Community exhibition
“Community” is back
Friday, October 16th, 2009
In 2006 I began to approach people in my home town of Newbury to sit for a portrait exhibition where ‘ordinary folk’ would become the star attraction and focal point. Newbury at that time had begun a transition period, diggers began to make their presence felt. Compton’s wonderboy Theo Walcott turned on the town’s Christmas lights and a certain cinema was given the green light after so much lively debate. The concept was simple enough; to feature people that lived, worked or impacted upon Newbury and it’s satellite towns. A policy of inclusion ensured that all those volunteering to sit were in the exhibition. This led to an exceptionally wide social demographic where photographs of the town’s Big Issue vendor comfortably shared space with that of the Queen’s Godson, Lord Carnarvon. Four years on, many of the sitters have changed direction. And so as the next decade begins, it seems appropriate to document the people of Newbury once more. To introduce new faces and welcome back old ones with new tales. It’s an open invitation as long as you fit the exhibition criteria. Contact neale@breathepictures.com for more details.
Richard Benyon’s exhibition portrait
Monday, August 7th, 2006
MP for Newbury, Richard Benyon, sat for our Best of Newbury portrait exhibition this morning (in 2009/2010 title changing to Community). Whatever your political persuassion, the point of this exhibition is to portray those who work, live or contribute to life in Newbury and West Berkshire. In Parliament, he is one of fourteen MPs on the influential Home Affairs Select Committee, which holds the Government to account on police powers, terrorism, immigration, the courts, drugs policy, and anti-social behaviour. For more information about Community, please contact us at Breathe Pictures.