August 2018

At the end of July I found out that I had been shortlisted for the prestigious Hariban Award with my Sea Level series. This is a wonderful award that was last year given to Stephen Gill and this year's shortlist includes some incredible photographers such as John Divola, Vanessa Winship and Hajime Kimura. I'm very happy to have had my work acknowledged in this way.

I have been invited to take part in an exciting project which will culminate in a touring exhibition. More details on this next month.

In August I revisited a place where I had photographed in July 2016, a month after the Brexit referendum and the vote to leave the EU. I have the start of a new series which I'll develop over the next couple of months.

From Blind Follow

July 2018

In early July I was lucky enough to be back in Arles for Rencontres d'Arles photography festival. Spent 5 days there seeing some wonderful exhibitions - highlights included Jonas Bendiksen’s The Last Testament; Matthieu Gafou's Augmented Humanity; The Train, RFK's Last Journey featuring work by Paul Fusco, Rein Jelle Terpstra and Philippe Parreno; A Pillar of Smoke - work by contemporary Turkish photographers, and Pixel Forest by Pipilotti Rist. However there were lots of other notable exhibitions and I was happy to be one of nearly 500 women artists included in The Family of No Man exhibition at Cosmos which was juried by Brad Feuerhelm and Natasha Christia. Work was displayed across the courtyard and in many interior rooms as well as projected on several screens. I had a couple of recent colour photographs from River Stories featured.

There are a few interesting things happening behind the scenes - waiting for official confirmation before sharing any information. In the meantime I'm just continuing to photograph across several series - this month it's been mainly Unseen Landscapes, Riverbed Stories and the Great North Wood.  

June 2018

Fairways is a book of photographs that were taken at my father’s house from the day of his admission to hospital in August 2016 to the sale of his house in July 2017.

The photographs are my memories of his home and producing the book has been a labour of love. I am making a small edition of 20 copies. The book is not cheap or quick to produce and I make no profit from the selling price. I've decided to consider it an editioned work, similar to a print, although the time and consideration involved in its production has been far higher. I apologise to those who have expressed an interest in buying a copy but could be excluded by the price.

The book has 48 pages, 42 photographs and inserts of wallpaper and fabric - the combination of these inserts will vary in each edition. The fabric is delicate but safe for regular handling.  The cover is Cherry Blossom pink cloth embossed with a custom design.

152.40 X 228.60mm Landscape

Colour

48 pages 170gsm silk

Section sewn

Embossed cloth cover

Edition of 20 + 1AP signed

Cost: £150+pp

A fabric page backed onto hand-made paper features in all of the editions

If you are interested in a copy of the book please email me fairways@mandywilliams.com

Thanks to Lewis Bush and Photofusion’s Winter Book Lab for the inspiration and encouragement and to London Independent Photography, BKN Magazine and IPOTY for past support of the project

A wallpaper page backed onto colour paper features in all of the editions

April

I had always wanted to visit Iceland so it was wonderful to finally get there this month for a short time. Stayed in Reykjavik but managed to travel around and see some of the surrounding countryside as well as the Blue Lagoon. Hope I'll be able to return for a longer visit in the future.

This month a couple of my photographs from the Re:Place diary project were published in London Independent Photography's fLIP magazine - the issue's theme was Memories. The magazine is available to members and can be also picked up at the Photographers Gallery and National Portrait Gallery.

fLIP magazine

I was also happy that art and photography blog, Fleur and Arbor, featured Re:Place as a work in progress. The feature can be seen here.

I am continuing work on the Fairways book project and this month had my first dummy book block produced. This was very exciting and also helpful, as some things need to be changed before the next run. Once that's working, the next stage is to produce the cover - the design is ready.

March 2018

Last month I took on a new studio with Hotel Elephant, near Borough. It's been five years since I last had a studio and I was really excited to find this new space. 

In January I started a Winter Book Lab at Photofusion which ran for several weeks and finished at the end of February. There were 10 of us on the course which was run by Lewis Bush and it was really enjoyable and inspiring. I had decided to make a dummy book about Fairways, my father's house, and by the end of the course I had developed the layout and cover idea. I just need to produce a dummy book now!

A couple of different page layouts

Also in February I was happy to receive 3rd place in the International Photographer of the Year Award 2017 in the category Landscapes: Seascapes. This was for my Sea Level series.

Sea Level series

January 2018

Starting 2018 in a very positive frame of mind. The past six months have been a time for reflection and planning and with the new year comes a desire to put these ideas into action.

At the moment I'm building up images for Sea Level and the new project, Re:Place. Re:Place is very much a work in progress at this point. I'm also getting more ideas for a London based series which I hope to begin later this month. Juggling several projects is something that I always seem to do.

Here are a few Re:Place images, photographed at different locations in Sussex.

Inside the Guildbourne Centre

I've been returning to places that I knew and wrote about in my diary when I was a teenager, in some cases leaving the pages for someone to find. The project is not about nostalgia – though it is strange to revisit places after such a long time – it's more a process of ‘mapping one history over another’, intentionally destroying something from the past to create something new.

Seafront

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December 2017

Last weekend I was really happy to see that a series of my Sea Level photographs had been published on L'Oeil de La Photographie as one of their three portfolios. I like this magazine (which is published in English and French) very much. Its news about photography is consistently varied and interesting and they have a large readership across the world. I feel fortunate to have had my work featured.

Unseen Landscape #28 (c) Mandy Williams

My photograph, Unseen Landscape 28 is currently in the London Independent Photography annual exhibition.  It's held at the Truman Brewery this year and I dropped by yesterday to take a look. Always enjoy seeing what work is being shown and the new venue seemed to be attracting lots of visitors. The show finishes this Monday 11 December.

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November 2017

Earlier this month I received the autumn issue of Shots, a US photography magazine that's been running for 31 years and now has a new editor. I'd submitted some photos from  the Sea Level series to them a few months ago and it was a really great surprise to find out that I had one included. There is some stunning photography in the Transition issue and I loved how my work has been paired with Marc von Martial's image. I am not sure if it's available in the UK other than by subscription.

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The London Group Open exhibition Part 2 opened this week at the Cello Factory with a very busy private view. I am really happy with the placement of my work inside the gallery - it's shown here with work by Patricia Volk and John Crossley. The exhibition continues until Friday 1 December and there is a huge variety of work on display. I particularly liked the videos playing upstairs and work by Jane Hoodless, Jo Brown, Judith Jones and Martin Heron. If you're near Waterloo, the show is open 2 - 6pm each day.

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October 2017

Sea Level 03 (c) Mandy Williams 2017

I was happy to find out last month that my photograph Sea Level 03 had been selected for The London Group Open exhibition. The exhibition is in two parts, and I'll be exhibiting in Part II, which runs 22 November - 1 December at the Cello Factory, SE1. Really looking forward to seeing the show.

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Since August I've been photographing on location in Sussex for a new project, returning to places that I knew and wrote about in my diary when I was a teenager, in some cases leaving the pages for someone to find. I've used my old diaries before in a project called Re-Collect, and in both cases it's not been about nostalgia - though it is strange to revisit places after such a long time - but more a process of 'mapping one history over another', intentionally destroying something from the past to create something new. I'll post some more from this series in a couple of months.

Early this month I went to the Frieze Art Fair and was later invited by Fleur & Arbor, an online platform for showcasing the work of emerging photographers and supporting female artists, to contribute some photographs and a small intro to their blog. It has been published here.

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After wanting to visit the Venice Biennale for several years, I finally got there last weekend. I hadn't visited Venice in the autumn since I was a student but the mist and shimmering light brought back a lot of memories and it was a wonderful visit. Not a lot of time to experience the Biennale but saw as much as possible. Particularly liked Phyllida Barlow at the British Pavilion, Anne Imhof's Faust at the German Pavilion, and Dirk Braeckman at Belgian Pavilion but other favourites included Vajiko Chachkhiani, Georgian Pavilion, Jason deCaires Taylor, Grenada Pavilion and Egill Sæbjörnsson, Icelandic Pavilion.

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August 2017

Was so happy to receive a copy of BKN Magazine in early August. I'd been invited to submit photographs from the Fairways series at the end of last year and talking with the editor, William Esdale, had really made me think about these images in a different way. Up to that point they had been a purely personal response to a very difficult time when my father was ill in hospital. His encouragement had led to me submitting the images to the International Photographer of the Year where they had won an award.

BKN magazine is a photography magazine run by William and his brother Louis and the Intimacy issue sold out prior to its publication which is why I'm including two images. Six photos were chosen along with a statement about the series and I really love how the work has been laid out. There is a lot of very strong work in this issue and I'm delighted to be featured.

BKn Fairways page 3 and 4

The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition continues until 20 August but I was surprised and happy to find out at the end of July that all the editions I had made available to the RA, as well as the framed work, had  sold - five in total. I have visited the exhibition a few times and it has always been extremely busy - it really is a hugely popular show.

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This month I've also begun some test shots for a new project which I'm pleased about but I'm still deciding the best approach to the content. Also had some good news in that one of my photographs has been shortlisted for an exhibition later this year - the decision will be made in September.

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July 2017

Earlier this month I went to Rencontres d'Arles, the annual summer photography festival in the South of France. Had never been before and it was a wonderful experience. Saw lots of inspiring exhibitions including retrospectives of Michael Wolf and Masahisa Fukase as well as some incredible work in the Discovery section. Visited Marseille as well and would love to return again next year.

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Since then I've taken the last of my photographs inside my father's house as it has been sold. It was a very emotional experience and the end of an era. I'm thinking of making a small book to keep all of these memories together. Spending so much time in Sussex also gave me the idea for developing a project that's been on the back burner - I'd like to try it out by the end of August.

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I was happy to have been invited by London Independent Photography to write a review of 3AM, a book by AM Projects which was published by Akina Books and this came out in their fLIP magazine this month.

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June 2017

Towards the end of last month I was thrilled to find out that Sea Level 09 had made the final selection of the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. I went along to the Varnishing Day on 5 June, joining the procession to St James, Piccadilly, and later enjoyed the artists' exhibition preview. Very happy with how my work has been hung in Room V, which was under Rebecca Salter RA's supervision (lower right, below). Looking forward to going back later this week for a more leisurely look at the show.

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A little while ago I met the Inside the Outside Collective at their exhibition at MMX Gallery in New Cross. It was a wonderful show of landscape photography and a pleasure to meet Rob, Al, Steve and Joe. Last month they very kindly invited me to show work from Unseen Landscapes and Sea Level on their blog and social media - the reaction and support for the work was overwhelming.

I'm continuing to add work to the Sea Level series when I'm in Sussex. Here is one of the most recent images.

sealevel19

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May 2017

Last month the inaugural exhibition at the Thought Foundation, near Gateshead, opened and my video, Riverbed Stories, was one of the exhibits. The Thoughtful Planet exhibition, which continues to mid-June, features mixed media work on an environmental theme.

My photographs and text about Fairways, my father's house, was published at the end of March in fLIP magazine. Some of the work from this series will also be published in another magazine later this spring.

In April work from both Unseen Landscapes and Sea Level was published by Landscape Stories on their blog as part of their Altered Landscape edition.

Over the past month I've had time to visit some really good exhibitions in London - Anthony Cairns at Roman Road, the Deutsche Börse exhibition at the Photographers Gallery featuring stunning work by Sophie Calle, the Inside the Outside exhibition at MMX Gallery and Richard Mosse at the Curve, Barbican. Looking forward to seeing Photo London later this month and some satellite exhibitions, plus I've booked up for Arles in July, which is very exciting.

In the meantime, I'm continuing to shoot more images for Sea Level, Fairways and Unseen Landscapes.

March 2017

(c) Mandy Williams, 2016

I was happy to find out this week that one of my Sea Level photographs has been shortlisted for exhibition this summer - finger's crossed that it makes it through!

I am still spending quite a bit of time in Sussex at my father's house and have been collecting more photographs for the Fairways series while I'm there. Following the surprise 3rd place win in the International Photographer of the Year award I was asked to write about this work for a photography publication which should be coming out at the end of this month. It was difficult to write about this series for many reasons but finally I felt the text accurately reflected the work and its process.

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(c) Mandy Williams, 2017

I will also be taking part in a group exhibition in the North of England which opens in April, more info to follow.

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February 2017 (2)

A quick additional post for February as I found out earlier this week by surprise that I had won 3rd prize in the Architecture Interior category of the International Photographer of the Year Awards. I'd submitted photographs from Fairways, a series I've been taking at my father's house in Sussex. I know my Dad would be amused to think pictures of his house had won a prize, but he was always so supportive of me I'm sure he would also have been very happy.

I was also pleased to find out from Visual Aids in New York that my postcard image had been sold at the Postcards from The Edge benefit at Metro Pictures. I've contributed to this fundraiser for several years and it's always great to hear that the piece has sold.

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February 2017

January went by so quickly I forgot to post any updates. At the end of the month I once again contributed a postcard to the annual 'Postcards on the Edge' Visual Aids benefit in New York. This time the event was held at Metro Pictures.

Four of my photographs were included in Halo Lit, a print publication for women's fiction, featuring international writers. The editor had approached me last year about contributing some images and she chose four (two of which are shown above).

At the start of this month I had a meeting with a curator to show some of my work for a potential solo exhibition in 2018.

I've been continuing to build up images for a particular series, but have also been planning another project, quite different work. This wouldn't start until the end of March at the earliest because of time commitments, but am conducting research in the meantime. Look forward to being on location again.

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December 2016

Last month my short article about Paris Photo was published in three photography blogs. Wobneb Magazine, edited by Cary Benbow in the USA, had the longer version and can be seen here. A slightly different version was published on photographer Elisabeth Blanchet's blog, The Accidental Photographer and a shorter look at Paris Photo was published on UK photography blog, Fleur and Arbor, run by Jasmine Farram and Olivia Newstead.

At the start of December, the SALON/16 exhibition opened at Photofusion in Brixton and I was pleased to have one of my Unseen Landscape photographs included in the show. I went to the opening which was incredibly busy and it was great to see all the work by other members of Photofusion. The show continues until 28 January 2017.

I also recently heard that some photographs that I shot over the summer will be featured in a print magazine. I really admire the publication and the photography they have featured so far, so am looking forward to seeing this issue next year.

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November 2016

From Frame  (c) Mandy Williams

Early in November, Plateform Magazine, an online photography publication from France edited by Laurence Guenoun, published their new issue which included 20 images from my Frame series - the first time a significant number of these have been published. I was happy to be featured - there was a lot of interesting work by international artists in this issue.

On 9 November I travelled to Paris to attend the Press View of Paris Photo at the Grand Palais. The viewing was from 5 - 9pm so I had time to see some other exhibitions before it started, including Todd Hido at La Galerie Particulière and Antoine Agata at Les Filles du Calvaire. It was the first time I had visited Paris Photo and I really enjoyed the experience.  It was a chance to discover some new galleries and find out about the artists that they represent. I am writing about it for a few blogs and will post links next month.

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On 15 November, the London Independent Photography annual exhibition opened at Espacio Gallery in Shoreditch and it finishes on Sunday 20 November.  The show was selected this year by Max Houghton (Senior Lecturer in Photography at London College of Communication), Melanie King (curator and founder of London Alternative Photography Collective), and Michelle Sank (Senior Lecturer in Photography at Falmouth University).  I have a couple of Unseen Landscapes in this show, which are also included in the exhibition publication. The private view was busy with work by 48 photographers. Fleur and Arbor's Jasmine and Olivia came to the opening and wrote about it here.

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I have also had news that work has been selected for a show opening in December so will write about that next month.

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October 2016

At the end of September I found out that my two photographs had made the final selection for the RWA Open Exhibition in Bristol and I went to the opening in early October.  It was a busy event and it was good to catch up with three of the artists who were also  Academician candidates last year.

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Shortly after, I was happy to find out that I had two photographs from the Unseen Landscape series selected for the London Independent Photography annual exhibition, which will take place during Photomonth at the Espacio Gallery, London. The show will run from 14 - 20 November.

Two other photographic series/studies came to an end in early October. One had been created over a period of 7 weeks while I was frequently visiting West Sussex, and the other - the Sea Level series, which began at the end of last year - also came to an end. I am going to spend the next few months reading and researching a new project to begin in early 2017.

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