Cave Photo Art Exhibition - London

ZombieCake

Well-known member
There's a cave photo thing in London.  There's a well respected speaker from the MCG on Friday.  http://cryptgallery.org/event/hollow-chambers/
 

PeteHall

Moderator
As the gallery name suggest, it is underground in a crypt, a fitting location, given the subject matter.

After recent flooding, it's rather slippery underfoot, so you'll want your caving boots on if you visit!

I can't profess to be any kind of expert in this field. At my level of appreciation, some of the works caught my imagination, others I did not "get", but the thing that really struck me is how powerful (and different) the emotions are that caves seem to inspire in people.

If I could pick a main theme that continued through many of the installations, it was the sense of disorder that the artists seemed to find in the underground world. A secondary theme expressed through several works was that of fear and isolation.

These seem to be the emotions that caves commonly produce in the "non-caver" and perhaps can be tied back into the thread about "questions from the general public" https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=24682.0

I think these emotions change as our experience of caves changes. Where we saw disorder, now we see patterns; patterns of rock formation and patterns of erosion, that combine into the disorderly order of a cave. Where once there was a fear of the unknown, now we are drawn to the unknown, most at home when we are most isolated from the world.

It would be fascinating to see how these artists work might change if they took up caving or digging and and revisited their installations in years to come, with a new perspective on the underground.
 

mikem

Well-known member
More details, including photos of the artworks under individual's names, for those who can't make it:
https://hollowchambersproject.wordpress.com/about/

Mike
 

ZombieCake

Well-known member
It was a good show.  Tim F gave a good illustrated talk about caving around Upper Flood, and then the various artists talked about their work at the various exhibits, which was really interesting.  The location was perfect for such a display given it was underground and there was a bit of mud on the floor from flooding to add a bit more context.  All were pretty good, although the works I most connected with personally were some excellent light painting photography in Goatchurch and an installation of shadow hands on rock back projected on a crumpled sheet to give texture to the movement.
Good news is that some want to go caving again, and I said I'd send them a bit more info on some of the things we've been up to.
Well worth popping into see if you have a chance.
 
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