Photo Show – Phillip & Anthony Reed’s In Between and Signs of Life on show at ONE in Shanghai

IN BETWEEN AND SIGNS OF LIFE
In Between and Signs of Life is a highly recommended photo exhibition of two collaborative projects by Phillip Reed and Anthony Reed. It is currently on show at ONE in Shanghai until 18 October. So, if you, or someone you know, is heading to Shanghai this month, why not drop by and take a look.

The artists are identical twin brothers who live and work as Photographers in two very different cities. Phillip is based in London and Anthony in Shanghai. The two projects on display represent both their longest running collaboration and their most recent work respectively.

While In Between is an on-going photographic dialogue between the two, Signs of Life is provides a closer more critical look at the relationship between architecture and power focusing on the east coast cities of China (shot in 2012). Essential to their investigations is an interest in the city and the individual and the continuous process of interaction between the two.

For In Between there is a consistency in the composition and subject matter of each image that continues throughout the series. You are invited to view the dialogue between the two locations and see how relationships between the images build and subsequently disperse. In one example a piece of Post modern architecture resembles a 19th-Century neo classical façade, following this a seagull resembles a Chinese kite. The images are open to the viewer to interpret. There is an ebb and flow to the exchanges as the communication evolves; a reflection of the dialogue that continues between the two locations. Their photographic observations give an insight into the personal relationships between identical twins.

Phillip Reed has been featured on The Roaming Eye over the last three years since he won the London College of Communication Hotshoe Award in 2010. He has visited Shanghai where his brother Anthony is based and recently gave an insightful talk at the Photology series of talks organised by Alex Brattell at the Bullet Cafe in Hastings.

The years after leaving uni are particularly difficult for graduates. Many students often abandon their own photographic practice, for various reasons –  they want to move into other visually-related areas, they have to earn money to pay off debts or because competition for work placements/internships is also high – but Phillip has persevered and has managed to secure commissioned work, assists two successful commercial photographers and has continued to develop and extend his personal projects, including collaborations with his brother such as In Between and Signs of Life.

The photos above and below are a selection I made from their online visual journal. All phoots © Phillip Reed and Anthony Reed. Courtesy of the artists.

To see more of Phillip’s work, visit his website and his tumblr visual journal.

To see more of Anthony Reed’s tumblr visual journal.

フィリップとアンソ ニーリード共同制作の「In Between & Signs of Life」写真展が、イメージソース上海のイベントスペースONEで 9月18日から開催されます。本展は上海在住のイギリス人フォトグラファーAnthony Reedと双子の兄でロンドン在住の同じくフォトグラファーのPhilip Reed二人の最新作を披露します。会期は2013年10月18日までです。ぜひこの機会にご高覧ください。9月18日のオープニングレセプションへのご 参加の際は、このページで事前予約をお願いいたします。

Photo Stroll through the Nine-Point Perspective show on the evening of the Private View

So here’s the evidence. The Private View goes ahead, with over 200 people visiting throughout the evening. Thanks to the lovely and talented photographer  Phillip Reed for taking these photos for us on the night, much appreciated and to all who came out despite the riots earlier in the week, it meant a lot. All photos © Phillip Reed

Photo Projects In Progress – Lucy Phillips’ pinhole camera project and Phillip Reed’s In Between: dispatches from China

I thought that I better try and catch up over the weekend, so today’s post points to a couple of Projects In Progress, or (PIPs), that may be of interest. One is a participatory pinhole project and the other an ongoing collaboration between two identical twins, Phillip and Anthony Reed. The post is also linked by the fact that the two share the name Phillip(s). So it seemed appropriate to twin them for this post.

Tomorrow, I’ll be posting photos by Vikram Kushwah who I’m happy to hear picked up the Photofusion AMPS 10 Public Vote for his series Ofelea. According to Photofusion gallery coordinator Carole Evans, click to see her blog, it was a narrow win as Kushwah pipped Oliver Woods to the post by just a couple of votes. More tomorrow, till then…

WHAT CANNOT BE SEEN – LUCY PHILLIPS
Photographer Wendy Pye emailed me recently with a link to Phillips’ facebook page. She wrote: “I thought you might be interested in this project. Lucy Phillips, who specialises in pinhole photography, has created the project and is asking photographers to take a photograph of what cannot be seen. I think it’s a lovely idea. Just did one this morning…”

When I said that I would like to take part in the project, she emailed her on my behalf. Lo and behold, a week or so later, a padded envelope arrived from Phillips with the contents below.

What cannot be seen, contents, © Miranda Gavin

My very own Matchbox pinhole camera is ready to go, it’s just a question of what, where and when?

See the facebook page as Phillips’ reveals the process of the project. Perhaps Phillips could match up with Rob Hackman of the Matchbox Gallery?

PHILLIP REED – IN BETWEEN
I also had an email from photographer Phillip Reed who won the Hotshoe/London College of Communication award 2010 which is given to an undergraduate photography student. Reed has been assisting since finishing his degree in photography and is now in China for three months where his identical twin brother Anthony lives.

As well as working on his own projects, he is also collaborating on the ongoing project In Between with Anthony who has a fine art background, teaches English – he has been there for close to four years – and speaks Mandarin fluently.

© Phillip Reed blog post, Shanghai, 2010

And if you were wondering, as I was, whether the number of twins varies across different cultures and how people in China respond to them as identical twins? This is what he said of his initial impressions:

“There are the same amount of twins across all cultures, apparently,” he writes. “Twins in China wear the same clothes, do the same things… They can’t believe we live apart and have slightly different clothes/interests. People find it hilarious that Anthony can speak to them in Mandarin and I can’t!”

Phillip will be sending me dispatches, which I will be posting on a regular basis, while he is in China. To find out more, follow the link to his blog/visual journal.

Winner of HotShoe London College of Communication student award Phillip Reed and mentions to Nanna Thordal and Jonathan Nash

LCC Degree show exhibition, installation shot © Phillip Reed

© Nanna Thordal, The Danish song is a young blond girl 4, 2010

Every year, HotShoe supports recent photography student graduates at the London College of Communication, University of Arts, by featuring the work of a final-year BA (Hons) photography graduate in the August/September print edition of the magazine. (see over).

This year’s winner is Phillip Reed, who with his project HOME explores the city and our relationship to it. Special mentions also go to Nanna Thordal for her series of photographs, The Danish song is a young blond girl, and Jonathan Nash’s film, A Dream of Stone.

Phillip Reed: HOME
“The title refers to both Reed’s home in London and the fact that, since the dawn of the 21st century, more than half the world’s human population now lives in cities…”
(continued over)

Nanna Thordal: The Danish song is a young blond girl
“The Danish song is a young blond girl, takes its starting point in a Danish set of existential rules and norms titled Jante’s Law, which was created by Danish/Norwegian writer Aksel Sandemose in 1933…
(continued over)

The work was judged with HotShoe editorial assistant Peter Owens following a tour of the degree show – a process which is highly subjective and one which was facilitated by checking the work off against certain criteria.

For me these included, reflecting on the photographic approach and professionalism; thinking about concept; looking at aesthetic, use of light, style, and technical skill; as well as the presentation of the work in the gallery space in terms of editing and sequencing. Not to mention the overall experience and effectiveness of the work in communicating visually.

I also looked at the LCC website on the Showtime section, which is given over to showcasing the work of students, to see how many final year students had uploaded their work. Both Reed and Thordal have pages displaying their work online through the university’s portal, while Reed also has his own website. However, many students hadn’t uploaded work online, which, I believe, is a missed opportunity.

So, a tip for next year’s graduates eager to get their final year project seen – get your work out there. You never know who may be on the look out.