The Bite Magazine - Summer 2019 - Issue 25

Herve Constant attended the press preview of Photo London 2019 held at Somerset House in May and gave his views on the work of artists he saw. bite exhibition oto London Stephen Shore Los Angeles, California, February 4, 1969 © Stephen Shore. Courtesy 303 Gallery, NewYork Photography Exhibition 2019 P hoto London 2019 held at Somerset House in central London earlier this year was an intriguing and exciting event for both professional and ama- teur photographers alike, as well as artists who have an interest in photo-media. With nearly 100 galleries from 21 countries, it showcased the very best of the past, present and future of photography to a growing international audi- ence. The conference presented by co-founder director Michael Benson was very well attend- ed. Launched by Benson and his wife Farida Far- shad in 2015, Photo London was created to give London an international photography event to enhance the city’s status as a global culture cap- ital. Today it is regarded as a world-class pho- tography fair and a catalyst for London’s dy- namic photography community. All the facets of the art world are involved, from the major museums to the auction houses, galleries large and small, to the burgeoning creative commu- nities in the East End and South London. One of the leading fine art photographers of today featured at the exhibition was Ralph Gibson, with whom I have many affinities and whose vision and content suitedmy taste. Com- piling images for over 60 years, Gibson was first introduced to photography during his time in the U.S. Navy in the late 1950s. He went on to study photography at the California School of Fine Arts, and was privileged to work in the dark rooms of iconic photographers Dorothea Lange and Robert Frank. His stellar and revered bodies of work include The Somnambulist, Déjà-Vu, Days at Sea and Quadrants to name a few. He also founded the publishing company Lustrum Press and was the first person to publish Larry Clarke’s book Tulsa. Widely known for his surrealist and deeply monochrome images which are com- Images courtesy of Sutton Pr