Devoted to Photography: Being part of a Photography Collective
In October Curious Duke Gallery is proud to participate in Photomonth, East London's International Photography Festival, with the exhibition 'Edition III' featuring works by The Rooftop Collective, a group of London-based photographers with diverse practices who share an ongoing dialogue and exhibit at locations around the capital.
'Edition III' runs from Monday 13thOctober to Saturday 25thOctober.
We asked the Collective members to tell us about their experience of being part of a collective and what that brings to their artistic practice and career as photographers.
Mary-Jane Maybury
I joined the Rooftop Collective because I wanted to re-kindle my passion for using photography to tell stories. I had spent many years building up a commercial photography business and I was no longer dedicating enough time to my personal practice. I wanted to redress that balance and reenergise my photography. Joining a collective of peers seemed like a great place to start.
I have always worked in a photojournalistic way, coming up with story ideas, developing those ideas and finally photographing in a fairly specific way to tell the story. The process can be easy and ideas can come fluidly, or it can take a little more time to develop an idea. It is when this happens that being part of a collective is particularly useful. To be able to air ideas and get feedback from people who work in a very different way to me is interesting and enlightening.
As well as feedback on ideas and images we also discuss other aspects of being a photographer from book layout and production to writing a bio or updating a website. In what can be a lonely profession interacting with like minded people is very welcome as are the monthly meetings which act as a constant reminder to achieve my goals and not let the months slip by.
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Paul Clifford
When I joined the Rooftop Collective, I had been photographing for many years with only occasional feedback from my peers. I saw the Collective as a chance to have a constructive discussion about my images on an ongoing basis, with others who cared about and valued photography.
I shoot in a freeform way, without set projects or bodies of work. By presenting and discussing my images, I have been able to look at my creative output to identify themes and ideas, and really think about why I take the pictures I do. This in turn informs and enhances my current and future work and allows me to speak and write confidently about my photography.
It’s also great to talk about photography in a broader sense. We have a truly diverse membership, producing a range of very different work, which I find interesting and stimulating. We all learn from each other, and everyone always has an opinion.
There are also practical benefits, such as opportunities for group shows and sharing of opinions and advice on image presentation. Our monthly meetings encourage me to keep my practice moving - without this stimulus, weeks and months could slip by with no progress.
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Chris King
I have been taking photos for most of my life. I joined the collective because I wanted interaction with other photographers, and to get some focus in what I was doing.
Being a part of the collective has been crucial to the development of my work. The first year's membership ended with a group show, and there's nothing quite like seeing your own work hung on the wall to give a boost to your self-confidence. Subsequent shows have seen all the members significantly develop their work.
The monthly meetings are the core of why the collective works. We can discuss our most recent work and explore future ideas without being harshly criticised (as can happen in online forums), or just told "that's nice", as often happens with friends and family.
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Constanza Isaza
I joined the collective at the beginning of this year for two reasons.
Firstly, as I run a darkroom and teach workshops in analogue photography, I was finding it very difficult to prioritise my artistic practice over the business. The majority of my time was spent either teaching, preparing classes or promoting the business, and while this is time well spent, I found I had not made new work or promoted my art in a long time.
Having joined the collective, I found that the monthly meetings provided an incentive (and a deadline!) to move forward with my practice. At my first meeting, for example, I committed to beginning work on a large series of photogravure prints by the end of the year. These are the prints that will be on display at the Curious Duke Gallery in October
Secondly, I was looking for a community of like-minded practitioners who could offer inspiration, support and advice. Being an artist can feel quite isolated at times, and it’s very useful to be part of a peer group that can offer constructive criticism on the work itself, but also practical guidance on things like exhibiting, pricing and promoting work.