James French returns to Brighton after nine years. Picture courtesy James French
Exhibition: Reorientation – Photography by James French, Bellis Gallery, Brighton, until April 27 2009
James French returned to Brighton after nine year’s hiatus, and new exhibition Reorientation explores a renewed love affair with the city and its coastline.
Concerned with the expression of population and his own identity versus location, this collection of digital prints occupies an upstairs room at the spacious Bellis Gallery, a combined hanging space and art shop close to Brighton Palace Pier.
The shots were taken over a period of 12 months. Picture courtesy James French
French documents the city from thoughtful yet familiar viewpoints – from the sky, from the beach, shrouded in darkness or bathed in sunlight, and his reawakening to the known and loved is rather touching.
In criticism, it’s clear that many of the featured works hold a greater personal significance to the artist than what can be expected from the viewer. Still, there is plenty in this collection for a local observer to enjoy.
Voyeuristic shots of Brighton beach star in the show. Picture courtesy James French
Shot over a period of 12 months, these evocative and giddying stills invite closer study. A number are uninhabited, and even when an unknowing figure wanders in front of the lens, the scene remains settled.
Aerial shots of Hove and Palace Pier are opulent and colourful, but his artistic eye is more apparent in airy cityscapes.
Some might argue that anyone with access to a small plane and photography equipment could produce images of this quality, or that the verdant sea appears almost artificial. As one comment in the guestbook notes: “Mother nature, or you?”
French often picks unusual heights to capture sights from. Picture courtesy James French
Voyeuristic photos of Brighton beach is where French’s work really comes alive; people interacting and engaging with each other, a thousand untold stories.
Another particularly effective shot captures a section of council tower block, a sad, grey grid of windows emanating soft rainbow colours, oddly free from human subjects. It’s strangely compelling to peer through windows at this great height, and French is aware of this.
All the featured prints are available to purchase, unframed, for just under £200. Reorientation, a paean to the cherished, sends out a clear message: James French is happy to be home.
Bellis Gallery, King’s Road, Brighton. Open 10.30am – 6.30pm except Tuesday, 11.30am – 4.30pm Sunday. Admission free, call 01273 747429.
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