Birmingham is…was the question posed to the gathered crowd as the opening ceremony - or Flashbab kicked off this year’s International Day of Birmingham. What started out as the crescendo to the TV documentary, The United States of Birmingham (where local comedian Joe Lycett visited 17 other Birminghams in North America to make a union of friendships) is now an established festival of local cultural icons and creatives.
This year a photography element was added, with yours truly invited as their first photographic exhibitor. In keeping with the Birmingham theme I partnered with my employer, Birmingham City University, to deliver a variation of my street portraiture project; Brief Encounters.
And so, within a handful of weeks, Brief Encounters: Birmingham in Passing was born.
The idea behind the project has always been simple: a brief moment with a stranger to create a portrait and provide a glimpse in to who they are and the times we live in.
The greatest challenge was finding the right way to present the work within the grandeur of the Council House’s Drawing Room. With ceilings reaching over 6m high and ornate alcoves and panelling across the back walls, we alighted on the idea of three 4m x1.6m banners. Each had 3 portraits, looking like the strips of negatives they started from. It was an unexpectedly smart move as opposite me was to be the space for the magnificent Re Union Jack - a glorious work of art made from the tatty flags illegally added to lampposts across the city.
Slide show of the International Day of Birmingham exhibition
Although it only lasted for two days, it was enormous fun to take part and I hope the start of photography from the region being showcased in the years to come.
Till next time,
Matt