Stephen Gill lives and works in Hackney, East London, an area that has inspired many of his series. In 2002 he bought a 50p plastic camera from a market at Hackney Wick and started to photograph the surrounding neighbourhood. A continued fascination with his local area can be seen in the later series Hackney Flowers, where Gill collected flowers and objects from the area, layering them on to his photographs. A selection of these prints were then buried in Hackney Wick itself and later dug up when, marked and distorted by decay from the process, Gill photographed again to form the final piece.
Stephen Gill’s work is held in public and private collections worldwide and he has been exhibited internationally. He has self-published a number of books through his imprint Nobody Books, including Hackney Wick (2005), Hackney Flowers (2007), A Book of Birds (2010) and B Sides (2010).
This is the second part of the key speakers series run in conjunction with the The Photographers' Gallery featuring key photographers, writers and theorists. This series looks at photography rationalisation and depiction of architectural space and its role as a tool in deciphering the urban environment.
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