Homer Sykes exhibition

[geogphotos]

http://lucy-bell.com/exhibition/once-a-year-homer-sykes

 

 

 

Lucy Bell Gallery is happy to be  re-opening on 3rd May with an exhibition of photographs of British Folklore Customs and Traditions by Homer Sykes.

Homer Sykes (b.1949)  is a celebrated British documentary photographer whose work has been widely exhibited including at The Tate, The Arnolfini and The V&A. His career includes long term personal projects, many based on the customs and traditions of the British. Homer’s early interest in photography started at school and in 1967 he went to  study at The London College of Printing.

In the early 1970's Homer started his research into documenting traditional British folklore customs and annual events, which has become the largest long-term project of his career. Homers’ unique survey on British customs is an iconic series which contrasts age old traditions with the modernity of  every day life. 

“Rather than dealing in the perhaps easy absurdity of these events, Sykes’ images work to situate these customs within the everyday - the strange becomes everyday rather than the more travelled inversion of the everyday becoming strange. One striking example of this can be found in his images of The Burry Man. In this custom, carried out in South Queensferry, Lothian, a resident is dressed in a woollen suit which is then entirely covered in burrs, the effect is one of creating a hybrid of man and cactus, The Burry Man then walks the boundaries of the town, calling at all the pubs along the way. Sykes’ photographs serve to situate these events firmly with the register of the ordinary as he shows this creature seated on a bar stool,drinking his whisky through a straw, and walking down a cold, wet tarmac road with a little kid in wellies." Rura lModernity, Everyday Life and Visual Culture, by Dr Rosemary Shirley. Published by Ashgate 2014. 

 

Edited April 12, 2021 by geogphotos

[sb photos]

Homer Sykes is a great photographer, the exhibition sounds interesting. I only have one of his books.

[geogphotos]

46 Norman Road
St Leonards on Sea
East Sussex, TN38 0EJ

[Phil Crean]

Great photographer... Saw him speak about his work with a slideshow at the LCP in the mid 80's 

Phil

[Harry Harrison]

A great and very prolific photographer, hugely comprehensive old school Photoshelter website here:

 

https://homersykes.photoshelter.com/

 

 

He's also more than reached his threshold for a book of his colour photographs here, options still available:

 

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/colourworks1980s90s/colour-works-the-1980s-and-90s