As a lecturer of photography at degree level, Jamie Macdonald wanted to create a series of films that would inform, educate and inspire others. Where better to start than with a film about his own father, internationally renowned photographer, Ian Macdonald?
Photography
The Old Stones of the North Exhibition
Circumstances have prevented me from visiting our joint exhibition, so this week we took a trip over to Grasmere to have a look. I was impressed with the way that the Heaton Cooper Studio has presented our work. The exhibition runs until the 29th May.
The Old Stones Exhibition March 2022
My friend Tony Galuidi asked me if I’d be interested in a joint exhibition, I agreed and here it is. If you like big old prehistoric stones and you happen to find yourself in Cumbria, pop in and have a look.
Middlesbrough Pictorial & Industrial – Harold Hood
Published in 1926 by photographer and commercial printer, Harold Hood, Middlesbrough Pictorial & Industrial is Hoods love letter to Middlesbrough. Hood photographed the town, its people, buildings and industry. He quotes one critic as saying, If they felt about it as I do they would make a bonfire of the place tomorrow, and pitch the statues of its creators head-most into the flames..
This book was his response.
Printing with Iron – Cyanotypes for Sale
I’m selling some original Cyanotypes of the Dorman Long Tower. Cyanotype is a photographic printing process where the paper is coated with light sensitive iron salts and then exposed to UV light. Once exposed, the image is washed and then left to dry for 24 hours.
Each cyanotype is completely original, due to the vagaries of coating, exposure and washing, no two cyanotypes are the same. The image is made onto A4 330gsm acid-free paper. I may need to trim the edges slightly so the final image may be slightly smaller than A4.
Posting framed images would be rather costly so I’m selling them unframed. I’ve added a picture of a framed print below just to give you an idea of how they look. The prints are £15 plus £2 p&p each, with all profits going to the Trussell Trust. If you’d like to buy one send an email to smellofblackpath@gmail.com
Teesmouth – Carl Mole
Carl Mole has been photographing the Teesmouth area of Teesside since 2015. The photographs on display at Eston Arts Centre show the habitat, landscape and the relationship between people and the geographic area. They range from where the river meets the North Sea between the coastal towns of Hartlepool and Redcar, and upstream to Middlesbrough Dock. There is a Natural Nature Reserve at Teesmouth and the area is surrounded by some of the largest concentrations of heavy industry in the UK.
The series of photographs of around Teesmouth are an unsentimental visual exploration of the area around the mouth of the River Tees. The photographs take the viewer on a documentary and environmental journey of the landscape to enquire if beauty can be found in the least expected and industrial places; the places overlooked and neglected in favour of the idealised natural landscape.
Supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England
Exhibition Open
September 10 – October 3 2020
Thursday 10-4pm
Friday 10-4pm
Saturday 10-1pmEston Arts Centre
176-178 High Street
Eston
Middlesbrough
TS6 9JA
The Fishing Flies of a Teesdale Angler by Graham Vasey
My multi-talented friend Graham Vasey has written a book. Graham is an artist, writer, photographer, countryman and fisherman philosopher, he also brews wonderful beer. I’d recommend you take a look.
The one positive thing to come out of lockdown for me is I have finally finished my book “The Fishing Flies Of A Teesdale Angler” in which I look at over 30 flies published by Robert Lakeland in the 1850’s. Within the book I discuss the flies individual history (many of which go back to the 17th century) the materials they were created with and how we can replicate these simple but effective fishing flies. It is available to buy directly from Blurb.com for £25 plus postage, but if people would like a copy please contact me, if I can order over 20 copies I can offer it at a significantly cheaper at £15 plus postage.
Graeme can be contacted via Facebook, Instagram or through his blog
Cows on Saltburn Beach – J C Warburg
My lovely daughter sent me these two images of cows on Saltburn beach. They were taken in 1915 by a photographer called John Cimon Warburg using the Autochrome Process.
The process, invented by the Lumière brother at the beginning of the 20th century, involved covering photographic plates with different coloured potato starches. The plates were first manufactured for commercial use in 1907
Ian MacDonald – Tees Estuary
From the wonderful Side Gallery Newcastle
The industrialized river mouth documented in the early 1980s by the North Yorkshire photographer, extending his 1970s work in Greatham Creek.
Macdonald wrote: ‘The Tees Estuary is visually extremely exciting. Its richness, in part, arises from the inherent contrasts of the natural environment against man-made structures – of the vast sphere of sky, serene or dramatic, against the horizontal flatness of lowland space punctuated by verticals as power stations, fractionating columns, blast furnaces and estuarine lights. The vast expanse of water reflects a permeating light which clothes objects and landscape in a unique brightness, beautiful and sensational, a delight to photographers and film-makers alike.’ Commissioned by Side Gallery, the exhibition was shown in 1982.
All images © Ian Macdonald
See the online exhibition here
Ian MacDonald – Quoits Esk Valley 1970’s
Details Cafe Royal Books
The Smell of Water 