Past Exhibition – 18 – 26 July 2012

Vitality: the body showcased the ‘Olympic Instrument’ – the human form. United by the body as a common theme, prize-winning photojournalist Paul Read and fine artist Benedict P. Johnson create contrasting prints from two very different artistic perspectives, utilising the interest of distinct processes: documentary black and white, and staged colour photography. To coincide with the opening of London’s 2012 Olympics, both Read and Johnson’s work probe the human figure, together reflecting how the body creates dual notions of fragility and strength.

Paul Read’s ‘Under the Thar Desert’ series documents an education rehabilitation program for physically impaired street children in Rajasthan, India. Shot on 35 mm in b/w, the stark images capture the exuberance of the children’s bodies, reflecting the children’s strength of will to survive, live and grow. Read’s photographs showindividuals transforming their disability into an expression of vitality through the therapuetic benefits of exercise.

Contrastingly, Benedict P. Johnson’s ‘R.E.S.T.’ is a studio-based trip