Study Visit-Impressions
This was my first study visit led by a tutor, even though it was not my first time at the Side Gallery. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the number of students that turned up and by the way the tutor Wendy McMurdo kept the conversation flowing. The entire experience felt casual even though when I got there for a few minutes I was waiting outside ( unaware that everybody was in) I got nervous and briefly hoped nobody would turn up .
I actually want to give Wendy credit for not feeding us a lesson but for allowing us to answer questions ourselves while subtly touching on key points. It didn’t feel rushed even though we were a bit behind schedule and she spent time with us collectively and on a one to one basis in an equal manner. No question was silly and nobody was left out. For a distance learning student I can appreciate the importance of these get-togethers .It’s an opportunity not only to put a face to a name but to also feel part of a real community. I left the study visit very motivated and most certainly will attend any future ones organised.
The Exhibition
Dave Jordano returns to Detroit after 30 years to document the decay of the post industrial city and what keeps it alive, it’s people. There is a real contrast between the environment and the attitude of its residents . There’s a real feeling that regardless of the abandoned places ,visible poverty, exploitation and danger, life still goes on, people get by ,they get involved are part of their community and they belong. In term of composition, it is noticeable that he prefers tight framing in interiors, even breaking the rules by cutting into the subject. This gives out a claustrophobic impression and forces us to see all the decay and disarray. However ,all seems somehow balanced by the humanity his subjects bring into the derelict spaces. He not only captures the tragic and hopeless but also the happy and the hopeful. Bad or good ,these emotions show humanity.
There are a couple of examples of pictorialism in his portraits .One of a woman sleeping on a sofa, and another of a young girl sitting on a chair. Both photographs look like they could be paintings of the Renaissance. Symbolic totems can be seen throughout his collection,accentuating the sense of place and identity: photographs, objects, paintings, items of clothing, tools and even self made practical gadgets. Overall the landscapes dominate over portraits with a stronger compositional and aesthetic value but as mentioned before without the portraits to sustain it I don’t think the statement would have been as powerful.
http://www.amber-online.com/event/side-gallery/detroit-unbroken-dave-jordano/
Gabriela Oliver 