Review: Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2012

Jordi Ruiz Cirera
with Margarita Teichroeb inwards the background

Spanish reportage photographer Jordi Ruiz Cirera (Found on the Road) has won the £12,000 Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2012 with his photograph of Margarita Teichroeb.

28 yr onetime Jorge is Castilian in addition to has been based inwards London ever since he came hither to exercise his MA inwards Photojournalism in addition to Documentary Photography at the London College of Communication.

His photograph is i of a serial (Menonos) of photographic portraits of the Mennonite community inwards Bolivia. This serial was developed equally a reportage projection for his MA degree. The photograph was taken on a digital 35mm Canon 5D mkII, using solely available light.

I asked him why he chose this special photograph of Margarita in addition to he told me because it was his favourite photograph of all the ones he had taken (some xxx or so). He took her motion painting at the home she shares with her woman bring upward in addition to sis inwards the Swift Current Colony inwards Bolivia.As a community, the Menonites alive with no cars, telephones, electricity or modern utilities in addition to consequently photography is non a normal business office of their lives, is usually forbidden in addition to thus most were rattling awkward in addition to oft looked away from the camera. In this photograph, she sits centre phase in addition to looks straight at the photographic goggle box camera - although her shyness comes across with the manus across her rima oris in addition to through the aspect inwards her eyes.

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2012
First Prize: Margarita Teichroeb
© Jordi Ruiz Cirera

The argue I similar the photograph is that for me it tells a even out of a mortal simply inwards that look. There is both context in addition to graphic symbol in addition to a backstory summation an overwhelming sense of a existent mortal rather than simply an interesting image.

Jorge is currently employed as Photographer inwards Residence on a yr long committee for Historic Royal Palaces. This yr he also won a Deutsche Bank Award inwards Photography with the University of the Arts London this year. He plans to hand his career inwards documentary in addition to reportage photography.

The Prizewinning Photographers

Prizewinning photographs past times shortlisted photographers

The primary prizes were awarded equally follows:

1st prize (£12,000) - Margarita Teichroeb past times Jordi Ruiz Cirera
2nd Prize (£3,000) - Lynne, Brighton by Jennifer Pattison (far left above)
3rd Prize (£2,000) - Mark Rylance by Spencer Murphy (far correct above)
4th Prize - The Ventriloquist by Alma Haser (second from left above)

You tin meet larger versions in Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2012 - Shortlist announced

The judging of all the selected works was done from anonymous prints with simply the advert of the work.

The maiden John Kobal New Work Award

The John Kobal New Work Award is a NEW prize worth £4,000 (including a commission) in addition to is awarded to a lensman nether the historic menstruation of xxx who is selected for the exhibition.

The Nine Lives of Ai Weiwei
© Matthew Niederhauser

It has been won by Matthew Niederhauser (16.01.1982) (Blog), for his portrait The Nine Lives of Ai Weiwei - which has a classic peacock bluish / Holbein bluish background. It has massive touching on in addition to is the get-go photographic portrait you lot meet on entering the exhibition. Here's some background to the photo....

Matthew Niederhauser’s fascination with Red People's Republic of China was forged during his high-school studies inwards Mandarin, in addition to the American lensman at in i trial lives inwards Beijing, where he documents aspects of Chinese life for a hit of publications including the New Yorker in addition to Time. Artist in addition to political activist Ai Weiwei, the dependent of Niederhauser’s entry, has crossed those lines on many occasions. At the fourth dimension the portrait was taken, equally a committee for Foreign Policy magazine, Ai was existence held nether virtual line of piece of occupation solid arrest in addition to forbidden to larn out Red People's Republic of China next his three-month detention a yr earlier. Wanting to capture Ai with i of the many cats that hang around his compound, Niederhauser persuaded him to pose with a ginger stray, its colouring setting off the teal-blue gates of the studio. ‘There was a tense 2nd when I didn’t mean value the truthful cat was going to cooperate, but it finally glanced back, allowing me to larn a few frames with everything melding together.’

(Note: I confess I'm struggling with that age. Age limits are usually determined past times the deadline for submission. If somebody is nether the historic menstruation of xxx certainly they're 29 or less - whereas Matthew was xxx inwards Jan 2012 BEFORE the Call for Entries went out. If they hateful xxx or less than I mean value that's what the rules needs to tell explicitly - non "under 30" which is what I've got noted downwardly inwards my overview of the Call for Entries.)

Impressions of the Exhibition

The exhibition opens to the populace tomorrow (8th November) in addition to continues until 17 February.

There's an interesting article Photo finish: judging the Taylor Wessing portrait prize by Sean O'Hagen inwards the Guardian. He was asked to endure i of the judges after writing a slice in conclusion yr which confessed to bafflement with the alternative made. He comments on the procedure - in addition to it's a recommended read for all those who movement into opened upward visual fine art competitions irrespective of whether or non they are a photographer.

Now it's done, I receive got to tell I volition mean value twice close knocking the judges inwards future. The ii days I spent looking at 5,340 photographs submitted past times 2,352 photographers (a maximum of 6 prints per entrant is allowed) was a crash course of teaching inwards the bailiwick in addition to the sheer doggedness involved inwards judging an opened upward competition

Themes

I'm non certain why but I didn't bask this exhibition equally much equally in conclusion year's. I'm withal trying to run out why. I'm also wondering close the timing of some of the selections relative to other events exterior the Gallery.

What I did run out at the fourth dimension was at that spot were some sub-themes to the exhibit which I don't mean value I've ever noticed before.

Michael Stipe © Matthew Lloyd and Sarah Lucas © Eamon McCabe

First at that spot were "the Creative Arts celebrities" - namely "Young British Artists" Gillian Wearing in addition to Sarah Lucas, i of Britain's best ever photographers David Bailey CBE (looking rattling onetime in addition to rather grumpy!), participant Michael Stipe (of the slowly non bad REM), actor and Artistic Director Mark Rylance and author Hilary Mantel who is the get-go adult woman to win the Booker Prize twice (2009 in addition to 2012). The latter is something of a coup for the Selectors equally the Prize was announced after they'd made their selection.

(Left to right) Faces of 2012: Victoria Pendleton, Hilary Mantel in addition to Mo Farrah

Then at that spot were "the Olympic celebrities" - Victoria Pendleton (not sporting lycra!) and Mo Farrah - which I gauge were understandable this year.

The ii groups together made me mean value this exhibition looked rather a lot similar the residue of the National Portrait Gallery - in addition to I gauge that mightiness endure i argue I similar it less.

I rattling much prefer this exhibition to endure fresh eyes on how to receive got a portrait - in addition to for subjects to endure people nosotros don't know rather than people nosotros do. It also makes me mean value that those photographers who care to larn access to the famous 'whoever' also stand upward a much improve run a hazard of getting selected if they come upward up with a decent photograph. If I compared it to the BP Portrait, i of the strengths of that exhibition inwards my eyes are that the sitters are rattling rarely people we know. Thus the sentence of the artwork is rarely inwards whatever agency swayed past times who is the sitter for the the portrait. If at that spot are going to endure celebrity sitters with ordinary people so to my take heed at that spot should endure ii prizes - simply to brand the contest a tad fairer. Or perhaps the fact that the primary prize went to a photograph of somebody who has rarely if ever had her photograph taken before is the solely comment that is needed.

The 3rd theme related to the diverse groups of teenagers - which to me solely served to reinforce the notion that teenagers await pretty similar the globe over whether they're living on Tristan da Cunha or anywhere else inwards the world.

There were a brace of rattling potent photographs of people with disabilities - who had suffered severe injuries. I'm a potent advocate in addition to supporter of the notion that those with disabilities should also endure seen inwards opened upward portraiture competitions in addition to other exhibitions. It's solely past times seeing people existence treated the same equally everybody else that attitudes change.

I works life the portrait of PC David Rathband to endure very, rattling sad. He was shot inwards the confront at indicate blank hit past times Raoul Moat inwards July 2012 in addition to after committed suicide inwards March 2012.

Justin Sutcliffe (Cover) who took the photograph for an interview for the Independent on Lord's Day said he talked candidly close the nightmares he suffered. I absolutely handgrip with his comment that Rathband's piercing bluish eyes were deceptively expressive. They were, of course, artificial equally his ain eyes had been destroyed inwards the attack.

By agency of contrast, the self-portrait of British documentary photojournalist Giles Duley is unabashed in addition to assertive. Here is a tetraplegic survivor of actually terrible injuries suffered when he stepped on an IED while on human foot patrol with 75th Cavalry Regiment (United States) inwards Afghanistan.

He comments that he didn't desire to exhibit himself equally a victim, he didn't desire to shroud his injuries in addition to he wanted to photograph himself inwards just the same agency equally he mightiness receive got photographed others piece roofing humanitarian projects. With a correct manus in addition to eyes he tin deportment on working equally a photographer.

One farther theme left me somewhat to a greater extent than perturbed. In full general at that spot was to a greater extent than nudity than park and, inwards particular, at that spot are ii photographs of naked children inwards the exhibition. Within the electrical current content of recent events these are saltation to drive comment.

I know from personal sense of attention a workshop which involved children that the NPG's Education Department takes an extremely strict line on matters relating to kid protection, the purpose of images of children inwards populace in addition to the number of consent relating to the populace viewing of images of children.

My personal thought is that the images selected for this exhibition are rattling much at variance with the NPG's corporate approach adopted elsewhere within the Gallery.

To my take heed farther consideration should endure given to the rules of the competition. I'd strongly urge the contest organisers to consider that it would endure no non bad loss to the contest if images of naked children were no longer allowed - fifty-fifty if they receive got been taken past times menage unit of measurement members.

If it were upward to me, I'd also personally withdraw at to the lowest degree i of the images before it opens to the public.

Technical Details

Like artists, photographers ever similar to know"how did you lot exercise that?". So this year, for the rattling get-go time, the NPG receive got supplied the tecnical details - Download the technical details here

Sponsorship of the Exhibition

The Exhibition is sponsored past times Taylor Wessing equally business office of their corporate responsibleness activities. This is the 5th yr that Taylor Wessing has sponsored the Prize.

Links:

National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London, WC2H 0HE.

Opening hours Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday: 10am – 6pm (Gallery closure commences at 5.50pm)

Late Opening: Thursday, Friday: 10am – 9pm (Gallery closure commences at 8.50pm)

Nearest Underground: Leicester Square/Charing Cross

Recorded information: 020 7312 2463

General information: 020 7306 0055 Website: www.npg.org.uk

Review: Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2012

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