| Exhibition Organiser : Emma Dean | Emma studied The History of Art in Bristol and London and has worked at The Pitt Rivers Museum, Christchurch Picture Gallery and MOMA in Oxford. She has been at Milton Keynes Gallery for the last two and a half years, working with Director Michael Stanley. She is currently looking after the Phil Collins touring exhibition 'yeah.....you, baby you', which involves managing transport and the installation of the exhibition at other venues as well as ensuring the artist is happy and that no work is damaged! After firstsite the exhibition visits; Glynn Vivian Gallery, Swansea | 17 Sept - 29 Oct 2005, Neue Kunst Halle, St.Gallen, Switzerland | 10 Jun - 13 Aug 2005. |
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Brutal and touching, nauseating and heartening in equal measure the images, of Phil Collins are on show at firstsite gallery. His central interests of communities and conflict are presented through the searing light of the lens in this, his most comprehensive exhibition to date. The show at firstsite is the third stage of the exhibition's tour around Europe after opening at Milton Keynes Gallery earlier this year.
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Through his work Collins investigates the perils of representation and the emotional core of photography and video. His contexts are often places where the fabric of the community is tested to the full: Palestine, Kosovo, Colombia, Iraq, Serbia, and Northern Ireland. Instinctively distrustful of the camera and its effects, yet responsive to its potential as an instigator of relationships, his works consider that which is devalued, discarded or held in contempt.
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Direct engagement with his subject matter is central to Collins' practice. Despite his highly methodical approach, his art is far from contrived. It has been described as the seemingly unintentional by product of his travels and the relationships he establishes with strangers, lovers, friends, and new-found acquaintances.
Using his camera as a "ticket" to gain access to the most profound human situations and experiences - birth, death, war, love and loss - his images though personal and intimate, deal with global issues. Throughout, Collins shows empathy with his subjects, carefully balancing the sentimental with a daring spirit of optimism and camaraderie. Although his subject matter is often starkly political, there is a humour and energy within Collins' work that creates an immediate connection with the viewer.
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