Chris Shaw

“I observed and documented the battle between nature and a post industrial blight, to express my own feelings about a landscape I grew up in, my roots, my weeds…to document a time and a place…”

Chris Shaw (https://chrisshaw.carbonmade.com/)

I realised from the first image that I had come across Shaw’s work before in his perhaps better known Life as a Night Porter (briefly discussed here: https://photography515050.wordpress.com/2016/05/23/photo-london-2016/), the book of which I own a copy. Shaw has a strong, distinctive style, generally created by photographing at night using flash and printing using very high contrast (although as his website shows he also takes images in colour). He writes on each image, sometimes providing context and sometimes witticisms that might best be avoided, although they fit with the style of the book.

I don’t have a copy of Weeds of Wallasey although reviewing the images online they are less consistent in style, and sometimes in the advertised subject – however reading the quote at the top of this blog piece I think Shaw creates leeway to expand his subject beyond actual weeds or plants. He sometimes embraces ICM, double exposures (not sure if intentional), and light leaks or flares. There is an image Night Porter’s Chair that appears to have got lost from his other series! The main aim appears to be to capture a mood or feeling as opposed

Following up on my Tutor’s reference, perhaps the image Weeds vs Docks is most similar to some of my imagery at Rye Harbour which aimed to juxtapose plant with human structures in the frame, trying to create a tension or perhaps a narrative between the two. While I like Shaw’s style, however, I think it is a bit rock’and’roll for the purposes of my project/imagery (plus I don’t think I could keep up with that lifestyle any longer!). I would allow that the image above is somewhat more contemplative in mood than others in Shaw’s series, but I don’t believe I could build a series at Rye Harbour based on this mood. Having said all of which, I still found myself doing something similar on the way out of the Reserve – it’s a kind of end-of-day photograph that captures the mindset of the photographer as much as the place:

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

1. Shaw, C. (2007-12) Weeds vs Docks. At: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/shaw-weeds-vs-the-docks-p80580 (Accessed 5.9.2022)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Shaw, C. (2012) Weeds of Wallasey. Japan: Superlabo. At: https://chrisshaw.carbonmade.com/projects/7043848 (Accessed 5.9.2022)