I'm delighted to have been selected to contribute in June's 2018 edition of the RPS, The Journal. Showing photography from my time in the harsh yet sublime boreal forest. The feature has a carefully selected group of photographs and interview by Editor, Kathleen Morgan and photography writer Gemma Padley. A very special thank you to Kathleen and Gemma for making this so enjoyable to read and make!
For full feature & interview please email here
Delighted to have such a wonderful write up by the RPS in their March News section on my Wild Fire, Wild Suburbs, Wild Energy project. The Boreal Forest is sparsly habitiated by humans, yet full on the rest of nature. It is the Worlds largest land biome.
Photograph: Black Spruce, Highway 63, Alberta. October 2016 © Alan McFetridge
Delighted to announce that an exclusive global agreement with The Story Institute to manage the Wild Fire, Wild Suburbs, Wild Energy photography has been confirmed.
Tower Road, Anzac, Alberta. February 2017 © Alan McFetridge
Please use this link or email Matt at Institute for information.
http://www.thestoryinstitute.com/wild-fire
An opportunity to view one of the first prints from my RPS Environmental Bursary project is showing tonight at The Royal Photographic Societies IPE 160. Opening in London at Truman's. Please come and join me and the many others that contributed to this year's outstanding exhibition.
12 October, Opening Night, 6-9pm.
Exhibition continues 13 - 16 October 2017
Please email alan@alan-mcfetridge.com for the Guest List
Syncrude TarSand Oil Refinery, Alberta, Canada. February 2017 © Alan McFetridge
Delighted to be interviewed by Kathleen Morgan at the RPS Journal for October 2017
In 2011, the plant at Mildred Lake site (shown) was the largest emitter of greenhouse gases of in Canada. It is owned by the consortium Syncrude Canada Ltd. The 183-meter high smokestack shown here released over 13 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent into the atmosphere in 2011. This includes Ammonia, Sulphuric Acid, and Xylene. The latest available data from Environment Canada shows the plant has lowered emission to 11.4 million tonnes. It is, however, one of seven plants within a 30km radius that released 34 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2015.
Out of sight for many, tar sand refineries are heavy polluters, categorized as ‘non conventional oil extraction’ by Environment Canada. At a time when CO2 levels in the atmosphere are already at the highest levels in 400,000 years. The colossal scale of industry and infrastructure in the region here supplies demand for existing oil-using infrastructure that has been building in OECD countries from around 1920’s-30’s . In the U.S. average consumption is 2.7 gallons (10.2 liters) per person per day. U.S. consumption compares to India’s 0.15 gallons (0.56 liters) per person per day3. Extraordinary, when taking into consideration world population. Countries with high populations contribute the least to the problem of consumption.
This was made possible by a bursary from the Royal Photographic Society and The Photographic Angle. See his work until 28 March at @syngentaphotoaward
Alan was delighted to host the Somerset House Instagram account over the weekend.
Firebag is a series of photograms by McFetridge that take place in the heart of earth’s largest biome, the boreal forest. On the 1st of May 2016; heated muskeg from a quad bike’s exhaust ignited a wildfire burnt for a month consuming 600,000 hectares of the forest life, including four suburbs of Fort McMurray. The city became a centre to explore the event of the wildfire and the contact points on interface of human-life and wildlife. The fire cycle is an integral factor in shaping the boreal. Accelerating climate change and increasing human activity at the interface are contributing factors that are disturbing the equilibrium of the ecosystem. This was made possible by a bursary from the Royal Photographic Society and The Photographic Angle. See his work until 28 March at @syngentaphotoaward
Bad Liver and a Broken Heart has been curated into the 2017 Syngenta Photography Award Exhibition.
Bad Liver and a Broken Heart. 2016. 80cm x 100cm
Bad Liver and a Broken Heart was made during the demolition of one the Greater London Council's initiatives, the Ferrier Estate in Kidbrooke.
The exhibition will be on show in the West Wing Galleries of the iconic Somerset House. Curated by Candlestar, it explores various issues to the overarching theme Grow-Conserve, including the challenge of food security as the global population continues to to grow; conflict, climate change and sustainability. The exhibition questions whether or not it is realistically possible to do more with less in order to conserve what we have today for the next generation.
West Wing Gallery
Open 9 - 28th of March, 2017
Mon, Tues, Sat, Sun 10:00am - 18:00. Wed-Fri 11:00am - 20:00 FREE
Somerset House
Strand, London WC2R 1LA
+44 (0)20 7845 4600
Press Release: http://www.syngentaphoto.com/pages/news/index.html
Alan was commissioned recently to make a series of images to present their impressive permanent collection as a "Art with Walls". Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth & Anthony Gormley's work features in series for the British open air Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
Alan travelled to Fort McMurray recently to explore affected habitat in the Oils Sands region of Alberta, Canada after the May 2016 Wildfire. This field trip is part of the Royal Photographic Societies Environmental Bursary.
Gun Crazy, 2016
Alan's project on biosphere has been nominated for the Creative Award in the Personal category at LeBook, Berlin, 2016.
Special thanks to Photoby, for this nomination.
Exploring the impact of human habitat and biosphere. Beginning with an ariel perspective to evaluate the landscape and habitation.
Fuck, 2010. 90cm x 98.5cm. Giclee print on archival paper Edition of 20 ( Alan & Gretchen )
We are delighted to announce that Fuck has been selected for the show Hidden in Plain Sight at Norwich University of the Arts Gallery. The work was chosen by Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery Curator of Modern Art, Hannah Higham and NUA Visiting Professor Nichola Johnson, former Director of the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts.
Nichola Johnson was Director of the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, here she also set up the Museology and Museum Leadership programmes. She remains involved in various academic, mentoring and training activities, with a particular interest in unlocking creativity within cultural organisations. She is chair of the Executive Board of the East Anglian Art Fund and is a board member of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival, Dulwich Picture Gallery, Pallant House Gallery, the Soane Museum, the National Trust and the Clore Leadership Programme.
Hannah Higham is the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at Norwich Castle and currently concluding her Doctorate at the University of Birmingham. She has curated several exhibitions and displays at the castle, and is an experienced speaker and writer.
http://www.nua.ac.uk/thegallery
Installation images of Flat 12 & 15
Dear Friends,
Please join me within Balfron Tower, East London to see the second and final showing of Flat 15 | 12. A large scale site specific print, 5m x 2.4m will be shown along with a photo-booth for visitor participation on Saturday & Sunday the 20th & 21st of September 2014 from 12 - 6pm. Balfron Tower is included in the 2014 Open House London's program.
Best wishes,
Alan
Connected by a shared interest in the history and legacy of Balfron Tower, Alan McFetridge, Sinead Bligh, James Lander and those who wish to remain anonymous present Flat 15 and Flat 12 of Erno Goldfinger ís iconic high rise building.
It is within this unique situation and space that McFetridge, Bligh, Lander and those who wish to remain anonymous come together to explore the specific context of Balfron Tower as both a community, and site of social concern and consequential displacement. The artists consider the importance of who has inhabited the building, who is present in the spaces now, and who will utilise this environment in the future.
Through a combined presentation, the artists prompt an open discussion of the social, political, economic and personal implications of displacement and presence within this particular site and community. Inhabiting two vacated flats that though mirrored, imply visibly different histories, their interventions open up a space for interaction, discussion and consideration located at the heart of Balfron Tower itself.
Completed in 1967 in Poplar, East London, the 26 storey Modernist structure of Balfron Tower consists of 136 flats and 10 maisonettes designated for habitation by social housing tenants. After being granted Grade II listing in March 1996, ownership was transferred from Tower Hamlets Council to Poplar HARCA Housing Association in 2007 when the building was designated for extensive refurbishment indicating the beginning of the gradual rehousing of an historic community. In the intervening years Bow Arts Trust has provided work/live spaces for artists at Balfron Tower and managed education, environmental and cultural work in the local community. In 2014 the few remaining residents, and temporary community of artists and property guardians who have inhabited the Balfron Tower over the past 4 four years will depart in order to make way for the imminent refurbishment of this iconic building.
For further information and press enquiries please contact Harriet Cooper harrietcooper@btinternet.com High resolution images available on request.
Agnieszka Budlewska, Finance Analyst; Rosey Povey, Communications Assistant; James Lane, Chargehand caretaker; Renee Berkhout, Charity Sector & Explorer; Alex Smith, Artist, James Lander and those who wish to remain anonymous, Artist Alan McFetridge, Photographer; Alex Neumayer, Artist; Kimberly McIntosh, Student; Filipa Guimaraes, Artist; Peter Hose, Communications Intern; Darius Smitas, Caretaker.
Erno Goldfinger's concept of Streets in the Air is represented in this block of 12 portraits of people that are either living or directly associated with the tower in 2014. The background colours are based on the coloured tiles used on each Street.
Left to Right:Erno Goldfinger's concept of Streets in the Air is represented in this block of 12 portraits of people that are either living or directly associated with the tower in 2014. The background colours are based on the coloured tiles used on each Street.
Left to Right:
James Lander and Izabela Szczepanska, 2014
Portraits with a range of people associated with the Balfron Tower. A 27 storey residential social housing building in Poplar, London. Designed by architect Erno Goldfinger in 1963, the building was then Grade II listing in 1996. With plans to restore the tower in place, council and leaseholder residents are decanted out and short term "licence to occupy" guardians move in to hold an affordable yet unsteady fort. In heartland East End and moments from Canary Wharf, without rent protection the neighbourhood's community are rightfully cautious and already exposed to unwanted change due to the capitals growing housing market.
Alan moved into Balfron Tower October 2013 and continues working on the project.
Fuck, 2010. 90cm x 98.5cm. Giclee print on archival paper Edition of 9 ( by Alan & Gretchen )
Images from a busy and fun 8 day shoot with Ron Berry, TIm White, Andrea Rosenfeld and Ginnie Assenza from RPA and an amazing crew from Los Angeles. Retouching by Recom Farmhouse, production by and shot in the Greater Los Angeles area.
2014 Toyota Yaris for Saatchi & Saatchi London
This is the final image of four from a vibrant and colour commission by Saatchi & Saatchi and Toyota. We worked with Mark Norcutt and Matt Hearn to Art Direct then merge the photographic and CG elements together, producing colour rich images for 3 models. Retouching & CGI by Recom Farmhouse.