Yesterday, Friday 22nd November, I went into London with two friends from my village photography group to “hit the exhibitions”. We took advantage of late evening opening to squeeze in three new photography exhibitions: Fragile Beauty, The 80s and The Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize.
Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection (V&A)
Can only begin by saying this is a collection of masterpieces by all the “names”, it’s great to get up close to these prints. The exhibition is divided into a series of themed rooms – fashion, stars, reportage, American, constructed, abstraction and many more, with a healthy mix of sex and drugs thrown in (this is a rock star collection after all). Unlike many exhibitions with white walls and bright lights this is a very subdued affair, dark even, with spotlights picking out the images. There’s some contemporary series of images in the mix too, for example a whole room crammed with Nan Goldin’s “Thanksgiving 1973-99” which celebrates her bohemian circle of friends in New York (it’s very graphic).
Worth making the trip into London to see this exhibition. There is of course a book of the exhibition – it’s only £20 in the V&A, a steal!
https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/fragile-beauty-photographs-from-the-sir-elton-john-and-david-furnish-collection (ends January 5th)
(While you’re in the V&A take a while to go and see Anton Kusters’ One Thousand and Seventy-Eight Blue Skies which commemorates the Holocaust with images, data and sound.)
The 80s: Photographing Britain (Tate Britain)
My late teens and early 20s illustrated large, the exhibition starts with documenting the social and political scene. Strikes. Riots. Protests. What a time to be alive! It goes on to include a lot of conceptual photography, portraits, self-portraits and juxtaposition discussing individual rights and freedoms. Very worthwhile visit for anyone interested in contemporary photography.
Having only opened the day before we went this exhibition was very busy. The book of the exhibition is a great collection… not discounted here, you’ll need to spend another £40 on top of the £20 you pay to see the exhibition.
Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2024 (National Portrait Gallery)
I make a visit nearly every year to see this exhibition. Never disappointing, it’s often challenging. Friends from this parish (Contemporary Photography) are well represented. This year’s winner really gets you thinking. Again, a worthwhile visit and at the NPG’s sensible prices good value. There’s a book to go with the event, but I can’t comment on whether there’s a discounted price at the venue because I didn’t dare look – at this point of the day I’d spent more than enough and had some explaining to do to my financial controller at home…
