Stephen Gill Analysis &Research

My view on Stephen Gill

               Stephen Gill, whom The British Journal of Photography described as ‘’One of the most quietly inventive, unusually original photographers on the international scene’’, has created a breadth of multi-disciplinary work that spans many subjects and approaches. He is technically experimental, imaginative and eager to creatively explore the wider discipline of photography (I must confess to be a bit of a fan).

                But despite this outward reaching, experimental growth, there is almost always one very distinct constant: The Borough of Hackney.

                He frequently admits his obsession with the area he lives and works in and most of his projects feature it heavily. Hackney Wick, is a documentary project centred around a market situated in an area due to be demolished in preparation for the 2012 Olympic games, and it grasps at an area in the process of disappearance, as does Archaeology in Reverse, which provides a record of the subtle indications that change was imminent– workmen, scaffolding and demolition notices.

Photographs from Hackney Wick

Photographs from Archaeology in Reverse

                But Gill does not simply take photographs of a place, he allows the location to be the creator. His work has been inextricably impregnated by the space and all it entails. They breathe the space and it feels intuitive and natural. As a viewer I get the impression that he hasn’t imposed himself onto an unfamiliar community, the shots are comfortable, relaxed and show that the photographer has truly engaged with the subjects, we can feel the personal connection he has forged and understand that he feels at home. In this instance, it is the viewer displaying a voyeuristic prying eye, not the photographer. Something he is aware of and consciously savours by “scooping up a bit of East London and dropping it in Central London”.

                As an example of work in which the ‘where’ is important, I struggle to find a more genuine comparator, his integrity is undoubted, having spent his entire career photographing various aspects of Hackney.
               The subjects in his work vary greatly and project to project his methods change. Projects such as Off Ground, Anonymous Origami and A Series of Disappointments are topographical explorations that involve collecting artefacts and meticulously cataloguing and recording them. The latter features a collection of discarded betting slips, that manages to convey such a strong human element despite the unwavering unity of their appearance. There is something very tactile and relate-able about the manipulation they have undergone.

Photographs from A Series of Disappointments

Other works such as Trolley Portraits show similarly predetermined composition and controlled style, but on location.

Photographs from Trolley Portraits

In fact most of his work provides a study of either an object, a person, place, or activity of some sort. He works in quite a fluid way, keeping several projects afloat at any one time, constantly on the lookout for subjects that fit several themes. Another example that I love is Covered or Removed. 

Photographs from Covered or Removed