The University of Bolton MA in Photojournalism degree show 8th-12th January 2008
The exhibition showing until January 12th at the Richard Goodall Gallery for Contemporary Art is the degree show for the University of Bolton’s MA in International Photojournalism, Documentary and Travel Photography. This is the first exhibition of student work at the new gallery, and photobooks published by each of the nine students will also be on display.
Peter Walker from Oldham was inspired by his great-grandparents’ memories of Lithuania to visit a legendary site of national defiance there, called the Hill of Crosses. Lithuanians add a cross to the site whenever they want to celebrate a birth, wedding, or to commemorate a loved one’s passing: since the Russians left 16 years ago, a million crosses have been added to the site.
Garry Cook set out to document the effects of July’s smoking ban on the Northwest’s social smokers: braving the doorways outside of bingo halls, social clubs, pubs, and nightclubs Garry found that smokers are still hell-bent on enjoying themselves come what may.
Mark Scholey is a farmer’s son. His black and white photographs evoke the agricultural community’s sense of loss after one of the worst years in living memory: “Even though many livestock markets are now closed forever, old farmers still turn up in town on market day,” he says.
Rob Colin Thomas travelled up to Bolton from London every week to attend MA classes, so a trip to Mumbai in India was straightforward. Working with a charity, he taught photography to a group of children so they could “show the world what they see with their hearts and their minds.”
Amy Crozier documented her friend’s recovery from breast cancer, a 3-year narrative from diagnosis to breast reconstruction, and the photographs show her coming to terms with the changes in her body image. At the end of the process, she says, the dialogue with Amy’s camera helped her overcome the illness’s threat to her sense of femininity.
Daniel Killoran was inspired by a Peter Bruegel painting called Children’s Games (1560) to ask whether children still play traditional games; given access to a nearby primary school he made a fascinating study of their toys, games and activities.
Tom Steventon’s parents were moving from the home they had lived in for over four decades, and he couldn’t let the opportunity pass to examine what that particular house had meant to each member of the family. His thoughtful study reveals the ways a place can hold different memories for everyone.
Annie O’Neill went to China to investigate the contemporary art scene there. Her photographs show how, despite official censorship and no state help, the artistic community there is thriving.
Jonathan Hardman’s grainy black and white photographs of Liverpool document the city’s many monuments to the slave trade, the main source of its historic wealth. From statues to pub and street names – like Penny Lane – two hundred years after the trade’s abolition, the transatlantic trade in human misery is still unwittingly recalled. | 
