We are delighted to see Heather Shuker’s image ‘Annie and her sheep’ featured in the beautiful Portrait of Britain book, published by Hoxton Mini Press.
Heather Shuker - Portrait of Britain
MAP6 are delighted to announce that Heather Shuker has been shortlisted for The British Journal of Photography's Portrait of Britain 2018 with one of her Shetland portraits. Heather will also be featured in the first ever Portrait of Britain book.
MAP6 Meeting
This weekend the MAP6 collective met in London, where we spent the day presenting our new Shetland work to one another. These feedback sessions an opportunity to collectively edit one another’s work and exchange ideas. We will be exhibiting the work later in the year in a number of locations, and intend to produce a publication of the Shetland Project. More news coming soon...
MAP6 feature on Shetland
MAP6 will be heading to the Shetland Islands in just a few weeks, to work on a new collaborative project. In preparation for our arrival the online magazine Shetland has featured us on their website. You can read the piece by clicking on the image below.
Phil Le Gal joins MAP6
We are delighted to announce that photographer Phil Le Gal has joined the MAP6 collective!. Phil will be joining us on our new collaborative project in the Shetlands next month. We got the chance to quiz him about his work and future plans.
Can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and how you got into Photography?
Firstly I guess my dad had a strong influence on how I got into photography. I remember thinking the world looked better through the viewfinder of his camera. Following a career in engineering I moved to London and later enrolled in several short courses at London Central Saint-Martins, which eventually led me to a foundation degree in Photography. This was when I discovered documentary photography as a genre, the power of narratives and story illustration from sequencing a set of photographs. I went on and applied for a Masters in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography from the London College of Communication, UAL and graduated in 2014.
Who are your influences and can you tell us about any inspiring books or exhibitions you have seen recently?
Aside of my paternal influence many photographers have shaped my visual education. I have been mostly sensitive to colour American photography (Saul Leiter/Stephen Shore/William Eggleston/Joel Meyerowitz) and their British counterparts Paul Graham and Tom Wood. I admire the research work of Taryn Simon, the quirky subject matter of Alec Soth and the stunning portraiture of Nadav Kander and Anastasia Taylor Lind, Rob Hornstra’s exemplary long-term documentary projects and Edward Burtynsky's take on globalisation. The New Topographics movement and the concept of "man-altered landscape" depiction is also of importance to me. I am based in London and visit photographic exhibitions on a regular basis. Londoners are spoiled for choice really. Last month I visited Simon Roberts' Merrie Albion, Andreas Gursky's retrospective and the stunningly beautiful "The East End in Colour 1960-1980" exhibitions.
Can you tell us a bit about your work, significant projects and favourite moments in photography.
My final project for my MA allowed me to reconnect with my home region of Brittany that I had left 13 years before. The project was well received and went on to be published in the British Journal of Photography in their best of graduates of the year dossier. I was also already working on a long-term project related to European borders when the 2015-2016 so called European refugee crisis took place. This was really a defining moment for me as I witnessed history unfolding before my eyes. This also reminded me of the importance of the ethics in photojournalism and documentary photography,
Can you tell us a little bit about Photoscratch?
Photo Scratch was born following my graduation in MA Photojournalism and Documentary Photography in 2014. With my friend and fellow student Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz we realised there was room to create a platform to facilitate constructive feedback -similar to our MA tutorials- for work in progress of documentary projects. Most creative individuals are going through this phase of obtaining feedback from trusted peers when producing work. We facilitate this exchange and it is also free to participate. We created Photo Scratch and ran our first session in January 2016. In the last 2 years almost 200 Documentary photographers obtained feedback from their work in progress projects at Photo Scratch, which is a massive achievement, we are really proud of. Photo Scratch is going on strong, every other month, and you can follow us at https://photoscratch.org.
What first drew you to MAP6?
I found out about MAP6 back in 2014 when both of our groups MAP6 and my group Where We Stand were exhibiting at the Brighton Photo Fringe’s collectives show. The concept of going somewhere no one from the collective has previously been before to document this new environment, each photographer with its own specific angle, really appealed to me. I think the Dala Lamai may have said “once a year go someplace you've never been before”. This really is it!
What is coming up next for you in terms of projects and work?
2018 is another year of important life changes for me. Yet I have planned to return to Ireland and Northern Ireland to carry on the long-term documentary work about the consequences of Brexit on the border of the 2 countries. I am also aiming to complete another chapter of my long-term project documenting the evolution of the European borders focused on the Schengen space. I have many projects in my head but not enough time! And of course joining the MAP6 collective to go to the Shetlands will be a highlight of this year!
Heather Shuker: The Tattoo Journey & Embrace
Images by Heather Shuker, including those from her projects The Tattoo Journey and Embrace, on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/heathershuker/
MAP6 at Milton Keynes Library
The Milton Keynes Project: 8 photographer's, 48 hours in MK. If you missed the work @mk_gallery it is now being exhibited again at the Milton Keynes Library until the end of November.
MAP6 at MK Gallery
The MAP6 Photographic Collective set out to document Milton Keynes in April 2017, to celebrate the Fiftieth Anniversary of the City. Seven of the nine MAP6 members, plus a guest photographer from America (Dustin Newhouse), set off for a long weekends shoot and a short weekend edit. It was a tight shoot but focused us ~ resulting in a variety of views and approaches, from walking the peripheries, focusing upon the iconic shopping centre, shooting portraits and conceptual work around the bus station. The purpose was to explore the complex relationship between people and place, to capture its geography, people, structure, architecture and history.
The resulting work went on show at the MAK Gallery in May 2017.
Barry Falk in Poland
At the end of November Barry Falk returns to Poland to travel within the inverted triangle formed by the three death camps of Treblinka, Sobibor and Belzec ~ the epicentre for Operation Reinhard (The Final Solution) to visit areas that once held sizeable Jewish populations. He plans to visit former ghettos, towns that were once shtetls, synagogues and Jewish cemeteries. This is part of an on-going research project looking into the Jewish narrative in Poland during the Twentieth Century. The project is also concerned with memory ~ how we both remember and forget past atrocity and immense loss.
Paul Walsh in Tanzania
Paul Walsh is currently in Tanzania as project photographer, as part of an NGO Project based in Morogorro. The charity is focusing on developing small communities and creating sustainable change within education, sanitation and environmental projects. Paul has been documenting the NGO Project, photographing people coming and going, taking admin photos, training photos, photographing council and village members, community meetings, and project partners. He will be visiting lots of schools and reforestation projects and hopefully cram in a few days of trekking in the mountains towards the end. He has also driven through Mikunki where he saw elephants, zebras, giraffes, monkeys, antelope and wart hogs.
The Shetland Project
MAP6 will be flying out to the Shetlands next April for their new 2018 project. The Shetland archipelago consists of a hundred islands, twenty of which are habitable. MAP6 will be exploring different aspects of this the most northern point of the UK.
We will update the website with project images and ideas next year.
Mitch Karunaratne Exhibition: Carlisle Photo - Visualising Home Exhibition
Map 6 are very pleased to announce Mitch Karunaratne will be showing her series "That, which is outwardly lost, must be inwardly won" at Carlisile Photo Festival.
Visualising The Home Exhibition
Carlisle Photo is proud to announce our collaboration with Visualising Conferences is back.
This exhibition, to coincide with the theme ‘Visualising the Home’, is now open at The Vallum Gallery.
The exhibition will run from 26 June until 21 July 2017 at the Vallum Gallery at the University of Cumbria’s Brampton Road campus in Carlisle. The Visualising the Home conference will be held at the campus 13 – 14
Open Monday – Friday: 10.00am – 4.00pm
The Vallum Gallery, University of Cumbria, Brampton Road, Carlisle, CA3 9AY
More info .....
Book available!
Exhausting Milton Keynes - Mitch Karunaratne from The Milton Keynes Project.
Inspired by Georges Perec - I spent three days watching life in Milton Keynes. I've published a small artist book of the work, in an edition of 5. Soft back, 40 images and text.
Interview for MK Gallery
Mitch and Paul being interviewed, for the opening of the show at the MK Gallery.
Feature in Elsewhere Journal - The Milton Keynes Project
Great to be featured on the Elsewhere: A Journal of Place - many thanks to Paul Scraton.
New on the blog -.we explore the photography of the MAP6 collective and their latest work, The Milton Keynes Project.
"In 2017, having previously worked on The Moscow Project, The Home Project and The Lithuanian Project, the collective have turned their shared attention to Milton Keynes, to coincide with the city's 50th birthday and in order to capture its geography, people, structure and architecture."
https://www.elsewhere-journal.com/blog/2017/4/29/map6-collective-the-milton-keynes-project
Milton Keynes Project At The MK Gallery
MK Calling 2017 runs from 21 April to 27 May 2017. Admission is free.
MK Gallery
900 Midsummer Blvd Milton Keynes MK9 3QA T +44 (0)1908 676 900
Thursday & Friday12pm–8pm
Saturday11am–8pm
The Milton Keynes Project - Private View Tonight!
This spring, MK Gallery showcases new and exciting work by over 70 emerging and established artists in MK Calling 2017. This exhibition will celebrate and champion the breadth of creativity in and around Milton Keynes and includes a wide range of art forms alongside a dynamic programme of events and participatory sessions.
The MK Calling 2017 preview with live music, food and drinks will take place on Thursday 20 April from 6-10pm. Speeches will take place at 6.45pm. Everyone is welcome.
MK Calling 2017 runs from 21 April to 27 May 2016. Admission is free.
Exhibition at MK Gallery!
Map6 are very excited to be selected to show their new Milton Keynes work at MK Gallery!
Open 21 April to 28 May 2017 with an opening party on Thursday 20 April at 6pm.
More news to come….
Dustin Newhouse Collaboration
Last weekend seven MAP6 photographers spent the weekend in Milton Keynes, working intensely on a new collaborative project. The work will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the city and will be exhibited next month at the MK gallery. As part of our project we invited American photographer Dustin Newhouse along. Dustin is visiting from The East Coast of the United States and his work is largely theory-based, exploring the intersection of philosophy and photography. He is particularly interested in human rights and genocide studies, and uses cultural history to inform his photographic work. You can see more of his work on his website here. Dustin is the first collaborator we have invited along on a project, we enjoyed working with him immensely and plan to work with more photographers for future projects.
Richard Chivers Interview
Map6 Collective are delighted to announce that Brighton based photographer Richard Chivers has joined us. We look forward to joining our energies and skills, and sharing ideas together. Richard will be joining us on our new collaborative project in Milton Keynes for 2017.
So we welcome Richard Chivers on board Map6 I know were all looking forward to working with you!
Can we start with you telling us a bit about yourself and how you got started in photography?
One of my earliest memories as a child is venturing into the loft of our house to check out my dads black and white darkroom that he had up there. My dad is a keen photographer and i think that planted the seed at an early age. I always wanted to be a TV Cameraman when i was at school, being able to film football matches etc. It wasn’t until i went travelling in my late 20s that i decided photography was something that i really enjoyed and might be good at. So in 2003 i decided join the Editorial Photography course in Brighton and Graduated in 2006.
Tell us about your most significant projects/moments in photography and your influences?
My first significant project evolved from a piece of work that i did at University and was called 'Textures of Time’. It was significant as i managed to get Arts Council funding to make and exhibit the project in a few different places and made a small publication in the form of a ‘Mapozine’. I was also one of the founders of a photography collective called Human Endeavour, and we were involved with several different exhibitions showcasing different work, the most significant piece of work that we produced was a collaborative project called Degeneration that was exhibited at the Brighton Photo Fringe, Format International photo festival and various other places.
I really enjoy all sorts of photography, but i guess photographers that i often return to are landscape photographers such as John Davies and Jem Southam, Stephen Shore and Joel Sternfeld, artists like Robert Smithson and authors like JG Ballard. I earn a living from photographing Architecture and i think that has had some influence on my personal work, I enjoy quite graphical work such as Architectural photographer Helen Binet and i have recently been getting into the work of swedish photographer Gerry Johansson. The list could go on and on!
What first drew you to Map6?
I ve followed the work of MAP6 through your different exhibitions and seen some of them at the Brighton Photo Fringe, and really enjoyed the work, the ideas and projects that were produced were interesting and look like a lot of fun. I enjoy working in a collective as it adds something different to the way you work and is good to be able to bounce ideas around. MAP6 also have some diverse practitioners so it should be interesting to see how the work can be pulled together as one project.
Whats coming up next for you?
My next main focus will be the project with MAP6 in Milton Keynes, but i have also been slowly making a few different other projects that i would like to really get towards finishing this year, one of them is called OFF-GRID, documenting different Gasometers in Britain before they disappear and the other is called ‘Views from the Grid’ that looks at Electricity Pylons.