The diversity of the photography scene, both past and present, will be explored this week at Photo London, one of the largest exhibitions surrounding the art form in the UK.
Almost 100 galleries will showcase work dating from the 19th century to the present day, including unique albumen prints from 1861, contemporary still lifes, landscapes and more. As women have gained more recognition in the industry in recent years, many galleries have chosen to shine a spotlight on their work; Steven Kasher Gallery will present an all-female booth, while key artists on display elsewhere include Juno Calypso and Maisie Cousins. Meanwhile, there will be much to see from other popular genres of photography, such as fashion, where works by legendary figures including Guy Bourdin, Peter Lindbergh and Helmut Newton can be discovered among up-and-coming names.
There will also be a number of new and unseen pieces, including some that have been produced especially for the event, such as large-scale versions of Jason Shulman's Photographs of Films series, in which he has captured the duration of a movie in a single exposure. Other highlights include a presentation by the Little Black Gallery of Rob Munday, a leading holographic artist known for his ultra-realistic portraits of celebrities, including the Queen and Angelina Jolie, and the latest works from Polish feminist photographer Natalia LL, which will be shown for the first time.
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Beyond the main galleries, a programme of special exhibitions and talks will delve deeper into the artistic practices behind the images. Solo spotlights inclu de shows from Taryn Simon (selected as this year's Master of Photography), Juergen Teller and a new virtual-reality experience from Mat Collishaw, while the legacy of seminal agency Magnum will be celebrated as it reaches its 70th anniversary with an exhibition of six decades of images curated by acclaimed documentary photographers Martin Parr and David Hurn.
The daily line-up of speakers is equally as diverse; Queen guitarist Dr Brian May will expatiate on his passion for stereoscopy (a technique that creates the illusion of depth in an image), director Ken Roach – whose recent work includes the acclaimed I, Daniel Blake – will discuss documenting his filmmaking process with Joss Barratt, and sculptor Antony Gormley, and photographer Adam Fuss explores how different art forms intersect.
Photo London is at Somerset House from 17–21 May, day tickets from £27; photolondon.org
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