The British Are Coming | A Group Exhibition

Exhibition Dates: January 11 – February 10, 2007

This is an exhibition highlighting the documentary tradition in British photography, as exemplified by three photographers, which concentrates on British life and the division of class.

Tony Ray-Jones (1941 – 1972) was one of the foremost observers of British life. In the mid to late 1960’s he created a sardonic and surreal portrayal of the seaside resorts, customs and festivals of England. Although he died prematurely, his work was a major influence on the independent photography movement in Britain which followed.

Daniel Meadows (b. 1952) was a key figure in this new independent documentary movement and he is one of the graduates of Manchester Polytechnic in the early 1970s which included Martin Parr, Peter Fraser and Brian Griffin. Meadows is best known for the work he made on his “Free Photographic Omnibus” – a converted double-decker bus that included a studio, darkroom and gallery, in which he roamed the country giving free copies of his portraits to his primarily working-class subjects. 

Chris Coekin’s (b. 1967) recent series Knock Three Times (dewi lewis publishing, 2006), gains us entry into the Acomb Working Men’s Club on the outskirts of York. During his youth, these clubs were the exclusive second home to many men. In many clubs, if women were allowed in at all, it was only for special occasions. Although these restrictions have eased, the few clubs which remain are as threatened as their members have been in a post-Thatcher England.