Jennie Gunhammar, "Somewhere I have never travelled, gladly beyond"
7th May - 17th June, 2009
Diemar/Noble Photography, 66/67 Wells Street, London W1
I have been hoping for a new space for photography in London for some time. For some reason, this country has long been reluctant to embrace photography as a Fine Art and the hangover from this reluctance has left the Capital poorly served for the medium. It took until 1971 for our first independent gallery devoted to photography to open and it is somewhat disconcerting that the titular Photographers’ Gallery is still only one of a handful of venues representing the art form.
From the pioneering work of Fox Talbot to the populist art of Martin Parr - and at many points in between - British Photographers still punch above the weight of this little obstinate island, but time and again recognition, support and celebration has come from overseas.
I love London, it is a true global city charged with cultural energy, but this makes the underrerpresentation of probably the most exciting of contemporary fine art forms practically criminal! Photography is probably the most accessible of media to practitioners, collectors and enthusiasts. It is at the root of our new media and it’s universality and versatility ensure it’s relevance in the digital age is in no way open to question. If I had the knowledge, the funding and the tenacity to open a commercial gallery in London, it would be a photography gallery and, if I did open a commercial gallery in London, it would be very much like Diemar/Noble.
The space in Fitzrovia has only just launched and it currently midway through it’s opening exhibition of the Swedish born photographer, Jennie Gunhammar.
The images are a powerful and intimate portrait of Gunhammar’s identical twin sister Jess and her partner, Stan. Stan is 30 years senior to Jess and is living with Parkinson’s disease, whilst she is suffering from Lupus, a chronic disorder affecting the immune system. The narrative of their illnesses hangs over their everyday life as a loving couple, but Gunhammar’s work instead concentrates on the intimacy of their relationships. The work is intensely personal on a documentary level, but it is presented with layers of poetic meaning that reach out to the universal and transcendent qualities of love, the contrast between the immense intimidating power and tender fragility that coexist in love.
What is more striking to me is the aesthetic beauty of the images, they do not patronize the subjects or attempt to gloss over the physical degradation of illness, but do offer a dignity and grace that really brings to mind the work of Nan Goldin.
Also of note is the fact that Jennie shares the illness of her sister Jess and – particularly in the images of Jess alone - there is an extraordinary sense of the work representing a kind of vicarious autobiography, channeled through the portraits of her twin. I simply cannot think of another photography doing this and – whether intentional or simply instinctual – it is very tangible and does add a further unique dimension to the work.
It is a challenging, powerful and quite unique exhibition, a modest sophomore study with a difficult theme that represents an incredibly brave inaugural show for a new gallery, especially in the current financial climate. They apparently intend to circulate contemporary photographers alongside classic vintage work from a diverse range of artists and it’s exactly the kind of exciting arts programming we need right now.
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