'Only in England' at the Science Museum

The Science Museum’s new Media Space opens with an exhibition of Tony Ray-Jones’ 1960s images of English life, curated by Martin Parr. It is impressive, moving, fascinating and, in places, hilarious. (http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/visitmuseum/Plan_your_visit/exhibitions/only_in_england.aspx)The show is in three parts — Ray-Jones’ prints of his own work, Parr’s 1970s project from Calderdale (The Nonconformists) and new digital prints from the Tony Ray-Jones archive, selected by Parr.Ray-Jones was hugely influenced by the US street photographers of the 1960s, like Winogrand and Meyerowitz, but brought that approach and his own vision back to England, where he photographed the Brits engaged in their remarkably joyless play — from Glyndebourne and Wimbledon to Brighton and Blackpool. Parr, in turn, was influenced by Ray-Jones, and the way he used the New York street photography ethos to focus on a uniquely British eccentricity.The juxtaposition of Ray-Jones’ and Parr’s work is absorbing. They share a fascination with the seaside, with the peculiarities of the British, with the decisive moment. But I was struck too by the differences between the two photographers. Ray-Jones is photographing strangers, in places all over the country, from the outside. He is not connected with his subjects, but is creating images full of absurdity, incongruity and a contained spiky energy. Some of his best pictures look as if the elements have been stuck together in a montage, so improbable and almost cartoon-like are they. In contrast, Parr lived in Hebden Bridge while he was making his series. He is photographing his neighbours, with a certain gentle affection and a noticeably different approach — he gets in closer, his images are less complex but more crafted, with a beautiful use of light. Parr is often indoors, Ray-Jones almost always outdoors. In some ways Parr’s later colour work — which I do not like as much as this Calderdale project — is more similar to Ray-Jones in both content and style.In the final section of the show — the new prints from Ray-Jones’ negatives, selected by Parr — the focus is on the use of space — the distance between people, which is often exquisite. There is a sense of disconnection — more often than not the people within the frame appear almost oblivious of one another, absorbed in their own thoughts or activities. It is wonderful here to see Ray-Jones’ images printed properly and at a decent size — he was clearly no printer himself — and also to see a display of his contact sheets — always a privilege and an eye-opener to how a photographer works.The show also includes Ray-Jones’ notebooks, with his touching life plans and lists of eccentrics to visit (such as the man with a portable cathedral in which he stages mock weddings and funerals). You cannot for a moment forget Ray-Jones’ tragically early death at the age of 31. And the world that he records — the village fetes, the thermoses and windbreaks on the beach, the day trips and holiday camps — is our childhoods, our past and present, our history.
E-mail me when people leave their comments –

You need to be a member of British Photographic History to add comments!

Join British Photographic History

Blog Topics by Tags

Monthly Archives