The Saatchi Gallery has on display inspired works of over 40 photographers from the past decade. Varied and fresh, the artists deal with human individuality and pride, the interaction of nature and culture, the cruelty of humanity, art theft, voyeurism and abstract mixed media photography on the other side of the spectrum.
Saatchi gallery as always is free. The exhibits capture attention as much visually as conceptually so it’s best to pick up a guide, or the beautiful handbook on offer for £10, to be clued as to the artists' concepts.
As a whole the exhibition serves as a mini retrospective of modern photography in recent years so I have picked a few of my favourites to introduce to you.
Laurel Nakadate and her exhibit “Lucky Tiger” was a quirky, small print exhibit showing candid cheesy soft-porn photography with a twist. The artist invited men from Craiglist to fondle the pictures. She then instructs them to dip their hands in ink thereby smearing them, and in a brilliant move turning the tables on them and being in power and control, making them the subject of her art project.
Katy Grannan is another favourite of mine who shot a series of outdoors anonymous portraits in California, focusing on various unusual characters, celebrating their individuality and pride in being different, while alluding to the notion that we all share the same fate, regardless of our differences.
Another favourite was Berndaut Smidle who created and photographed a cloud within a chapel, capturing the unique and simple beauty of a scene we expect to see outdoors in the Dutch landscapes of his home country, inside an empty room. The work is inspiring.
Aris Vrakas
Attractive and intellectual, the Out of Focus exhibition is a fun event and will be open 7 days a week 10am to 6pm with free entrance from 25th April – 22nd July.
