By Eve Harris
Situated within the busy neighbourhood of Cathays, we can find a quiet place for reflection on art, culture and photography. Ffotogallery, located inside the former Methodist Sunday School, is a hub for all things related to the visual arts. From exhibitions to workshops and talks, the gallery offers a plethora of events and resources for those interested in the creative sector.
Since its formation in 1978, Ffotogallery has been “at the forefront of encouraging public understanding and its deeper engagement with photography and its value to society’’. Based only 100ft away from my student house, I stopped by the gallery to explore the two current photography exhibitions on display.
The first exhibition inside the Hayward gallery, upon entering, explored the use of photography and visual arts in reflecting working class culture and everyday life across Britain.
This proved to be a thoughtful exhibition in investigating perceptions and lived experiences of working class life in Britain. The simplicity of the majority of the images on display left a lot open to interpretation, perhaps encouraging viewers to project their own narratives into the photographs.
I was particularly taken by the work of photographer Tom Wood, presenting a series of images that ‘reflect an intimate and diverse portrait of Liverpool and its people taken from the various bus routes that criss-cross the city’. His use of old film stock creates a grainy and dream-like aesthetic, capturing the nostalgia and familiarity of everyday life in the late 1980s.
The second exhibition, ‘Cwm Here Now’ by Rhys Slade Jones, explores the intricacies of life in the Welsh Valleys. Presenting images of the striking landscapes of the Valleys, Jones encourages us to reflect upon ‘fragmented histories, both material and imagined’. Both exhibitions thoughtfully inspire us to think about relevant social and cultural issues, through the use of visual art and expression.
As someone who has always had a passion for art and photography, I found my visit to Ffotogallery inspiring, as it allowed me to re-engage with the importance of the arts, which is easily forgotten throughout the fast pace of student life
