To the Bonington Gallery! …on Wednesday afternoon. It’s been a while since I’ve walked around the back end of the city and out towards the old Poly.
Nottingham Trent University - as it is now - seems to sprawl right from the Arboretum all the way across over to the Victoria Centre.
Which meant finding the Bonnington Gallery a little more tricky - especially so for someone who is as geographically confused as me.
A few missed turns here and there and soon I was at the gallery entrance. It was well worth persistence to track down the Bonington.
On my radar was Alan Lodge’s major photographic exhibition: Counter Culture and Confrontation Since 1976.
Tell it like it is, etc. The title pretty much sums up what can be seen within the spacious event area.
Alan traces his origin story back to the Diggers:
“My interest in activism and protest goes back to the Diggers in 1649. The experiment lasted little more than a year before its inhabitants were forcibly evicted. Their vision continues to inspire me. I’ve long believed that people care for one another best in small self-determining communities rather than through distant and often unrepresentative governments.”
Which is pretty much where my own personal political philosophy sits these days, Comrades.
The photo journey for Alan starts in the mid-70s at Stonehenge. There’s a fantastic mix of black and white and colour shots, all taken with a wide angle to capture as much detail as possible. These are technically superb photos given the analogue processing at the time.
It soon becomes clear that Alan was a classic case of right place, right time. He’s also been incredibly brave to poke his camera in the face of confrontation.
The Battle of the Bean Field seems to be a major moment that has helped to develop his photo journal style. Some of the text accompanying the exhibition explains with passion about the unjust way in which the British state demonised a particular subculture.
I’ve always been interested in the traveller’s lifestyle myself. I fear my OCD demands would get in the way of living the dream.
The timeline then continues with the photos documenting firsthand how the traveller scene then formed an alliance with the emerging rave culture. A hybrid was born that once again forced a reaction from the Establishment.
The large gallery space at the Bonnington was thoughtfully laid out. The chronological approach to the photographs then takes in mid-90s activism with Reclaim the Streets, the 2000 parties that took place to shut down the City, and then all the way through to the Occupy Movement of the past 10 years or so.
The exhibition concludes, showing how Alan is still documenting and capturing activism after over half a century of working within this field.
He’s recently been involved in picket line photojournalism as well as having a record of capturing 25 years of Nottingham Pride.
Many flyers and artefacts associated with each period are also on display at the gallery. It’s a bit like walking back in time to Selectadisc with all those rave flyers plastered on the counter.
Alan signs off Common grounds with a fantastic quote:
“I have always been interested in parties with a purpose. People often engage more readily in direct action when it is rooted in community, creativity, and enjoyment.”
RAVE ON.
