Cynefin, Welsh landscapes Photographs by Tom Wood

SIT DOWN
………………………………………...……………….………
4, rue sainte-anastase … 75003 paris … france … www.sitdown.fr … tél. 00 33 (0)1 42 78 08 07
Cynefin, Welsh landscapes
Photographs by Tom Wood
Exhibition from 10 November to 20 December 2015
galerie Sit Down, Paris
Opening Tuesday 10 November from 6pm to 9pm in the presence of the artist
Meanwhile, the Centre Culturel Irlandais is holding major exhibition of Irish work (1973 - 2013)
Personal landscapes by Tom Wood from 13 November 2015 to 10 January 2016
Opening Thursday 12 November 2015 from 6pm to 9pm (5, rue des Irlandais - 75005 Paris)
The serie "Men and Women" will be presented as part of the fair What's up Doc
Photo from November 12 to 15, 2015 at La Bellevilloise in Paris.
Gruff, tenant farmer since 1942 overlooking Dolmelynllyn, 2011 © Tom Wood courtesy galerie Sit Down
“Tom Wood is one of the most thoughtful photographers working today, in any style”
Richard B. Woodward, Wall Street Journal, 14 June 2013
Tom Wood : on the lookout for landscape
After 30 years spent photographing the streets of Liverpool and Merseyside, the Irish
master turns his attention to the stillness of North Wales, his home for the past twelve years.
Until 20 December 2015, the Galerie Sit Down is exhibiting several images from his series
Cynefin. A Welsh word commonly translated as “habitat” or “place”, it can be used to
describe an environment where a person feels they instinctively belong, as well as a
knowledge and sense of place that is passed down through the generations.
SIT DOWN
………………………………………...……………….………
4, rue sainte-anastase … 75003 paris … france … www.sitdown.fr … tél. 00 33 (0)1 42 78 08 07
Tom Wood photographs constantly, like the blinking of an eye. You’ve never met
him before. But on this particular day, he’s been photographing you and your entourage
for some time. When you finally do catch his eye, his arm is raised and he’s checking the
screen between two sets of images he’s snapped unassumingly. He mutters a few words
and grins. It’s as though this enigmatic smile, somewhere between politeness and mischief,
is his answer to the question: “Why are you photographing ?”
The principle of street photography is to blend into one’s environment so as to better
capture it. To try to take what chance puts right under your nose and arrange it within the
frame. Unlike many of his colleagues, Tom Wood’s approach doesn’t concern itself with
limiting the number of exposures: the right image emerges from the multitude. This helps
him allow for for unexpected surprises, but also to forget himself : “The only way of taking
good photographs is to lose consciousness of what you’re doing, to forget oneself.”
Many in New Brighton and Merseyside (Liverpool) will recall his avid image-making.
Starting in 1978, Tom Wood walked the length and breadth of the streets, taking every bus,
waiting for the pubs to close on Saturday nights, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
He would shoot in black and white, but also in color, which he and his friend Martin Parr
were early and keen advocates of.
Through his diligent work, he collected an impressive body of contemporary scenes, stilllifes and intimate portraits of isolated characters against the urban backdrop of Thatcher’s
and fin-de-siècle England. From street kids, he earned the nickname: “Photieman” that is,
the guy who takes the “photies“ (Liverpool ‘scouse’ slang for photographs).
He had been escaping the city to nearby North Wales on day excursions for many years,
continuing an exploration of landscape begun in his homeland in the West of Ireland in
the 1970s. In 2003 he moved to verdant Wales. He wanted a change of scenery, to get
away from the brutality of city life, and concentrate fulltime on what he termed “the
matter of landscape”. Though only an hour’s drive from Liverpool, Wood doesn’t have a
driver’s license. Instead, he explored the countryside on foot, by bike, or on one of the rare
buses serving the region. He would set up his tripod amidst agricultural activities,
abandoned buildings and barren landscapes.
He paints the rugged portrait of a country where, aside from the occasional group of
tourists, human beings have virtually vanished; but in whose woods animals thrive. The
photographer seems at home here, as the title he chose for this series suggests. “Cynefin”,
a Welsh expression which refers to the familiarity one feels about a place.
A new kind of formalism emerges from this environment, obtained with an old “Noblex”
film camera which he had rarely used before. It warps and elongates the landscapes.
Farm machinery lays like archeological ruins at the feet of majestic trees, spreading their
endless branches. The interiors of the farms seem lopsided. Only the sheep appear
indifferent. Sometimes, under the optical effects created by the landscape, the space
seems squeezed as though by a fisheye lens. Or perhaps the photographer’s eye. As if to
recall that Tom Wood and his curiosity are always on the lookout, wherever they may be.
Amaury Chardeau
SIT DOWN
………………………………………...……………….………
4, rue sainte-anastase … 75003 paris … france … www.sitdown.fr … tél. 00 33 (0)1 42 78 08 07
Biography
1951
1973 -1976
1978 -2003
2003
born in the west of Ireland
studies at Leicester Polytechnic B.A. (Hons) Fine Art (Painting)
lives ans works in Liverpool/Merseyside
settled in north Wales
Books :
Forthcoming 2015/16:
"Landscapes" (3 vols), Steidl Verlag, Gotttingen, Germany
“The DPA Work” (Rainhill Hospital, Cammell Laird Shipyard)
Steidl Verlag, Gottingen (2 vols)
2015 “Looking for Looking for Love” Sorkika, London (Special Edition)
2013 “Men and Women” Steidl Verlag, Gottingen (2 vols)
2011 “F/M” Editions 205, Villeurbanne, France
2005 “Photie Man” Steidl Verlag, Gottingen
2004 “Not Only Female…” (Exhibit Cat.) Schaden, Cologne, Germany
2001 “Bus Odyssey” Hajte Cantz, Ostfildern-Ruit, Germany
2000 “Tom Wood” (Exhibit Cat.) Galerie im Buergerhaus Neunkirchen/Saar
1999 “People” Wienand Verlag, Cologne, Germany
1998 “All Zones off Peak” Dewi Lewis Publishing, Stockport, UK
1989 “Looking for Love” Cornerhouse, Manchester & Aperture, New York
Exhibitions (Solo) :
2014 ‘Tom Wood - Landscapes’ Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno, Ffotogallery Cardiff
‘Women’ La Fondation d’ enterprise Hermes, Bern, Switzerland
2013 'Tom Wood. Britain 1973 - 2012', Ekaterina Cultural Foundation, Moscow
‘Tom Wood: Photographs 1973-2013’ National Media Museum, Bradford
‘Men and Women’ Thomas Erben Gallery, New York
2012 'Men and Women' The Photographers’ Gallery. London
Galerie Albrecht, Berlin
ImageSingulieres, Sete, France
'F/M' Le Bleu du ciel, Lyon, France
Le Centre d’ Art, GwinZegal, Guingamp, France
2010 “Facts of Life. Photography in Britain 1974-1997” National Museum
Krakow, Poland
2009 Museum 52, London
2006 “HyperDesign” Shanghai Biennale, China
'Chelsea Reach' The Approach, London
2005 The National Museum of Photography, Copenhagen, Denmark
'Photieman' Le Chateau d’Eau, Toulouse, France
Foam Museum, Amsterdam
2004 ‘Ruestrassen’ Le Centre Cultural Suisse, Paris, (in assoc. Paris Photo)
Kunsthalle, Bremen, Germany
Centre de la Photographie, Geneva
2003 C/O, Berlin, Germany
2002 Thomas Erben Gallery, New York
Kasseler Kunstverein, Kassel, Germany
Stadtische Galerie, Wolfsburg
Kunsthalle, Wilhelmshaven
2001 'Bus Odyssey' Suermondt-Ludwig Museum, Aachen, Germany
2000 'People' Galerie im Buergerhaus, Neunkirchen/Saar
Kunstverein, Ulm, Germany
Thomas Erben Gallery, New York
1998 'All Zones Off Peak' Museum of Modern Art, Oxford, UK
Galerie F.M. Schwartz/Photokina, Cologne
1996 International Centre of Photography, New York
1989 'Looking for Love' The Photographers' Gallery, London
SIT DOWN
………………………………………...……………….………
4, rue sainte-anastase … 75003 paris … france … www.sitdown.fr … tél. 00 33 (0)1 42 78 08 07
Exhibitions (Joint) :
2014 l’Été photographique de Lectoure, France (with Matthais Bruggmann)
2012 Mönchehaus Museum, Goslar, Germany (with Martin Parr+Antanas Sutkus)
2009 Tom Wood and Padraig Timoney, Museum 52, London
2004 Musee de l’Elysee, Lucanne, Switzerland (with Larry Sultan)
2003 “Gary Winogrand and Tom Wood” Galerie Thomas Zander, Cologne
1996 “Inside Out” Galerie du Jour Agnes b., Paris (with Richard Billingham and
Paul Seawright)
Exhibitions (Group) :
2015 “Work, Rest, Play: British Photography from 1960s to Today” Shenzen and
Minsheng Art Museum Shanghai, China
“Eyes Wide Open” Fotografie Forum Frankfurf. Also Berlin, Vienna and Munich.
2014 “Augen Auf!” Deichtorhallen Internationale Kunst und Photographie, Hamburg.
“Punctum: Reflections on Photography” Salzburger Kunstverein, Germany
2011 “Resonance 2011” La Biennale de Lyon, France
“Nothing in the Place” Bunkier Sztuki Contemporary Art Gallery, Krakow
& Brighton Biennial, Photo Fringe
2009 “Manners” Focke Museum, Bremen, Germany
“Light Writing” Literaturhaus Cologne, Germany
“Planete Parr” Jeu de Paume, Paris
2008 “Baby” Nederlands Fotomuseum, Rotterdam,
2007 “How We Are: Photographing Britain”, Tate Britain, London
“Shrinking Cities” Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit, USA
“Centre of the Creative Universe, Liverpool and the Avant-Garde”
Tate Gallery, Liverpool
“On View” Photo London, Old Billingsgate, London
Frieze Art Fair London, (Approach Gallery)
2006 “Closed Eyes” Museum for Fotokunst, Odense, Denmark
“People and Places” Museum of Modern Art, New York
“La Boum II” Sies+ Hoke Galerie, Dusseldof
2005 “24 x 36” Leica Gallery, New York
2004 “Wirklich Wahr! Realitatsvesprechen von Fotographien” Ruhrlandmuseum, Essen
“Schrumpfende Stadte” Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin
“Sammlung Kunne” Kunsthalle, Bremen, Germany
“Relating To Photography” FFI – Fotografie Forum International, Frankfurt
“Street Life” Rotunda Galerie, Cologne, Germany
“We go round and round…”, COMME CA Gallery, New York
“Sad Beautiful Life” C/O Berlin, Germany
“L’amour Toujours” galerieXprssns, Hamburg, Germany
2002 “Becks Futures”, ICA, London
“Zipp” Kassler Kunstverein, Kassel
2001 “The Sidewalk Never Ends” Art Institute of Chicago, USA
2000 “Les Photographies Collectionnees par agnes b” Centre National de la Photographie, Paris
1999 “Internationale Fototage” Herten, Germany
1996 “Blindspot” Paolo Baldicci Gallery, New York
1995 “20 Modern British Photographs” Victoria & Albert Museum, London
1994 “Street Photography” Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Selected Public Collections :
Museum of Modern Art New York
International Centre of Photography New York
Art Institute of Chicago
Victoria & Albert Museum London
National Museum Of Photography, Copenhagen
British Council London
Stadt. Galerie Wolfsburg, Germany
National Media Museum, Bradford
SIT DOWN
………………………………………...……………….………
4, rue sainte-anastase … 75003 paris … france … www.sitdown.fr … tél. 00 33 (0)1 42 78 08 07
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
Awards :
2007 “Major Production Award” The Arts Council of Wales
2002 “Prix Dialogue de l’Humanite” (Outreach Award), Recontres d’Arles, France
2000 “Year of the Artist”, Arts Council of England
1999 Terrance Donovan Award, Royal Photographic Society
1996 Artist Honorarium, International Centre of Photography, New York
1995 Photography Publishing Grant, Arts Council of England
Short-listed :
2002 Awards for Artists Paul Hamlyn Foundation
2001 Becks Futures Award, Institute of Contemporary Art, London
1996 The Arts Foundation Fellowship
TV / Radio :
2014 “What Do Artists Do All Day?” BBC4 UK (30 mins)
“l’Été photographique de Lectoure” Arte TV France 01/08/14 (3mins)
2013 “The Works” RTE Ireland (9 mins)
2007 Tom Wood Deutschlandfunk – DLR National Radio, (50 mins)
2004 “Tom Wood Photieman” - Deutschland Radio Berlin, Interview with Jochen Stöckmann,
7/7/04 URL: http://www.dradio.de/dlr/sendungen/fazit/283249/
2002 “The Talk Show” – TV BBC4, 7/5/02 (Becks Futures profile)
2000 “Ticket to ride” - Granada TV (38 mins)
1990 “Tom Wood photographer”, The Great North Show - Granada TV (8mins) 10/8/90
INFORMATIONS
Cynefin, Welsh lanscapes by Tom Wood
Galerie SIT DOWN
Exhibition from 10 November to 20 December 2015
Opening Tuesday 10 November from 6pm – 9pm
to Tuesday to Saturday de 2pm to 7pm
and by appointment
4, rue Sainte Anastase - 75003 Paris
Tel : +33 (0)1 42 78 08 07
e-mail : [email protected] - www.sitdown.fr
Press pictures on request
PRESS CONTACT :
Catherine Philippot & Prune Philippot
- Relations Media
Tél : + 33 1 40 47 63 42
[email protected]
[email protected]
Personal landscapes by Tom Wood
Centre Culturel Irlandais
Exhibition from 13 November 2015 to 10 January 2016
5, rue des Irlandais - 75005 Paris
Tél : +33 1 58 52 10 30
http://www.centreculturelirlandais.com/
PRESS CONTACT :
Rosetta Beaugendre
[email protected]
Tél : +33 1 58 52 10 34
SIT DOWN
………………………………………...……………….………
4, rue sainte-anastase … 75003 paris … france … www.sitdown.fr … tél. 00 33 (0)1 42 78 08 07
Press available pictures
Loggerheads Country Park 2010 © Tom Wood courtesy galerie Sit Down
Pen Y Cefn Road, 2004 © Tom Wood courtesy galerie Sit Down
Pilgrim’s Way (by Offa’s Dyke), 2008 © Tom Wood courtesy galerie Sit Down
Yggdrassil, 2008 © Tom Wood courtesy galerie Sit Down