People/Place

three photographers

Laji Varghese

Emma Crichton 

Ian Graham

15 - 31  March 2018

Featuring three photographers with Glasgow connections,

“People-Place”  presents contemporary photography in a Scottish and International context. Each artist portrays their own uncontrived reality, giving us an exclusive view of their world.

Their motivations differ, but the work presents strength of people and place. In works from Queensferry, Galicia and the Himalayas, it is understood that we may all have more in common that we realise.

Artist’s Statement:

I've always loved the Forth Bridge, from my earliest memories of seeing it as a child, probably on TV, aerial shots swooping over it - it always makes me feel a host of emotions. The Bridge makes me feel the full gamut from being Scottish, proud, emotional, tingly, overawed and excited all in one moment.

When I grabbed the opportunity to actually stand on top of this iconic structure I couldn't believe my luck!

The images I took on that day in March 2015 are my homage to the skill, audacity and perseverance of men to build a lasting world renowned feat of engineering that still makes me feel all those emotions to this day.

So for my small contribution to that endeavour, please find my images and I hope that you feel something of what I experienced on the Day I Stood On Top of The Forth Bridge.

BEHOLDER PICTURES: A BIO OF A HESITANT PHOTOGRAPHER

As a proud Glaswegian, I know I should be out and proud when it comes to bragging about what I do - fake it till you make it and all that stuff! But as a sometimes creative person, mostly outward extraverted type of person, the truth is I’ve always struggled with self-confidence around my art. In fact even calling it art is something that causes me internal conflicts, ranging from pretention to undeserving.

Anyway, enough of the internal monologue and back to why I’m writing this, oh yeah, my personal biography.

I’ve always taken pictures, all my life at family occasions, birthday parties, social gatherings, works events etc. Mostly for no more interesting reasons than to record what’s happening, to capture smiling faces, happy events, special occasions. All very mundane, prosaic, ordinary but then after years of being the one asked to take photographs by friends, family, workmates etc  it started to dawn on me that I could take interesting shots of people that they themselves would struggle with!

I never had an epiphany moment, you know the kind of thing - sunlight shining through the clouds and little old me being singled out by heavens above. It kind of developed over many years of people saying to me that’s a really good picture or that’s the best picture of my insert name of friend, child here. The revelation that people generally took poorly composed pictures  was fighting against my lack of confidence about my abilities. Thus to call myself a photgrapher was an uphill battle with me for years.

Things changed for me around the time I got my first iPhone 4! Now I had a camera that I had with me everywhere and I was taking photographs of my life and surroundings.  Again my lack of confidence manifested in ignoring when people were amazed by my results and their common disbelief that I obtained such good results with only an iPhone. However I persevered and then Instagram arrived - there was no holding me back then and soon my confidence in my expertise grew and grew.

My involvement with Iota Gallery came about after a friend of mine, Bill McQuarrie had an exhibition there. He inspired me to approach Monica and Duncan to see if they’d be interested in exhibiting my work. They were and lo and behold, one year later here I am with my event People/Places sharing with 2 other artists.

CUT TO:  3rd March 2015 from on top of The Forth Bridge to mark it’s 125th Anniversary, myself along with a limited number of others were allowed to climb on top of the bridge itself!

To say that it was mind-blowing, exciting and breath-taking all in one go!

The results from that day are my contributions to the forthcoming exhibition People/Places

Yours, Ian D Graham, Beholderpics, Artist At Large.