[Leica] Lowry Art Gallery.

[Jeremy Kime <jeremy.kime@bbc.co.uk>]

If only this was the Lowry (museum and Salford city) Art Gallery near
Manchester, England, then I'd have the oppurtunity to see it myself.
Have just come back from seeing a great show this morning in Liverpool by
Leica user, Tom Wood. Its called, 'All Zones, Off peak' and is a series of
people pictures taken from and by buses in Liverpool over the last 15 years.
Over 3000 rolls of film were expended and the result is a most intimate look
at the people of that city. But the show also talks of time, both
instantaneous and lifelong, it looks at familial relationships and the
society's rejection of old age, and of our journeys in life too. 
Much use is made of reflections, from the bus looking out, from the outside
looking in, we are the voyeurs where Tom was part of that group of people,
there is a real sense of humanity showing, of care and compassion for the
strugglers in their lives.
(Margaret Thatcher once said that anyone riding a bus after the age of 26
could count themself a failure in life...)
The show comes with impeccable credentials, already exhibited (as an
incompleted work) at the ICP (New York), it has Lee Friedlander's
appreciation and Martin Parr (Magnum associate) has been disappointed that
Tom rejected his invitation to join the agency.
He was originally a fine art student and distinguished his work from that of
Parr (who he knows well) and others by saying, 'If a documentary
photographer achieves art, then that's a bonus. I always strive to produce
art, if it's a successful document as well, then that's a bonus'.

Sadly he lost his M6 recently, stolen with his 28mm lens and he wasn't
insured. At the moment I have the pleasant problem of trying to decide which
print from the exhibition I will take in exchange for a Minolta-M 28mm lens
I've given him!
A book's available shortly from Dewi Lewis Publishing, well worth looking
out for if you can't make the show.

Jem

PS. I shall be having a show myself opposite the Lowry gallery in Salford,
at Viewpoint Photographic Gallery in January. These will be pictures of
wooden stumps in the ground, not very exciting or pictorial but exploring
the potential historical character of inanimate objects.

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Rick Floyd [SMTP:rick_floyd@hotmail.com]
> 
> I'm assuming you mean Wooster, Ohio - which is great since Ohio is part
> of my travel area.  However, I can't find the Lowry Art Gallery.  
> 
> Rick