Stephen Gill

Hackney Flowers

“Hackney Flowers” - Gill has collected flowers, seeds, berries and objects from Hackney, East London, that were then pressed in his studio and re-photographed alongside his own photographs; building up multi-layered images extracted from the area. Some of the photographs were also buried in Hackney Wick, allowing decay to imprint upon the images, stressing this collaboration with image and place. Some show members of the public in Hackney with floral details on their person.

“Outside In”Gill literally put found objects into his camera so that they are literally caught within the very fibres of the exposure

“I’m sort of helping the objects speak for themselves, but in order to do so I’ve pulled them out of where they were found.”

What words could be used to describe the man made landscape?

What is the significance of the pylon in the corner of the image?

How could the figures in the image be described? Are they important / insignificant?

“I just find it amazing that

certain things can creep through when

you deny information or clarity or sharpness.”

Notice the juxtaposition of the natural environment with the Man made structure.

What similarities / differences are there?

Is the use of colour significant?

Describe the image: Form – what formal elements have been used?

Process – how has it been made?

Content – what do you think the image is about?

How does Gill use colour to create a mood in his work?

Group discussion …What are your initial thoughts on Gill’s work?

How can you link his work to “truth”?

What do you feel is more important – the photograph used or the materials added to the outcome?

How could you take this idea forward to create your own “truthful” portraits?

TaskChoose two of Gill’s images to analyse using the formal image analysis worksheet. Start by describing each of their form separately, then discuss his work in general for process and content.

Pay particular attention to his use of double images and the way he uses these to create a juxtaposition – how can you link this to notions around “truth”?

Using your self portraits and the images taken of those around school, create your own layered images that identify a link between photograph and objects taken from these environments. Experiment with different materials and layouts.