Past Events

Concerning Photography: The Photographers’ Gallery and Photographic Networks in Britain, c. 1971 to the present

  • 25 November to 2 December 2021
  • 10:30 – 4:15 pm

On 14 January 1971, The Photographers’ Gallery opened its doors with The Concerned Photographer, an exhibition that had previously been shown in the United States, Switzerland and Japan, and which presented photography as the optimum medium to document social conditions. This online conference has been organised to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of The Photographers’ Gallery in 1971 and will explore the legacy of its innovative programming within broader infrastructures of exhibition, display and photographic practice, from the 1970s to the present day.

Across two weeks in November and December, a series of talks, presentations and discussions will showcase new research and practices focusing on the histories of photography in Britain over the last fifty years. The event will also offer a space for thinking about the future of the medium and its display. Panels will address topics such as: institutions and infrastructures; pedagogies; materials & processes; magazines & books; exhibitions & touring; and archival futures.

This conference will be held entirely online. It is a collaboration between the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and The Photographers’ Gallery.

Thursday 25 November

10.30 Welcome by Mark Hallett (Director, Paul Mellon Centre) and Brett Rogers (Director, The Photographers' Gallery)

Panel 1: Institutions, Infrastructures

10.45 Shoair Mavlian (Chair) introduces panel 1

10.50 Anne McNeill, ‘Institutions, Infrastructure and Exhibitions: The Case of Impressions Gallery’

11.05 David Bate, ‘1979: A Snapshot of the UK’

11.20 Taous R Dahmani, ‘Creating Autograph ABP’

11.35 Questions from the audience chaired by Shoair Mavlian

11.50 Break

12.05 Andrew Dewdney, ‘Forget Photography: The Arts Council and the Disappearance of Independent Photography in Neoliberal Britain’

12.20 Annebella Pollen, ‘Exploring our weaknesses on the international stage: British Council photography and self-critique in the 1970s and 1980s’

12.35 Questions from the audience and panel discussion, chaired by Shoair Mavlian

13.00 End

Panel 2: Pedagogies

14.15 Welcome back by Sarah Victoria Turner (Deputy Director, Paul Mellon Centre)

14.20 Karen Shepherdson (Chair) introduces panel 2

14.25 Juliet Hacking, ‘Talking Pictures: Teaching Photography as Art in Higher Education’

14.40 Anne Lyden, ‘The Glasgow Degree’

14.55 Questions from the audience and panel discussion, chaired by Karen Shepherdson

15.10 Break

Panel 2: Keynote

15.20 Keynote introduction by Luisa Ulyett (Curator: Talks & Events, The Photographers' Gallery)

15:20 Artist Keynote, Mahtab Hussain

15.50 Keynote discussion and questions from the audience, moderated by Luisa Ulyett

16.15 End

Wednesday 01 December

10.30 Welcome by Jon Uriarte (Curator: Digital, The Photographers' Gallery)

Panel 3: Material, Process

10.45 Maitreyi Maheshwari (Chair) Introduces panel 3

10.50 Mo White, ‘The Use of Photography in Artists’ Slide-tape Works in the UK Since the 1970s’

11.05 Katrina Sluis, ‘Glimmering Screens, Institutional Dreams: Curating Post-Photography'

11.20 Questions from the audience chaired by Maitreyi Maheshwari

11.35 Break

11.50 Rowan Lear, ‘Honey on the Elbow: Sticky networks, invisible workers and planetary processing’

12.05 Peter Ride, ‘Stepping into Space: new media practice and independent photography galleries’

12.20 Questions from the audience and panel discussion, chaired by Maitreyi Maheshwari

12.45 End

Panel 4: Magazines, Books

14.00 Welcome back by Anna Dannemann (Senior Curator: Exhibitions at The Photographers' Gallery)

14.05 Diane Smyth (Chair) introduces Panel 4

14.10 Derek Bishton, ‘Ten.8 Photographic Magazine 1978–1992’

14.25 John Wyver, ‘Screening photography: BBC Television's Presentation of Photography, 1969–1988’

14.40 Questions from the audience chaired by Diane Smyth

14.55 Break

15.10 David Brittain, 'In-house publications of The Photographers' Gallery: 1970–80'

15.25 Jacqueline Ennis-Cole, ‘Photobooks 1980 – Black Women Photographers’

15.40 Questions from the audience and panel discussion, chaired by Diane Smyth

16.15 End

Keynote: 'Photography and Collage in the Art of Performance'

18:30 Welcome by Sarah Victoria Turner (Deputy Director, Paul Mellon Centre)

18:40 Keynote by Penny Slinger with Laura Smith as interlocutor

19.10 Questions from the audience moderated by Laura Smith

19.40 End

Thursday 02 December

10:30 Welcome by Clare Grafik (Head of Exhibitions, The Photographers' Gallery)

Panel 5: Exhibitions, Touring

10.45 James Boaden (Chair) introduces Panel 5

10.50 Ruby Rees-Sheridan, ‘On The Move: the Half Moon Photography Workshop’s Exhibitions Comments Book’ (Paper delivered by Carla Mitchell)

11.05 Catlin Langford, ‘Occupying Space: Signals, The Festival of Women Photographers, 1994’

11.20 Questions from the audience, chaired by James Boaden

11.35 Break

11.50 Theo Gordon, Putting Salford in the Picture: Viewpoint Gallery of Photography and the 1980s’

12.05 Laura Castagnini, ‘Stolen Glances: Lesbians Take Photographs curated by Tessa Boffin and Jean Fraser in 1991’

12.20 Questions from the audience and panel discussion, chaired by James Boaden

12.45 End

Panel 6: Archival Futures

14.00 Welcome by Janice McLaren (Head of Education, The Photographers Gallery)

14.05 Rahaab Allana (Chair) introduces Panel 4

14.10 Charlene Heath, ‘Archival Work: The Survival of Jo Spence’s Polemic’

14.25 Fiona Anderson, ‘To Eternity: Sunil Gupta and Archival Ambivalence in Queer British Photography’

14.40 Questions from the audience and panel discussion, chaired by Rahaab Allana

15.10 Break

Panel 6: Keynote

15.20 Keynote introduction by Arieh Frosh (Producer: Digital at The Photographers' Gallery)

15:20 Artist Keynote, Antonio Roberts

15.50 Keynote discussion and questions from the audience, moderated by Arieh Frosh

16.15 Wrap up with conveners

16.30 End