Bellwether
John Harrison | Lancashire, United Kingdom
Photographer: John Harrison
Exhibit Title: Bellwether
Location: Lancashire, United Kingdom
Bellwether
Bellwether is a social documentary, set within north west England, UK. Investing in participatory relationships within the ‘three towns’ of Great Harwood, Rishton and Clayton-le-Moors, I am attempting to locate a contemporary portrayal of ex-Mill towns in the county of Lancashire. The images below are drawn from a wider selection of photographs made since 2021. The global pandemic, Brexit and, now, a cost of living crisis, provide a thematic subtext for the photographs and writing developed over the last two years.
The photographs presented here are drawn from a wider portfolio of images and writing. See website for further information: https://john-harrison-photo.com/bellweather/
John Harrison has been making photographs for over 30 years. His photography practice is balanced between a documentary and socially engaged approach, attempting to reflect contemporary issues through photography, whilst involving local people in the direction of his photographic work. Whilst much of John’s photography has been centred on the town of Blackburn, Lancashire, UK – the town he grew up in over 40 years ago – his latest work is situated more broadly in east Lancashire.
John’s photography has been exhibited at several UK and international venues, including; Chapel Gallery (Lancashire, UK); Clitheroe Castle Gallery (Lancashire, UK); Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery (Lancashire, UK); Dalby Forest (North York Moors, UK); Kunstammlung-Neubrandenburg (Mecklenburg, Germany); PRISM Contemporary (Lancashire, UK); St Ethleburga’s (Bishopsgate, London, UK); Millepiani Gallery (Rome, Italy). Photography from recent projects have been exhibited in Rome (2022-2023) as part of the international group exhibition PROGRESS: Contemporary and Future Societies, published in Docu-Magazine’s Best of Documentary and Street Photography (Volume 9) as selected as Editor’s Pick’s for the LensCulture Portrait Awards 2023.
John has presented his photography and research at several UK conferences including; Centre for Doctoral Research Annual Conference (2017); Cultural Difference and Social Solidarity Network (2018); National Festival of Making (2018); The Talbot Collection Conference (2018, link); British Textiles Biennial (2019). John studied at the Newport School of Documentary Photography between 1996-1999 (University of South Wales) and completed a practice-based PhD programme in 2022.
Email: jpharrison1974@gmail.com
Web: https://john-harrison-photo.com/bellweather/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnpharrisonphoto/
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