my presentation notes (even though i actually forgot them on the day - ooops!)
I want to show you a variety of Hunters projects, including my personal favourites and some of his most famous.
When researching Tom Hunters work, I was fascinated by the way in which he talks about his own work, He never allows his images to be used in conjunction with text which hasn’t been written or approved by him.
He is extremely passionate as his work is closely linked to himself…
He photographs his local area – Hackney in London.
He speaks a lot about his work, and I have included quotes.
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Hunter is strongly influenced by pre-Raphaelite artists, he depicts his local area in his photographs drawing upon historical references to adapt and shape the perceptions generated by the media.
He displays strong commitment to Hackney and has both lived in and photographed the area for over a decade.
Such engagement with his local neighbourhood has resulted in him receiving multiple prestige awards.
Hunter favours a traditional approach, shooting mostly with a WISTA 4 by 5 camera, and more recently a large format pin hole camera also.
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He was born in 1965 in Dorset. He left school at the age of 15 and then spent 7 years as a manual labourer. You can see from his quote on the slide why he decided in 1986 to move to Hackney, there he enrolled on an A-level class after discovering his love for photography in Pueto Rico. After graduating from the London college of printing in 1994 he began photographing his friends and neighbours living alongside him in the squats.
The series is titled the ghetto in reference to an article in the local paper which described the area as “a crime ridden, derelict ghetto, a cancer, a blot on the landscape.”
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The images were taken between 1993 and 1994 as part of a campaign to save the community from developers and the plans of the council.
Years on the same community remains and Hunter still lives there too.
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The series of images were shown at the museum of London in 1995
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Hunters most famous photograph was taken whilst he was studying for his Masters degree. The portrait of a young mother references vemeers 17th centaury painting “a girl reading a letter by an open window”
This work was exhibited as part of a group show at the Saatchi gallery a year after he was awarded the John Kobal photographic portrait award in 1998.
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Hunter says he favours photography as “it has it’s feet in reality”
All of his work is produced in location so no matter how staged some of the elements are, the image retains historical documentation.
The photograph of the girl reading the eviction letter was a real eviction note, and she really was living in a squat – Hunter says he looks at the image as a historical document.
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This series, titles UNHEREALD STORIES is inspired by the tales of Hackney residents. It has been shown at Purdy hicks gallery and references great TABLEAUX (TABLO)
Painters whilst relating such to stories from the social history of Hackney.
In this image, “anchor and hope” We see a woman crawling through long grass.
It is influenced by the painting “Christina’s world” by Andrew Wyeth.
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Hunters art historical references lend gravity to the people and the scenes he depicts in his images.
“newspaper headlines come and go, I want to show they are very serious and that what goes on around you is important! Says hunter.
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The next series titled Empty Tower block stands as a symbol of failure in social policies.
The dystopia and waste of housing projects which were abandoned.
In terms of contemporary art, the images evoke the sensation where one feels oddly as though someone has just left the room, in other words, that experience of recognising something as having being touched by the human hand yet sensing the distinct lack of presence.
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This photograph of hunters frien Leyila and her daughter is set in her living room and based around michealangello’s painting titled “the nativity with St Francis and St Lawrence.
Hunter adopted michealangello’s style by using ordinary people as his subjects.
He used tungsten lighting to create contrast between the cold blue light outside and the stark reality of the flat, “above all I wanted to show the beauty of the simple connection between mother and child” – says Hunter.
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