Let them come…

Following months of preparation, my exhibition finally opened last night with a lovely gathering of friends at the Oriental Museum in Durham. I knew that any opening in Durham was likely to be a sumptuous affair, and I wasn’t disappointed; a splendid buffet from M&S with an excellent collection of red wines greeted us as we walked through the door. What could go wrong?

The Oriental Museum enjoys links with a network of knowledgeable Sinophiles, and so it was nice to share experiences in this environment with some of the guests who had made the trip out on such a grim evening. The hottest topic seems to have been The Death of the Bicycle, and when exactly it took place. I don’t think we found an answer, but I can only thank the guests for showing such interest in my work and sharing their thoughts with me.

Having spent so long working at my craft, this is undoubtedly the most significant milestone of my career to date, and so I feel proud, but also a little like I did as a child on Boxing Day. There will be more to come, I am sure. In the meantime, I shall just enjoy the feeling. I shall also have to think of something else to blog about.

Thank you to Craig and Rachel, the museum’s curators, for enabling this to happen, thanks to the folks at the museum for being so helpful in making it come about, and thanks to everyone who came along to share in this special evening.

The full selection of images have now been added as a gallery to my website. Have a look but rest assured they are better enjoyed ‘in the flesh’!

One in Five: Photographs from China – full gallery

I leave you with an image of a butcher I met in Tai’an, Shandong Province…

Butcher, Tai’an, Shandong Province, by James Sebright.

Hang ’em High!

Yesterday I installed my 35 images at Durham’s Oriental Museum in preparation for my exhibition of photographs from China which opens to the public on Friday. It seems totally surreal to see everything in frames, neatly hanging on the walls, as if it could have ever have been any other way. This is my work, I created this. These are the facts, yet it hasn’t filtered through yet to seem real. It’s a wonderful feeling.

Equally surreal was to be ‘The Artist’, responsible for directing people at the museum, making decisions about where things should go. The staff at the museum have done a wonderful job of putting things in their place, it was a remarkably smooth process. I was even given unlimited access to the coffee machine, which could have become messy.

Now all that remains is for people to come. This is where we let go of our work, putting it out into the world. We no longer have control, and people will decide what they think, people who don’t know me or the places I have been. It’s a scary thing, but this is the whole point.; it’s a risk.

Here is one of the numerous urban landscapes that are part of the exhibition, the Main Street of old Pingyao City, as viewed from the city walls.

Main Street, Pingyao, by James Sebright.

Light my Fire, part II: Razzmatazz in Wallsend…

Following my sortie to Hartford, I decided to get some inner-city action in Wallsend. When the Greeks started this shin-dig so many moons ago, I fancy they never imagined their sacred flame being passed along Wallsend High Street. Whatever would Agamemnon say?

Razzmatazz and Wallsend are not words to be often found in the same sentence; one might well call them uneasy bedfellows. And so it was. The sight of the Coca Cola vehicle – an enormous converted coach no doubt designed to resemble Santa’s Sleigh – driving down Wallsend High Street, replete with attractive young things, smiling and giving out free pop, is enough to make one wonder what this mighty Olympic machine is really all about. This was followed by The Samsung Lorry, a big blue television on wheels and other such vehicles, which were followed in turn by a lot of Police motorcycles and cars, and eventually by the torch itself.

The bearer on this stretch was an elderly chap, apparently the oldest of the bearers, and the sight of him stepping out in his white and gold tracksuit (unfortunately resembling what looked more like a pair of David Beckham’s pyjamas) was rather beautiful, as were the genuine shouts of encouragement from the crowd. As he wearily jogged, his face beamed a wonderful smile, and the people cheering shared his moment. Following his stint, having passed the flame onto a young local lass, he was interviewed by local television. “Everyone was taking me photograph! And cheering!” he said with delight. Much have I heard the phrase “memories to be treasured forever” in the past couple of days, usually relating to the most trivial of things, but in the case of this chap, it is undoubtedly true. Good for him.

Perhaps beneath the mountains of corporate hype and hyperbole, there is a kernel of humanity remaining. Not because of it, but in spite of it.

Here is a picture of this wonderful gent being interviewed by BBC Newcastle.

Interviewing the torch-bearer by James Sebright

Light My Fire…

Today I spent time with an old flame… Yes sir, the Olympic torch was being passed around, so I went out and about Northumberland to warm my hands and see what all the fuss was about.

This morning, I found myself in Hartford, that little-known village in between Morpeth and Bedlington. What rain! The Greek Gods themselves would have balked, but the hardy folks who live nearby put their best wellie-boots forward and took to the only street through this tiny village to give the flame bearers a clap.

Whilst waiting for the motorcade, I was joined by one of the torch bearers, a chap I believe to be called Bob. It was clear that this was a big deal for him, and he was the centre of a great deal of attention. I wondered how I might photograph him. Here are his hands…

Torch-bearer by James Sebright.

Roll out the barrel…

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you probably noticed a flurry of patriotism the last few days, which for a change wasn’t based on the fact that in 2 weeks or so, we will be knocked out of another international football tournament on penalties. Probably to Germany. No, this has been, refreshingly, a much more non-competitive affair.

Bank Holiday Monday found me in North Yorkshire, in the village of Finghall, home to the annual barrel push. The rules are simple: roll a beer barrel from the bottom of a big hill to the top, as quickly as possible. In days of yore, this barrel would have been filled with beer; now it is empty, but make no mistake, it is still no mean feat. To supplement this – as if we needed more – the village lays on a variety of splendid country activities including chicken racing, guess the weight of the lamb and the opportunity to enjoy tea and scones in someone’s back garden.

Whilst others were busy praising the sixty years that QEII has given us, I found the spread laid on by the folk of Finghall to be far more unself-conscious and satisfying. This was something that has taken place for years, and will no doubt continue to do so for years to come, purely for its own sake and the shared experience of those living in the same small plot of land in the north of England. Let them keep Elton John, Cliff Richard and Robbie Williams. Give me a barrel of beer and a big hill any day.

Roll out the barrel by James Sebright.

Made in England: BEL Valves

Following my visit to New Balance Shoes earlier this month in pursuit of British manufacturing, yesterday I visited BEL Valves on Tyneside. BEL stands for British Engines Limited, and this, as the name suggests, is the valve division. ‘What flavour of valves?’, I hear you ask. Big ones; big and expensive. Most of the valves are large, high value units that get used in the oil industry in places like Norway, Brazil, Mexico or the Far East.

Walking onto the shop floor yesterday was a very different experience to that of New Balance, and the first thing that hits you is the smell, a pungent mixture of grease and metal. Unlike New Balance, the shop floor is a spacious, peaceful affair, employees being pretty well spaced about. The shop floor occupies a large area with each function in a different hall, and like New Balance, it was bright, airy and clean. Geordies are well known for their wit, and yesterday I enjoyed a bit of banter and general conversation with staff as I made my way around. “You’ll need to be here a while if you want to catch him grafting” one fellow joked about his colleague, whilst one chap engaged me in a discussion about that most pressing of issues – Nikon or Canon. Again, the pride in the product was very evident, and it was clear to me how skilled these people are, and how passionate they are about doing things well.

Many thanks to Triona, who made me so welcome and dedicated time to showing me round, and all the staff. Here is a shot of the paint shop where the machined units are painted before assembly. I loved the smell in there…

Paint shop, BEL Valves by James Sebright.

The Final Cut…

The start of this week has brought with it my least favourite task in the world. It’s worse than cleaning the toilet whilst listening to Coldplay at five in the morning; The Edit, the final commitment that we make as photographers, deciding what we show to the world, and what remains between us and the cat.

Actually, this one is going quite well, as I make final preparations for my exhibition in Durham, which opens in just over 3 weeks. Upon reflection, this is due to a couple of things: firstly, having shot the material a while ago, it is easier to view the images objectively – I have less emotional attachment to them; secondly, I would like to think that I am growing as an editor. This is very reassuring. It’s good to think we can still learn and improve.

Invitations will be with you soon. In the meantime, a snapshot of how it’s going, behind closed doors…

Editing by James Sebright.

Made in England

If I were to tell you that the value of manufacturing in Britain has been steadily increasing since the war, you probably wouldn’t believe me, so familiar are we with the notion of The Decline of British Manufacturing. But this is the case. Whilst the number of people employed in manufacturing in Britain has vastly decreased, the sector has been growing in financial terms, becoming a specialised, high value, high tech area.

So what are we making? Who is doing it? What does a factory look like in this day and age? These are some of the questions that I aim to answer as part of my new long term project under the working title Made in England. To kick this off, yesterday I visited New Balance’s production facility in Flimby, Cumbria, the country’s only factory producing high value running shoes. When I was a lad, I had the opportunity to work in footwear factories in Lancashire, grimy places churning out slippers to fill the shelves of BHS, Adsa, Freeman Hardy Willis and so on, and so I was fascinated to visit a footwear plant 25 years on.

In some ways, a great deal has changed. Cold, damp Victorian mills have been replaced with airy, bright, warm tin sheds, filled with the latest technology. I didn’t see a single page 3 pin-up or racy calendar from the local garage anywhere. But what still remains is the banter and warmth, pride and craftsmanship of the workers. In some ways, it was very familiar, which I found reassuring. I must thank the staff of New Balance at Flimby for allowing me access to the facility and for making me welcome.

Over the coming months I shall be investigating further the odyssey of manufacture in this country, but in the meantime, here is a worker at New Balance.

To find out more about New Balance’s operations in Cumbria, I recommend you check out their wonderful website www.visitflimby.com

New Balance, Flimby, Cumbria, by James Sebright.

Band shot in local launderette…

Yesterday I had the pleasure of shooting Newcastle-based band Bridie Jackson and the Arbor in the fabulous Old Cinema Launderette in Gilesgate, just outside of Durham. As a musician myself, it’s always a pleasure to work with bands in helping them create a visual identity for themselves.

Band photography is a tricky one, and so finding a good location is really key to setting the scene. A fifties-style working launderette was a gem of a find, particularly when it is on the way to becoming a cult music venue in the North East. Come along on the right night, and you might well find local and national artists playing amongst the washing machines. Bring your own beer, and some laundry if you fancy killing two birds with one stone.

As five fine young ladies dressed in their smartest sunday dresses, the band seem to have no problems getting into the whole thing. I look forward to editing the work this week, but in the meantime, here is a taster…

Bridie Jackson and the Arbor, by James Sebright.

Exhibition updates…

Things have been rather quiet recently, and so I haven’t had much to say. Life is often like that; most of our time is spent doing very mundane things, and there are already too many blogs posts on the interweb about people getting up and having breakfast, going to work and coming home again. Silence is a virtue.

This week however did bring something interesting, as I met again with the curators of the Oriental Museum in Durham regarding my exhibition in June. Yes, that’s the same Oriental Museum that has been in the news recently, having had expensive pots stolen and returned. Fingers crossed that no one breaks in to steal my work, although if it did happen, I think I would be secretly flattered. During this visit, the increased security and the tension that it brings were very palpable. My feelings go out to Dr Barclay and his team down there, who said that things have been turned on their head ever since the thefts. I hope that some form of normality can be restored soon.

Having agreed to do an exhibition way back in January, time has really gone by very quickly, and it is only 6 weeks until the preview. The purpose of my visit this time was to discuss promotion and make some plans regarding framing, layout and so on. It seems very real. Too real perhaps. But it is a fine thing to be in this position and I feel very grateful and lucky to have this opportunity.

Editing, every photographers’ least favourite house-guest, is coming along slowly and I am confident that I will have a set of work to be proud of. In the meantime, here is (another) picture from China…

Far beyond these city walls, Xian, by James Sebright.