Monday, 20 September 2010

NY vs UK





Whilst at the National Portrait Gallery for the BP Portrait Award, I also visited “An Englishman in New York: Photographs by Jason Bell.” A small collection of Bell’s photographs were on display from his latest book (of the same title).

During an American Vogue project in 2008, Bell learnt that more than 120,000 Britons have settled in New York. This discovery motivated him to explore further, and this book is the outcome.

Well-known British figures who have left Britain for a life in New York formed part of the photographs on show, for example, Kate Winslet. However, in the book, there is also a range of characters including taxi drivers, burlesque dancers and UN ambassadors.

I adored the photographs. Still and contrasting, although a bit staged, I loved the figures and locations. Each photograph revealed a new side to New York and the person posing for Bell. I also admired the angle and the variety of ways Bell has chosen to take the photographs - sometimes straight on, through a window or from an extreme angle. In each picture, I felt that it was equally about the person and the chosen location in New York.

The captions for the photos were just as interesting. Each person shared why they chose to live in New York, and whether there was a particular aspect of Britain that they missed. Their personal accounts tempted me to move to New York, but also made me very patriotic for England.





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