Plane (2003) Photography by Jonathan Talks

Personal Statement for Wolverhampton visual anthropological study

Wolverhampton is a town in central England that was important in the industrial era, now it is almost a completely different place with most of the industry being removed. The old town was so busy that the smoke and fog from the factories used to cover all the buildings in a black carpet of dust and coal, it was known as the “black country”. What is left behind is a shell.
My anthropological study is made from a collection of 600 slides taken between 2001-02; people, industry, commerce, housing; local media and public space were all recorded.
On reflection, the portfolio shows the random nature of photography and why the photographer takes a picture, does he think before, during or after the shutter has been released?
The place of living, the collection of people, open spaces and buildings all combine to create an urban environment. This environment dictates to an extent how we can or cannot live. The work is a document belonging that specific place and time. It is part art, part science.

Statement for colour work

I am overwhelmed by colour. Unlike black and white, where I can control the image and tonal range, both in camera and the darkroom. With colour I am always on the defensive. Many of the images are blurred or out of focus. The information of colour is too much for me to comprehend. Colour is trying to stop me taking a photograph. Am I photographing colour or the subject? Subject matter is random; the colour always wins over my subject. Colour is energy, I cannot shape it, I sunburn easily. The camera machine bends the light onto my negative absorbing the colour. I can only watch the image afterwards, I have no control.

• Nationality: UNITED KINGDOM
• Date of birth : 1978
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary British Artists