NEW Interview with IZOLYATSIA

http://www.izolyatsia.org/artists-in-residence/richard-ansetts-interview/

Response to Miranda Gavin at HOTshoe

There is some ambiguity here i admit but I have tried to not reveal too much; the theme of the show is specifically the power of a statement to transform the physical nature of what we see. “I LOVE YOU” written on the card held by the young girl is from the series Project Unbreakable by Grace Brown, which gives survivors of sexual abuse the opportunity to heal themselves through the act of sharing their memories to camera. All the works here have different but equally powerful narratives that are not fully and immediately explained within the work themselves. This is the discussion, it would be great to share these works with you, all welcome tonight.

HotshoeBlog

Flavorpill Review for ‘I LOVE YOU’ at Tenderpixel Gallery

Curator Richard Ansett cleverly challenges the assumption that photography is generally accepted as a truthful representation of reality. Through images by the likes of nineteen-year-old New Yorker Grace Brown, Natasha Caruana, EJ Major, Pete McGovern and Brazilian Andre Penteado, the artistic motivation behind capturing a shot – whether subsconscious or not – is explored and the significance of what isn’t there, instead of what is.”

Natalie Liechti, Flavorpill

TENDERPIXEL

Bibliotheque Nationale de France

After a moving meeting with Bibliotheque Nationale de France at Lens Culture Fotofest Paris 2012, they have acquired ‘Boy with Head Injury’ from series Hospital Gardens. I am very grateful to le directeur Anne Biroleau, for her comments and introducing me to ‘Le Dormeur du Val’ by Arthur Rimbaud which is now included in the ‘Hospital Garden’ gallery in both French and English.

Boy with Head Injury #1, from series Hospital Gardens, 2011 © Richard Ansett 2012

Partly Cloudy Preparation

After some prevarication and concerns over the time line, production of works for PARTLY CLOUDY now is fully underway.

13 bespoke light boxes housing Duratrans of Hospital Gardens, Autistic Boys in a City Park and Mother & Child upto 2.7 meters x 1.8 meters are being hand built using some very interesting technology to evenly spread the light from the LEDs at the edge to the centre without any variation in exposure. We are then transporting everything from London to Ukraine (over a tonne of art) and installing it into a brutal old disused Soviet Factory in Donetsk converted into an art space. The triptych ‘Mother & Child’ will be 9 meters in length and acts as a faux alter piece.

The blacks of the Duratrans have been an issue but my printer has committed been committed  to experimentation with masking and processing times and we now have an product that is equal to the C-types. A lot of the work has been done ‘blind’ and can only be judged through a testing process.

Here are some images taken by my printer Jason Tasker at Metro Imaging of some of the test strips at full size to get a sense of the scale.

© Jason Tasker 2012

© Jason Tasker 2012

WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY ORGANISATION reveiw of ‘The Big Society’

Richard Ansett, the London-based photographer, won this year’s prestigious Prix de la Photographie with a remarkable series of photos that capture the lives of obese subjects in startling, tender fashion. Or is it grotesque? Tragic? Exploitative?

What begins as initially ‘ugly’ subject matter, Richard draws out something undeniably intimate and revealing.

Its title, ‘Big Society’ perhaps also holds a mirror up to the current English Prime Minister, David Cameron’s vision of an inclusive, progressive and above all ‘responsible’ society – also dubbed ‘The Big Society’. This political context also throws up the question of whether Richard’s subjects, with their extreme body size and alternative/ fringe lifestyle, can ever correspond to our idea of ‘responsible’?

Richard, in his own words, considers “the images to be emotional explorations rather than cruel, unkind or judgemental portrayals; there is beauty in the complexity of the human condition.”

http://worldphoto.org/community/blogs/richard-ansett-the-big-society

Dixie with Kalashnikov, IZOLYATSIA residency, Donetsk, Ukraine

© Richard Ansett 2011

Portfolio review and project presentation to Boris Mikhailov, IZOLYATSIA residency, Donetsk, UKRAINE. Images copyright Дмитрий Сергеев.

Me , Nuno Barroso and Boris Mikhailov, Donetsk, Ukraine

In the Shadow of Lenin, Donetsk, Ukraine

Waiting for my volunteer assistant Ulya

Lenin

Me and Lenin

Self portrait © Richard Ansett 2011

© Richard Ansett 2011

Letter of Intent for Mikhailov residency (Ukraine)

“As an individual with no historic cultural identity, I am less considerate of nationalistic boundaries and I focus on shared emotional experience, without borders.”

LINK TO FULL ARTICLE

an magazine review

Richard Ansett’s large Lambda print is an ambiguous document. Image_06_083 2010 is a portrait that is insolently provocative yet darkly reserved. A middle-aged man in a grey suit yawns as his half-shut eyes carelessly engage the camera/viewer. There is a tension between the staged and the accidental, the momentary and perpetual. Is the subject of the portrait (whose attire references the aesthetic of bureaucracy) telling us he’s bored? And if so, with what: His life, art, us? As an image Ansett’s work is disarmingly simple and eloquently realised.

Fay Nicolson for an magazine

‘Beyond Likeness’ at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery

David Cronenberg, 1999 © Richard Ansett

Beyond Likeness: Contemporary Works from the Portrait Gallery of Canada touring exhibition showing at Beaverbrook Art Gallery, Fredericton, NB. Canada.

“It’s really pushing the boundaries of what a portrait can be, and artists are using contemporary media. They’re thinking in new ways about how a person can be represented,”  Terry Graff, cheif curator

24th February to 6th June 2011

You get dwarfs.

2011 © Richard Ansett

“In photographing dwarfs, you don’t get majesty & beauty. You get dwarfs.” – Susan Sontag

Found Polaroid

© Richard Ansett

I found this old polaroid on a hard drive whilst researching the Ron and Roger project to send to The Museum of London for consideration.

This is the set for the portrait of Kieran and Patrick.

The recent homomphobic attack in Camden London has upset me and reminded me that we must be vigilant in the education against hateful and de-humanising stereotypes.

Luke

Child in doorway, 2010 © Richard Ansett

Thanks to Rebecca and Matt for allowing me to photograph their beautiful children.

ONWARD’11 at Project Basho

NoCoatOn Fatal Attraction 9 showing at ONWARD ’11, Philadelphia, USA and features in Fraction Magazine article 25/25 http://fractionmagazine.com/collaboration/project-basho/

Statement for Open West’11

© Richard Ansett

Although this seems like a discussion about dysmorphia, Connie is genuinely as happy as she has ever been in this state. The ‘old’ Connie struggled with morbid obesity. Even with the pain, bruises, bandages and swelling she poses like a beauty queen. She needed to feel feminine and desired. This photo session allowed her to feel that. The result is a dichotomy; the brutal, aftermath of surgery and the joyful exploration of the stereotype of beauty and happiness from the sitter that has always evaded her. I allow the sitters to explore their relationship to the camera and follow their lead; this is the only way I know to expose an essence of character in an immediate, two dimensional medium; it is not the whole story but the relationship to society can be honestly examined and trusted.

Washington Post Review

SPARK OF HUMANITY IN FOTOWEEK FIZZLE

“…For all its art-world froideur and its antiseptic, scientific gleam, Ansett’s photo has that kind of sympathy, that kind of humanity…”

READ FULL ARTICLE BY BLAKE GOPNIK

http://wapo.st/aOtPQQ

2010 FotoWeek DC International Awards Competition

Richard Ansett – WINNER of the 2010 FotoWeek DC International Awards Competition! Fine Art Singles catagory 2nd Prize for ‘Woman with Wire Cap #1′

The 2010 competition honors exceptional work by photographers from all over the world. A 501 c-3 non-profit organization, FotoWeek DC is committed to celebrating the transformative power of photography in all its forms.

The third annual International Awards Competition is more expansive – and inclusive – than ever.

Work will be exhibited throughout the week–in print form for photos and on monitors for the multimedia winners–and will be projected on buildings as well as part of the spectacular Night Gallery outdoor displays.

The Art of Photography Show 2010

Michael & Juegen © Richard Ansett

From 13,692 entries in The Art of Photography Show 2010, judge Natasha Egan, Associate Director and Curator at the Museum of Contemporary Photography selected Richard Ansett’s image of Michael & Juegen (from the series Ron & Roger 2002) awarding an Honorable mention.
Michael & Jeugen were one of the first couples to stand up for their right to a partnership recognised by UK law. 2011 will be the 10th anniversary of the London Partnership Register which indisputably led to the Civil Partnership Act giving loving couples regardless of sexual orientation equal rights . Sadly,  many states in the US have yet to even consider lifting their ban on same sex unions. California only recently turning over proposition 8

Musee de la Photographie, Belgium

Mirriam & Alf, 2009 consigned to the permanent collection of Musee de le Photographie, Charleroi. Inventory no. MPC 2010/290.
Musee de la Photographie

Sarah, UK 2010 © Richard Ansett

sarah355Z0111, 2010 © Richard Ansett

Lucy Bell : Fine Art Photography Gallery

Sir Michael Gambon CBE © Richard Ansett

SUMMER EXHIBITION

4 – 31 AUG / WED – SAT / 10 – 4pm

Camilla Broadbent,  Richard Ansett,  Peter Johns,  Terry O’Neil, Ken Russell, Nigel Green, Malcolm Glover, Vicky Wetherill, Lydia Goldblatt, Bill Brandt, Lolly Orbell, Adrian Turner

(With influences from the Dutch Masters)

Looking for emerging trends in photographic fine art practice, the influence of the Dutch Masters on contemporary fine art practice became the overriding link

Award winning photographer Richard Ansett’s “Woman in Wire Cap” is also directly linked to the portraiture of the Dutch Masters.

“It is not just the camera obscura compositions or the quest for reality in lighting that is so appealing but also the use of objects as metaphor and allegory, giving clues to the lives of the subjects. As with the paintings from this era, we are left to study and comprehend the information left to us. There is often no clear narrative and I bring this element to my images of the modern world; they are an archive of contemporary society but, leaving the viewer to consider the narrative, challenges the pre-conceptions we have of our world view.
This applies specifically to ‘Woman with Wire Cap’ . It explores our relationship to contemporary technology that we can feel is beyond our understanding. The cap is an aesthetic and metaphoric object but equally it is a clue to how we live in this era to a future audience. . By acknowledging the Dutch masters we are celebrating the influence on contemporary artists and audience. As artists we must explore where our ideas come from, they are never developed in isolation and it is niave to consider ourselves completely without influence. Interestingly, if we accept that there are no natural rules we can introduce new ways of seeing whilst acknowledging the importance of the past.”

While Bruce Raes, darkly light flowers and Lydia Goldblatts sensitive light of her subjects point to the influences of Rembrandt

Hope you will find time to come along in the summer.
Seaside is 2 minutes walk from the gallery…

http://www.lucy-bell.com/

Leslie Crowther

Leslie Crowther is both the host and catalyst for this experiemental site of images from Richard Ansett’s archive plus new ideas and work in development.

Crowther’s persona supports rather than challenges pre-conceptions. For the purposes of this collection, he is the ‘foil’ to the images which take the protagonist role focusing on the extreme difference in personality, each throwing the others character into sharper focus. The images must also have a relationship to each other and not just with the host.

This project is an extension of an exhibition and website project originally developed in 2000. Leslie Crowther: An Iconoclast Pantomime

http://www.artslant.com/la/artists/show/165339-leslie-crowther

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2010

Richard Ansett’s ‘No CoatOn Fatal Attraction #9  selected for exhibition, curated for Gallery VIII by David Remfry RA.

The Royal Academy’s annual Summer Exhibition is the world’s largest open submission contemporary art exhibition. Now in its 242nd year, the exhibition continues the tradition of showcasing work by both emerging and established artists in all media including painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, architecture and film. This year’s co-ordinators, Royal Academicians Stephen Chambers and David Chipperfield, will select works for the exhibition around the theme of ‘Raw’.
The Summer Exhibition attracts a high volume of entrants each year with over 11,000 entries this year. The majority of selected works will be on sale, offering visitors an unrivalled opportunity to purchase original artwork by high profile and up-and-coming artists.

http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/summer-exhibition/

British Journal of Photography – Different Strokes

Julian Lass speaks to 4 innovative photographers about their distinctive styles.
Whether you work in fashion, advertising or editorial, flash is often the only way to achieve a certain look feel or level of control.but that doesn’t mean the results have to look uniform. Richard Ansett says his flash technique is what separates his work from documentary…These four photographers use flash in highly idiosyncratic ways, defining their styles and achieving their distinctive looks.

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=872565

Camera Lucida – The World is a Camera

Richard Ansett ha da poco inaugurato il nuovo sito web dove è ora possibile vedere i suoi lavori e leggere le riflessioni del fotografo sulla sua ricerca personale che ruota intorno al tema del ritratto, spunto per uno studio e un’esplorazione dei nostri paesaggi interiori e sociali.
In una delle serie prende ispirazione da un famoso dipinto fiammingo, “Il ritratto dei coniugi Arnolfini”, uno dei più antichi esempi di pittura che ha per soggetto un ritratto privato di personaggi viventi.
La struttura compositiva di questo quadro e il suo simbolismo legato alla vita coniugale ispirano così un’interessante serie di ritratti ambientati di coppie nei loro scenari domestici… ovvero, dimmi dove vivi, come costruisci il tuo spazio e come ti mostri e non solo ti dirò chi sei ma mi sforzerò anche di capire chi sono io: Personal Statement

http://www.cameralucida.it/post-maggio2010/120-richard-ansett.html

Renaissance Photography Prize

80 photographs selected by judges Michael Hoppen, Eamonn McCabe, Charlie Waite and Brigitte Lardinois will be exhibited in the Gallery of The Hospital Private Members’ Club, 24 Endell Street, London.
Over 3,700 entries and have already raised £22,000 for the Lavender Trust at Breast Cancer Care.
The exhibition will be open to the public from 4pm – 10pm on Tuesday 20 April and from10am – 4pm on Wednesday 21 April.
The celebrity gala night will take place from 6.30pm – 9.30pm on Wednesday 21 April at the Hospital Private Members Club.

NoCoatOn Fatal Attraction #9, 2005 copyright Richard Ansett

THIRTEEN STAR PHOTOGRAPHERS AND THEIR CONCEPTS – (ZWÖLF PORTRAIT-STARS UND IHRE KONZEPTE)

‘THE ART OF PORTRAITS’ – ‘Die Kunst des Portraits’ – FotoMAGAZIN

They photograph presidents and superstars and find something special in the face of the common. Their images are displayed in museums and the best international magazines. But what exactly makes a good portrait? fotoMAGAZIN has questioned  thirteen of today´s  most influential portrait photographers about their portrait philosophy.

(Sie fotografieren Präsidenten und Superstars, finden auch das Besondere im Antlitz des Alltäglichen. Ihre Bilder finden sich in bedeutenden Museen und den besten Zeitschriften der Welt. Doch was zeichnet eigentlich ein richtig gutes Portrait aus? FotoMAGAZIN befragte dreizehn der stilprägenden zeitgenössischen Portraitfotografen nach der Bildphilosophie hinter ihren Werken).

RICHARD ANSETT
“Meine Arbeit setzt sich mit dem Leben der Menschen auseinander, ist jeddoch keine ganz wahrheitsgemabe Wiedergabe ihres wirlichen Lebens. Nachdem ich akzeptiert habe, dass es unmoglich ist, komplett objektiv zu bleiben, merkte ich, wie wichtig es ist, meine Interessen offen zu zeigen.
In den konstruierten Kompositionen, die ich von Orten und Objekten schaffe, ist der Portraitierte die nicht greifbare menschliche Variable. In jenem Augenblick, in dem Menschen zum ersten Mal der Kamera ausgesetzt sind, ist es moglich einen Teil ihrer Personlichkeit bei der Reaktion auf die Welt festzuhalten. Es ist mir nicht wichtig, eine genaue Beschreibung der jeweiligen Leben aufzuzeichnen. Ich mochte eine spurbare emotionale Tiefe ruberbringen, die zwar hervorgehoben warden, jedoch nicht unbedingt komplett verstanden warden kann.
Dabei versuche ich, vielschichtige Antworten zu geben, damit das Bild jenseits aller Zweidimensionalitat von bleibenem Interesse ist.”

FOTOmagazin

Gay Couples Series ‘Ron & Roger’ publishes in China

CHINA: The youth fashion magazine VISION  publishes series ‘Ron & Roger’, exploring the lives of the first same sex couples that participated in the London Partnership Register, that led directly to the Civil Partnerships Act in the UK.

New consignment to the National Portrait Gallery Permanent Collection

Andrew Gilligan, London 2010 copyright Richard Ansett

Spider Black & White Awards

PRESS RELEASE: LONDON – photographer Richard Ansett was presented with the 5th Annual Black and White Spider Awards Nominee title in the category of PORTRAITURE at a prestigious Nomination & Winners Photo Show attended by 35,000 online viewers who logged on live from 154 countries to see the climax of the industry’s most important event for black and white photography.

Thousands of images were received from 68 countries worldwide. The awards international Jury included captains of the industry from Magnum Photos, The Armory Show, Fratelli Alinari, Contrasto to Tate and Hamiltons in London who honored Spider Fellows with 84 coveted title awards in 28 categories.Voting Richard Ansett’s “DAVID LYNCH, DORCHESTER HOTEL, LONDON” an exceptional image entered in the Portraiture category, received a high percentage of votes overall.

The Spider Awards celebrates photographers who operate at the highest levels of their craft,” said Basil O’Brien, the awards Creative Director. “Richard Ansett’s work represents black and white photography at its finest, and we’re pleased to present him with the title of Nominee.”

David Lynch, Dorchester Hotel, London 1999 copyright Richard Ansett