Photography aficionados will require additional stamina to explore the seven exhibitions across three floors at the opening of the Centre for British Photography in main London on January 26.
The 8,000-square-foot new space on Jermyn Street will house the Hyman Collection– the personal collection of Claire and James Hyman, widely considered among the world’s major libraries of British photography. Over 3,000 considerable works by more than 100 artists– such as Costs Brandt, Cecil Beaton, and Martin Parr– considering that 1900 are included. Previously, it was just readily available to view online.
The center will offer a historical introduction of British photography and– notably– present the diverse landscape of British photography as it exists today. “There is no place particularly devoted to artists operating in photography in Britain,” Founding Director James Hyman informed Artnet News.
“While organizations such as Tate and the V&A have extraordinary, encyclopedic collections, they are not dedicated to photography, or to British photography,” he continued. “We have among the most substantial collections of British photography, which we wish to make more public.”
The new center, Hyman stated, is “devoted to presenting a varied view of photographic practice in Britain,” which the opening program embodies. Among the significant opening shows takes its name from Expense Brandt’s seminal publication of 1935, The English at Home, providing over 150 works that explore the main place of the home in 20th-century British photography.
In “powerful contrast” to this is the group program “Headstrong.” Curated by Quick Forward– a research group developed to promote and engage with women and non-binary people in photography around the world– the show will focus on recent self-portraits by women operating in photography.
“This exhibition foregrounds artists and photographers who have actually been using self-portraiture as a tool to break open the overbearing, typically penalizing nature of patriarchy,” described Anna Fox, Director of Quick Forward. “From exposing cyberbullies to checking out the multiplicity of female identity, these portraits transform out-of-date principles of how we need to behave, how we should be, and what we can end up being.”
The center will also resume with three solo exhibitions by Heather Agyepong, Jo Spence, and Natasha Caruana. “Each program is different however, by putting these artists together– each of whom uses theater and efficiency– connections can be drawn,” Hyman said to Artnet News.
The new center is for anyone with an interest in photography– amateur or expert. It will be totally free to visit year round, and will present self-generated exhibits, reveals led by independent curators and organizations, as well as monographic displays, events, and talks. “We hope visitors will get a sense of the amazing variety and variety of historical as well as modern photography in Britain,” included Hyman.
Follow Artnet News on Facebook:
Want to stay ahead of the art world? Register for our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive vital takes that drive the discussion forward.