In the 1980's Chris Killip produced a book of photographs taken mainly in North East England. I was living in Durham (UK) at the time it came out and the book - In Flagrante - was sheer genius. He captured the heart of the region with his large format camera (possibly 8x10, or at least 4x5?). And most of these were people photographs - often up close and personal - a form of street photography with a big camera. I had been mesmerised a couple of years earlier by his show "Seacoalers" at the Side Gallery in Newcastle, and In Flagrante was probably the first photography book I bought that not only showed me a place I knew in a different way, but also caused me to look at photography in a very different way.
And then he disappeared. I understand he moved across the pond and took up a post at Harvard. There was a small Phaidon 55 book a couple of years ago (did they ever publish all 55?), but I rarely hear of him or see work with the byline "Chris Killip"
So I wonder what he has been up to? Did he come to love teaching and become absorbed by it, or has he been working away at the same time, stockpiling photographs for a magnum opus?
And then he disappeared. I understand he moved across the pond and took up a post at Harvard. There was a small Phaidon 55 book a couple of years ago (did they ever publish all 55?), but I rarely hear of him or see work with the byline "Chris Killip"
So I wonder what he has been up to? Did he come to love teaching and become absorbed by it, or has he been working away at the same time, stockpiling photographs for a magnum opus?
7 comments:
He's a professor at Harvard and has published as recently as 2006.
http://www.luminous-lint.com/_switchbox_PARIS.php?action=ACT_PSTORE&p1=PSSB&p2=3865213170
thanks craig - due out from Steidl later this month I see. That's got to be his first full book of new work in nearly 20 years. I'll be interested to see it (echoes of the classic "Volkswagen: A week at the factory" I think it was called?) and Friedlander's Factory Workers/Cray photos
Chris Killip is currently taking part in a group show of three british photographers (Martin Parr & Graham Smith being the other photographers). The show is on view at the Rose Gallery, Bergamont Station in Santa Monica. www.rosegallery.com
Killip and Parr were part of an informative talk moderated by Charlotte Cotton the curator of the Department of Photographs at LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) on March 9.
Killip is now a resident professor at Harvard University.
And it was a great panel talk. Although Graham Smith didn't take part, he was in attendance and was quite eloquent in his thoughts on his work in a one to one setting. Both Mr. PArr and Mr. Killip were in fine for as the recounted there photographic paths and discussed the photos at the exhibit.
He has a show in Ireland and a book to go with it in a few months:
http://www.galleryofphotography.ie/contemporary_collection_print_draw/large-23.html
the full version of this image is much better
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/apr/20/photography-book-chris-killip
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