While St. Andrews is known to be university of top-notch academics and a home to golf, it also holds an exquisite history of photography. In fact, Scotland has produced a large number of photographers, who’s work has transcended international borders.
This autumn, the university is hosting their first annual, six-week long photography festival, which will celebrate the local heritage and its legacy in Scottish photography.
Starting August 1st, 19 different exhibitions will display images across the history of photography; ranging from rare historic images, to contemporary snapshots. All work will be displayed in local and unusual venues.
According to BJP, here are the five exhibitions you can’t miss:
Alicia Bruce
End of the tarmac road, Menie, Aberdeenshire, 2011. By Alicia Bruce. © Alicia Bruce, TRUMPED project.
Paintings and sculptures, which can be found in Scottish collections, are reinterpreted through Alicia Bruce’s lens. The award-winning photographer’s ongoing and controversial project, Meine: TRUMPED, captures the destruction of the Menie-estate landscapes, following Trump International’s announcement of the Trump Resort. Bruce collaborated with locals living on the Aberdeenshire coast (where Menie is located), to create a series of landscape photography that documents the transitions of the area into a golf course.
WHERE: Luvians Cafe | 84 Market Street | Mon-Sat 10:00-18:00, Sun 12:00-18:00
Calum Colvin
Natural Magick, 2007. By Calum Colvin, © Calum Colvin 2007.
Scottish artist and festival headliner, Calum Colvin’s abstract artistic vision in his series ‘Ornithology’, and his most recent photography project ‘Jacobites by Name’, is a must-see. His multi-layered, ‘constructed photography’ operates like optical illusions in trompe-l’oeil; the viewer is able to notice different dimensions of multiple objects, as a result of the angles at which the images are taken. Colvin’s creations deal with Western myths and characters in ways that have infinite readings. His work is held in prestigious galleries including the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York, The Museum of Fine Art in Houston, and The Tate and Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
WHERE: The Adamson Cocktail Bar | 127 South Street | Mon-Sun 12:00-00:00 | 01334 479191
Harry Papadopoulos
Orange Juice (on moped). © Harry Papadopoulos.
Through faces of Scottish bands and luminaries, Harry Papadopoulos’ photography captures the rise of the post-punk music scene in Scotland; the start of an era and rise of independent music, that echoed onto the rest of Great Britain. 16 of his images, that are featured in his major project: What Presence: the Rock Photography of Harry Papadopoulos portray popculture of the early 80’s. Later turned staff photographer for the weekly music magazine, ‘Sounds’, Papadopoulos also took images for big-name artists and bands, including Joy Division, David Bowie, The Clash, and Blondie.
WHERE: The Vic | 1st Mary’s Place | Sun-Mon 10:00-00:00, Tue-Sat 10:00-02:00 | 01334 476964
David Peat
Mallorca, 1982. By David Peat. © David Peat Estate, courtesy of St Andrews University Library.
Award-winning documentary filmmaker and cinematographer, David Peat, whilst traveling around the globe to shoot his films, created a captivating portfolio of classic street photography. An Eye On The World is a series which captures raw experiences of everyday life, documenting scenes of lonely travels, telephone conversations, games of chess, and more. Collected over 42 years, he has only recently released these images, that explore themes of joy, despair, anger, and fear.
WHERE: Cafe in the Square | 4 Church Street | Mon-Sun 10:00-16:30 | 01334 477744
Franki Raffles
Haymaking, Soviet Republic of Georgia, 1989. © The Estate Of Franki Raffles
An Edinburgh established, leading socio-documentary, feminist photographer and St. Andrews alumni, Franki Raffles, captures a plethora of characters from different social, cultural, and political backgrounds. Her powerful images were featured in the Edinburgh District Council Zero Tolerance campaign, which began in 1992 and raised awareness of domestic and sexual violence against women. Due to the ethos of her work: showing honest, and real-life women in their everyday lives, she traveled extensively in order to take these black-and-white snapshots. Her collection of photography, created between the years 1979-1994, empowers and voices women, highlighting resemblances between their lives across the globe.
WHERE: Old Union Coffee Shop | North Street | Mon-Fri 08:30-17:30, Sat 09:00-17.30
To complement the exhibitions, there will be multiple events taking place at the festival, that may be worth investing your time in, including: historic process workshops for all ages and skill levels, an Outdoor Victorian Tintype Studio, and talks by artists and academics.
Find out more about the festival here.
