Dean Leivers

Hello! So, I’m still trying to figure out the format for this newsletter (and also the name). I’ve switched to using TinyLetter for the time being, cheers to JoeRipcord for pointing out the platform for me.

It’s been a busy two weeks, carrying out shoots and editing but as always I’ve found a bit of time for reading and the following links are snippets of what I’ve found most interesting.

More in a fortnight,
Dean

Often, like most artists I struggle to get ideas off the ground, or just struggle with the process of figuring out how to get things in gear. ‘The Start’ Podcast via The Guardian features interviews with artists about their creative process and how they found the inspiration to start a work or the journey that they took to create a piece that was their defining moment. Listen at the website via the following link or by downloading to your Podcast player of choice.

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/series/thestart


Whilst seeing out the final edit and output of a landscape project, I’ve also had an eye on a future project that I hope to soon get off the ground. At the moment it is likely going to be a portrait project based around groups of people in various settings, I’d also like to create some kind of audio element to go alongside the visuals…It’s very early days though. As a result I’ve been keeping an eye out for other photographers work that involves the documenting of groups of people or the environment that they find themselves in.

First up is 'The Space Between Us’ by Evan Blaise Walsh, who was featured on Lenscratch. Whilst the scenarios of the portrait series are staged and use repeat sitters, the style, set up and use of the space within the images is of particular interest to me.

I’ve also been considering the starting points for my new project may well be my own immediate environment and the people and characters that I come across, also how to document scenarios and people that are already familiar to me. The British Journal of Photography featured the work of Manny Melotra who’s series 'The Broadway’ depicts his current surroundings in Southall, West London.

The work highlights scenarios that may go unnoticed to those that don’t live in the area and give a truer representation of the daily live and experiences of the residents of the culturally rich area of the capital.

My project will also involve working with people I’ve never met in unfamiliar situations, in an effort to push me outside of my comfort zone and present a set of fresh photographic challenges for myself. I came across some early work of photographer Philippe Chancel on the Guardian website, who’s work detailing life inside French gangs goes on show as part of the 'Another Kind of Life: Photography on the Margins’ exhibition at The Barbican at the end of February.

In the article Chancel states the difficulties faced when working from the viewpoint of an outsider, especially in what, at times, was a dangerous environment. The images, from very early on in Chancel’s career, have a raw exploratory feel. As a photographer he was finding his way and place in the world, much like his subjects.

And finally…

Over at LensCulture was an interesting interview with Kaycee Olsen, director of the Von Lintel Gallery in Los Angeles. In the article she talks about the potential ways to approach galleries in order to get work seen by the public. Whilst here we’re considering incredibly high end galleries I found some of the thoughts would  definitely apply to any type of exhibition space and would be worth considering in the future.

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