is simply no more space on two levels, it's only a section of the overall show, but a very meaningful one."
Uwe Janssen, Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, 19.10.2022
"The brilliant picture show "Facing Britain" presents a multifaceted view of the British Isle and its social and cultural characteristics. In addition to everyday scenes that are as banal as they are curious and sympathetic, viewers are also made aware of politically explosive events: Ascot meets Belfast, the Falklands War meets intimate moments in British living rooms, hip bankers meet desperate workers. Where the boundaries of the documentary blur, aspects of artistic or portrait photography come to light.
With "Facing Britain", curator Ralph Goertz, who has curated many remarkable photographic exhibitions, confronts us with the face of a multi-partitioned nation that, despite all the rifts, is characterised by affection, humanity and humour."
Hannover.de
Installation views, GAF - Galerie for Photography Hannover
Curated by Ralph Goertz
The exhibition Facing Britain has been curated by Ralph Goertz, who has previously curated exhibitions such as the "Martin Parr Retrospective", "Two Rivers. Alec Soth / Joachim Brohm", "Joel Meyerowitz Retrospective", "Peter Lindbergh / Garry Winogrand: Women" at the NRW-Forum Düsseldorf, "Axel Hütte. Night and Day" at the Museum Kunstpalast, "Subject and Object. Foto Rhein Ruhr" at Kunsthalle Düsseldorf and "Image and Space. Candida Höfer in Dialogue with the Photography Collection of the Art Library" at the Museum for Photography Berlin.
Partner institutions / venues
27 Sep - 24 Nov 2020 / Museum Goch
3 Sep 2021 - 9 Jan 2022 / Kunsthalle Darmstadt
20 Feb - 1 May 2022 / Mönchehaus Museum Goslar
16 June - 18 Sept 2022 / MuFo - Museum for Photography Krakow
19 Oct - 27 Nov 2022 / GAF - Galerie für Fotografie
Technical details
- Collection of about 500 photographs
- Vintage and modern archival prints (signed)
- Sizes between 8x10'' and 24x28'', a very few in 32x40''
- All individual framed (some paper works)
Transport from and to Duesseldorf, Germany.
Please send us a mail for further prize details and availabilities.
Catalogue
The catalogue has been published with Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther und Franz König.
With texts by Graham Harrison und Ralph Goertz.
Distributed in the UK by Thames & Hudson.
ISBN 978-3-7533-0062-7
