gareth gardner gallery

enclave 10
50 resolution way london
se8 4al
united kingdom

www.garethgardner.gallery gareth@garethgardner.com @gardnergareth_gallery

+44 (0) 07950 701535

exhibition announcement

Close to the Hedge:

An exploration of hedges in photography

press release

Photo © Martin Riley

The allure of hedges, topiary, shrubs and planted boundaries

26 April – 05 May 2024

Privet View, 25 April, 6pm–9pm

Gareth Gardner Gallery
Enclave, 50 Resolution Way, Deptford SE8 4AL www.garethgardner.gallery

Why do hedges hold a fascination for landscape, urban and architectural photographers? This is the question posed by Close to the Hedge, an exhibition at the Gareth Gardner Gallery in Deptford, which opens later this month.

An open call for photographs that take hedges as their theme drew submissions from around the world. A selection will be exhibited at the gallery, which is the UK's only space dedicated solely to photography of architecture and the altered landscape. ‘I was flabbergasted by the enormous response,’ comments Gareth Gardner, an architectural photographer and hedge fancier who is curating the show.

’It appears to be the secret obsession of a surprisingly large number of photographers. I thought I was the only one raising eyebrows by pointing my camera at hedges.’

Photos © John Angerson

Gardner explains that hedges highlight boundaries, reveal demarcation disputes and divisions, provide visual privacy, conceal the world outside and hide mysteries within. ‘From the titillation of suburban pampas grass to the triumph over nature of rectilinear laurel hedges, from plastic plants to dead privets, we have received photographs that tell a multitude of stories about modern life and our relationship with nature,’ he says.

There are three main exhibition themes:

Privet lives

Hedges as boundaries and privacy screens.

Subtopiary

Humankind’s domination of nature, expressed through topiary.

Hedgelands

Hedges and planted boundaries in liminal and rural zones.

Selected photographers

An ‘open call’ was answered by more than 100 photographers from around the world. Selected exhibitors include:

John Angerson

Monochrome images of hedges, shrubs and gardens, captured with a vintage Rolleiflex camera, form part of photographer John Angerson’s latest project ‘Sounds of the Suburbs’, documenting images within walking distance of his home in suburban Reading.

Many were taken during winter months, showing hedges and gardens in a ‘more authentic’ state. ‘I seem to be attracted to their raw, unadorned, slightly dishevelled and chaotic state.’

Angerson believes his attraction to hedges stems from England’s deep-rooted connection to the land. ‘Colonialists established gardens across their global territories, showcasing botanical prowess and exerting control over nature. With this came the exchange of plants that have found their way into English gardens today.’

Anna Kroeger

For German photographer and writer Anna Kroeger, currently working on a personal project exploring the ‘ambiguous’ landscapes of the Thames estuary, hedges are mediators between the natural world and the human claiming of space.

‘I consider walking an integral part of my photographic practice,’ she explains. ‘On long walks through nature, hedges are often the first signs of re-entering an area where humans have intervened with the landscape’.

She adds that she loves hedges that have gone ‘a bit rogue’ and have outgrown the shapes that people intended for them. ‘Not something I thought I would ever say, but I am very excited about seeing an exhibition about hedges.’

Richard Shipp

Wales-based artist and photographer Richard Shipp is intrigued by the mystery of hedges, which can provide photographic inspiration. Hedges raise questions, he believes: ‘What is behind the hedge? And what is it hiding? Or what is it revealing?’

Photos top © Anna Kroeger Bottom: © Richard Shipp

Shipp adds that his own workroom has a view of his front garden with eight-foot high hedges. ‘It is deliberate,’ he explains. ‘I cannot see the world, and the world cannot see me.’

More information about the exhibition and gallery

For latest updates about the gallery, visit

www.garethgardner.gallery

Further information and interview requests about the exhibition, contact Gareth Gardner: gareth@garethgardner.com;
+44 (0) 7950 701535.

Download press images at: https://tinyurl.com/mr56rmw4

Notes for editors:

Gareth Gardner

Exhibition curator Gareth Gardner is an architectural photographer, film-maker, writer and gallerist. He works with a wide variety of architects, designers, publications and cultural organisations.
garethgardner.com

About the gallery

Gareth Gardner Gallery launched in October 2019 as the UK's only gallery space dedicated to photography of architecture and the altered landscape.

The gallery, designed by architects Studio C102, is located in Deptford, London SE8. The venue aims not only to interact with the local vibrant art scene, but also to become a recognised centre for architectural photography, hosting exhibitions and events that interrogate the role of architecture and topographical photography, examining how we perceive buildings and altered landscapes through image-making.

The curatorial mission is to discover new voices in architecture and landscape photography, providing opportunities to participate in photography through exhibitions and production facilities, and support those developing their career and artistic practice in photography. There is a particular emphasis on delivering different perspectives to those that are prevalent in architectural photography.

www.garethgardner.gallery