antipavement
07/04/2006 - 29/04/2006
An exhibition showcasing the work of two photographic artists, Ben McPhee and Jo Cound.
Ben McPhee
Graduating in 2005 from the University of Coventry , Ben McPhee has since gone on to exhibit in galleries and events nationwide.
Based in Walsall , Ben has exhibited locally in New Art Birmingham 2005 as well as with Chameleon Gallery in Walsall , Colony Gallery, Birmingham Artists and as part of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists “New Horizons” exhibition. More recently Ben has exhibited in West Midlands Creative Alliance “Unwrapped” show at the Custard Factory. He was selected to exhibit in the well respected Stroud House Gallery, Gloucestershire and has had work exhibited in the Herbert Art Gallery in Coventry .
Represented by Birmingham Art Curator and consultant Francis Burrows, Ben has travelled to exhibit in the Affordable Art Fair Spring Collection in Battersea Park , London and Manchester Art Show 2005..
Ben is a current contributor to Channel 4's “Ten4” magazine and the main photographer for local magazine “Multicultural”, he has won commissions from Coventry University and a place in New Art Birmingham Art Market in the past year.
As a photographer Ben's work is based upon the urban landscape which people ignore and treat with contempt everyday. His work brings the urban spaces of cities and towns to the attention of the people who live inside them and yet may have never truly seen what is right in front of them.
His work documents his travels around particular towns and cities picking out areas and objects which are ignored, unseen or perhaps even unheard of, by the inhabitants of the places themselves. But even “famous” objects which cannot be ignored or missed can take on new meaning with Ben's work.
Using both analogue and digital photography Ben also creates new structures and areas out of existing ones, manipulated and changing the environment to satisfy his own intrigue, making something seen everyday into something else, not instantly recognisable yet familiar, forcing the audience to question what is real and what is not.
www.benmcpheephotography.co.uk
Jo Cound
I have an innate passion for all things that grow. Nature has always been my inspiration in life. In particular I am drawn to the intricate details and colour of flowers. These parts of a bloom are often overlooked, I aim to capture the essence and beauty of my subjects and show the viewer a new way of looking. I am showing work taken over the last 10 years ranging from the smallest bit of moss to ancient old trees. Using manual cameras - a Pentax K1000 35mm and 645 & C220 Mamiya with close-up filters to get close to my subject. I shoot on colour negative and do all my own colour printing in the darkroom. Stop, look and begin to appreciate the magic of nature. Whether in your back garden, walking in the wilds, looking in your window box or wondering on a grass verge, take a moment, absorb yourself, and be enchanted by the multitude of the natural world around you. This exhibition is a celebration of all magnificent living plants and trees, without which there would be no life on earth.
Jo Cound 2006 www.jocound.co.uk
