Richard Billingham- "Black Country"

"Daytime 1997"

 

 "Nightime 2003"

 

The above images are all owned and taken by Richard Billingham, taken from his book "The Black Country"

"...his work demonstrates how color influences the ways we understand pictures."- taken from an art exhibition website explaining Billingham's work seen in his book "The Black Country". This explanation can be seen here http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/billingham.html

The above images were taken by Billingham for his 1997 series of work based around his hometown of Cradley Heath in Birmingham. Alongide the "Nightime" images from 2003, which were also taken in Cradley Heath, these works were put together in a book named "Black Country", which highlights the area in which Billingham grew up. This instantly draws on similarities with my own project, as I too am documenting the place I grew up through the medium of photography. What attracted me to these images is that not only are they made up from a similar idea to that of my project this term, but more importantly they make me feel at home. These photographs remind me of the place that I grew up, from the idea of urban living to the dark alleys and the isolated playground. It is important to compare the "Daytime" images taken in 1977 and the "Nightime" images in 2003, as they portray the same place yet are completely different and filled with different meanings and representations. The daytime images highlight a very urban, working class way of life, emphasized by the blocks of flats, the scattered rubbish and the dull lighting. The Nightime images on the other hand are quite beautiful and carefully constructed, portraying a much cleaner, more beautified version of the town. It is important to note here that the images taken in 2003 were taken 6 years after the original set, which makes me wonder why they are so different- is it because the town has changed? I would argue that it hasn't, as despite never having been there, I understand fully what it is like to grow up on an estate like this and although buldings can change, it is unusual for the people and the way in which they live to change so dramatically in that amount of time. So, could it be that perhaps memory is tainting Billingham's view here? I know myself that when I look back on my childhood I remember the places I played with my friends, the place I went to school and mostly happy times. However, their are areas here that aren't so pretty, yet I do not wish to photograph them or cherish them as much as I do the places I care about- Has Billingham done the same here? These images also give a great insight into how colour photography works to emphasize meaning and how a viewer reads them- these images would not be anywhere near as different or impactual if they were shot in black and white, and the representations they hold for me as a viewer would deffinitely not be as clear or as strong.

Billingham's work has led me to decide that I would like to continue to produce work using colour film, as I have seen for myself how much of an impact colour photography has on this type of work, and in particular if I am going to try out the effects of shooting images in "the golden hour", colour photography will be crucial to emphasize the colour casts and the shadows. Also, Billingham's work has led me to the idea of memory, something which we all hold dear to our hearts. Instead of capturing the demolition and destruction within my community, would it work better if I instead tried to focus on the areas that hold cherished memories for me? I will explore this as I continue to create work, drawing on the influences of my research to help me with my ideas.