The 2008 winners of the Jerwood Photography Awards are Nicky Walsh, Kurt Tong, James Pogson, Alice Myers and Martina Lindqvist. The noteworthy work from this group of young photographers is idiosyncratic to the individual artist and impressively thought-provoking.
Nicky Walsh produced a series of untitled work during 2005-2007, of anonymous office spaces produced with muted opaque colours and intermittent variants supplied by a red or black object. Walsh’s minimalist style in this series projects her intentional endeavour to illustrate the most understated variation in the shades of everyday objects.
Kurt Tong was recognized for his series titled People’s Park, which he found inspiration for through old family snapshots. Tong’s photographs are of empty parks (save for a few birds in cages or wandering peacocks) across China. His images emanate a type of loneliness created by the absence of people, as families have turned from parks to elsewhere for amusement.
James Pogson photographed female Thai kickboxers either directly before or directly after intense fighting. His series, titled Ladykillers depicts these women against a simple blue backdrop; sweaty and bruising or calm and ready; the majority of the sitters lack conspicuous expression.
Alice Myers’s series titled Rocket, photographs of small children pushing off the edge of a swimming pool, captures these gawky creatures suspended in the awkward space between the ease of gliding through the water away from safety, and the necessity of keeping oneself afloat.
Martina Lindqvist’s series, Rgskr Island, is a group of dark, textured images representing a small island off the coast of Finland, visited by Lindqvist during her childhood. Interestingly, the photographer has used old snapshots taken by her parents, and combined them with her own designed miniature models, based on the landscapes in the old images. These murky, re-appropriated photographs are suggestive of elusive childhood memories.
The Jerwood Photographic Awards was established in 2003 to target the promotion of five recent fine art graduates, working in the medium of photography, and who are aspiring to build their photographic careers. Each of the five winners receives £2,500, participation in a group exhibition at Jerwood Space in London, and published in an article in the November issue of Portfolio Magazine.
For more information go to www.jerwoodvisualarts.org/photography/
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