Monday 30 December 2013

Mark Power 26 Different Endings

As part of my recent feedback for Assignment 4 I was encouraged to look at the work of Mark Power, Martin Parr, the great Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank The Americans.

I have already written blog entries for the last three artists and really admire their work. Some of these entries are in older blogs.

I therefore have concentrated on the work of Mark Power [b. 1959] an artist I have yet to explore. As a documentary photographer, Power's 26 Different Endings is an interesting concept covering the edge of the London A-Z atlas. Powers points out that the map changes in each edition with London growing stealthily each year. 26 Endings is a collection of 26 images taken just outside of the atlas starting in 2003.

The concept that these places may or will eventually become part of the atlas gives meaning to the images, without these the images have little value and are hard to relate to.

Most of the images depict a sad and run down to-be London, a mix of suburbia, sweeping paths, industry and mangled metal. perhaps the hope is that they will change over time as many areas in London have done through natural development.

In the context the of the work the images work very well, but I am not a fan of them if truth were to be known. What I am impressed with is that Powers has captured all of these 26 images from different locations yet you could be mistaken is thinking that they are all from the same area. This supposes that the world outside of the A-Z  has a common theme and possibly similarities of culture and people.

The following display these attributes.




The projects that Mark Power has completed are quite remarkable. His current project KX, documenting the refurbishment of Kings Cross Station, London, looks fascinating. For my final assignment I am planning to take images of a Victorian Brewery. I really like the colours and the use of light in the following two KX images and these may give ideas for my final assignment.



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