Three emerging photographers, all based in the United Kingdom, have been selected to showcase their black and white projects at the 2015 Jerwood/Photoworks Awards. Tereza Zelenkova, Matthew Finn and Joanna Piotrowska have each been honored by the awards, with their work receiving a place at London’s Jerwood Space.
In addition, all three have been awarded £5,000 to assist them with further work on the projects they are exhibiting, while each of them also received invaluable help from experts like Broomberg & Chanarin, Michael Mack, Gillian Wearing and Alec Soth, as well as from the two award-giving organizations.
The private viewing at the Jerwood/Photoworks 2015 event. Source: @JerwoodJVA
The Jerwood/Photoworks Awards stem from a collaboration between Jerwood Charitable Foundation and Photoworks and the exhibition is on display at Jerwood Space until 13 December. From January 5th until March 19th, 2016, the exhibition will be in Bradford’s Impressions Gallery, before moving on to the Open Eye Gallery in Liverpool.
Distinctive Collections
Tereza Zelenkova, Dog Cemetery, 2015
The three artists honoured were chosen after a call for applications for UK-based photographers, with the rules stating that entrants must be within 10 years of establishing their art practice. While the photographers are united by their use of black and white imagery, their perspective are distinctive to their creative vision.
Joanna Piotrowska, Untitled, 2015
Making use of subtle tones, Joanna Piotrowska showcases a collection in which young women have recreated poses seen in self-defence manuals. Meanwhile, Tereza Zelenkova returned to her native Czech Republic for her project, which focuses on landscape, local history and folklore. The resultant images conveys a haunting beauty.
Matthew Finn, Mother, 1987 – present
Finally, in his collection, Matthew Finn shows a series of collaborative portraits of his mother, dating back to 1987. This documentary project spanning over 28 years features images coinciding with his mother’s declining mental health, and relocation into an assisted living residence.
Recognising Potential
“The money was definitely really helpful, but the mentorship was just as good,” explained Joanna Piotrowska. “My core mentor was Gillian Wearing, which was really amazing. I wrote about her work in my thesis and she’s been one of my favourite artists for a long time.”
With support from Arts Council England, the 2015 Jerwood/Photoworks Awards are the first of their type. According to a press release, the awards are now set to take place once every two years, with the next edition coming in 2017. Calls for entries for the 2017 awards will open in Autumn 2016.
“The Jerwood/Photoworks Awards are all about recognising future potential, supporting talented artists and their next steps,” the two award giving organisations said in a joint statement. “We’re looking forward to seeing where our Awardees’ career paths lead and to announcing the call for entries for the 2017 Jerwood/Photoworks Awards.”
Tim Aldiss writes for Spectrum Photographic – professional photographic & giclée printing
