Not so long ago East London was a far grittier and tougher place than the trendy cafes which line its streets today would lead you to believe. The old and neglected warehouses have been transformed into design studios, and new cafes and bars appear and then disappear overnight. However, you only have to peek around the corner of the many hastily constructed pop-ups to get a sense that this area has seen a huge amount of rapid change during its history.
Ā Over the last five decades, street photographer Colin OāBrien has faithfully chronicled the changing nature of his neighbourhood, charting events from mass migration through to rebirth and the current wide-scale gentrification of the area.
Ā āIām fascinated by the ordinary,ā OāBrien said. āFamous people and famous things just donāt interest me. The ordinary is as of much importance as the extraordinary.ā
Ā Born and bred in the London, OāBrienās enthusiasm for photography became apparent early on when he picked up a camera for the first time as an 8 year old.Ā But photography was not a priority for his family at the time - OāBrienās parents were poor, and the arts seemed like an indulgent hobby for the rich. Despite the lack of support, however, he pursued his interest and was rarely seen without a camera dangling around his neck as he discovered there was no shortage of subjects for his lens.Ā Growing up in the deprived area of āLittle Italyā the neighbourhood provided fascinating material and OāBrien soon developed a deep empathy for the community around him.
Ā Gregarious by nature, the photographer expressed a preference to āget to knowā the people in his work, taking a personal approach than acting as an anonymous observer. One of his most famous encounters was his meeting with a group of Irish Travelers who were staying in London Fields who he befriended, and in return they agreed to his taking candid images of travelling life.
Ā The common theme that shines through all of OāBrienās work is his passion for the commonplace, ordinary people doing ordinary things. Itās the detail of everyday life which makes his work so important; children playing, a car crash, two elderly friends carefully navigating a path together. His catalogue of work is the history of a way of life, much of which has now changing beyond all recognition.
Ā While OāBrien may have received public acclaim for his work, his family was not as forthcoming in their praise. Believing that his father did not see the value of his work, it must have been a bitter-sweet moment to discover that his father had, in fact, always approved, he just never could find the words to say so directly. Shortly before he died, his dad wrote in a gallery visitorās book:
āI am very proud of my son, these pictures are wonderful.ā
Ā He should indeed be proud. OāBrienās photography is a timely testament to the ever-changing East End.
Ā Colin OāBrienās exhibition is at:
Ā For more details: http://www.colinobrien.co.uk/news.php?id=23
Ā London Arts ā The Ongoing Support
Ā Art in all its forms, including photography, is crucial in making London the diverse and sophisticated city it is today.Ā Interest in the arts is fostered and encouraged by many enthusiasts and patrons to the many formal and informal arts venues throughout the capital, important and often unsung supporters such as Victoria Barnsley, OBE,Ā John Botts, CBE, Yassmin Ghandehari, Sasan Ghandehari, Mrs James Brice, The Lord Browne of Madingley, FRS, FREng and Susan Burns.
Ā http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/visualarts/article4499559.ece
http://www.artnews.com/top200/yassmin-and-sasan-ghandehari/
http://www.arts.ac.uk/alumni-and-friends/support-and-donate/ual-development-council/
http://www.tate.org.uk/download/file/fid/51351
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