James Smith's Temporal Dislocation @ Photofusion Gallery

1. Could you tell me about the background of the exhibition and how the process came about? 

 i started the project in 2011. it was part of the rca work. i studied there from 2010 to 2012. the project is a combination of those 2 years. it was part of my final show in 2012. the first image of the series was the watch tower, which is in folkestone. that was to broaden my study on post war landscape. and i started to look a brutalism. the ethics and understadings of brutalist movement and i based a lot of my practice on those writings of reyer banham.

2. Could you please describe the selection and display process? 

 here are 8 images in the exhibition. a time frame brought me to closure, in that time frame of that body of work i made 8 images. there is no more made. there are some stil in the box. i haven't printed them or developed them yet. my process as an artist is a very slow one. i maybe only take about 20 images a year. my editing process happens before i take the photo. the photo is an accumulation of months of research. i edit before i shot. the only thing that bought it to a closure was the end of my course. i could have continued it but i think you have to draw a line under it somewhere.

3. What were the aims and objectives of the show? How well have you achieved them?

 i don't think you can ever second guess an audience. i don't think it's healthy. i can preach what i believe my work is about but if someone wants to interpret it in a certain way i can only influence that to a certain degree.

 

4. Was there anything you wish you had done differently? 

 the presentation of the work i think is spot on. my images are mounted on the wall, on the sheet aluminium. there is no laminating involved. it's just the photographic image on the wall. that matches my understanding and my beleifs in photography.  my approach is very honest. if i presente the image as clearly as possible then i've achieved goals. as far as the exhibition goes, it was the second time it is presented. the rca show was the first time. i was happy with the presentation. it is quite a curious space to curate. i belief i worked the space well enough to make the viewer intrigued and walk around.

5. Could you please describe the curatorial process in 1 sentence/phrase?
to take the viewer on a journey of distance and proximity.