Arena Photographers make Chichester debut

Spokesman John Bradshaw said: “Arena Photographers was founded in 1986 to promote the highest standards of photography, to encourage print-making, and to share and discuss new work.

“Within its current membership of 18 photographers can be found a broad spectrum of photographic styles and interests with a commitment and passion that unite this group of prominent photographers from all over the south of England.

“Exhibiting has always been at the forefront of the activities of the group and the work of nine of its members is on display in this exhibition. These are Polina Plotnikova, Janey Devine, Roger Crocombe, Sue Brown, Barry Barker, John Gould, Steve Smith, Paul Foley and Paul Mitchell.

“Polina Plotnikova believes that still life photography is great for a perfectionist – no-one fidgets or makes faces, no sudden gust of wind can spoil your shot. This series entitled Unstill Life was inspired by surrealist artist Rene Magritte. The idea was to create a portfolio of still life images with some uneasiness about them.

“Janey Devine has been able to combine her love of the sea with her growing passion for photography. Apart from her documentary work she has also been experimenting with a number of techniques striving to produce an impression of the landscape. The images displayed here have been inspired by her love of water and are from an ongoing project entitled Surface Tension.

“Roger Crocombe is a landscape photographer with a special affinity for the shoreline.

“Using Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) he simplifies the sand and sea to allow the transient dawn colours to be reflected in the mirror-like qualities of the wet sand. As the sun’s rays get absorbed by the particles in the early morning air, they give rise to saturated colours and bold shapes.

“Sue Brown notes that the eye does not always see things the way the camera does. She considers photography to be the art form of painting with available light. Some of her images encapsulate a moment in time. Others are ethereal, dreamlike and considered, so requiring planning and long-time exposures to see beneath the seen image.

“Barry Barker is known for his unconventional approach to photography and says that he would rather be known as different than as indifferent. His recent project explores some visual aspects of surrealism.

“To appreciate the complex narrative his images impart, you really need to experience the whole exhibition in person.

“John Gould is a dedicated black and white worker and still develops and prints in a wet darkroom.

“He has recently returned to his first love – people and in particular photographing the nude.

“Masters of the art of photography such as Don McCullin, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dorothea Lange, Robert Frank and many more had one thing in common, the desire to capture that decisive moment. Today that concept lives on in the work of Steve Smith, documenting those precious, unique opportunities that we all see and that are gone in a blink of an eye.”

“As a passionate landscape photographer Paul Foley works in a slow, meticulous and deliberate way, never more so than when he is photographing around water. Water is a great shaper of the landscape, bringing it to life through its sounds, movements, colours, and ethereal qualities. Water can take on an unexpected beauty when transformed by light or when abstracted from its surroundings.

“Paul Mitchell is always looking for a simplified composition and paying particular attention to colour, texture and light. He has been greatly influenced by the works of our classic English landscape painters such as Gainsborough and Constable and the way they composed their landscapes and more importantly their rendition of trees and how light interacts with them.”