Tom Hunter

Tom Hunter is a British photographer whose work I referenced for my Markets Assignment (see here). He had produced a series of group portraits of local traders/shopkeepers in Hackney, Trading Places which was relevant to my work.

Hunter’s work centres on his local environment of Hackney. In his essay which prefaces his new book The Way Home he cites Vermeer as an influence. In Hunter’s view this artist has “created a template for artists wanting to show the dignity of ordinary people involved in their daily lives, elevating the ordinary into the extraordinary.’  (Hunter 2012, pp 9) For Hunter this idea has been a driving force. The referencing of art history is also a feature of his work, which he has used in a number of his projects.

There are many facets of Hunter’s work which interest me, so I have decided to present a comprehensive review in this post. I will give particular attention to his portraiture work but his photographs of urban scenes and interiors of buildings are relevant given my developing thinking for my East End London project. Hunter has produced many photographic series and in my review I’ve focused on those which seem particularly relevant to my own work. Tom Hunter has kindly given me permission to reproduce his photographs in this post. I have downloaded the photographs from Tom’s website here.  Many thanks Tom.

REVIEW OF WORK

Brick Lane

The first series in the book are some early black and white street photographs of Brick Lane. Brick lane is street renouned for its market and links to the rag trade. These days it is the centre of the Bangladeshi community and has become a bit of a tourist destination. Hunter had a market stall on Brick Lane and used to take photographs of his customers. Hunter’s fascination with photographing East London began early. Most of these photographs are portraits and Hunter’s desire to present his subjects with dignity is apparent.

Ridley Road Market

This is series of pinhole photographs of the frontages of shops in the Ridley Road market area of Hackney. The extreme wide angle of the pinhole records the full extent of the produce on display on the stalls in front of the shops. What is fascinating about this series is the way Hunter has used it to document the cultural diversity in his local community The use of pinhole also makes the images seem a little dreamlike (my impression) which could be an allusion to the transient nature of the population in Hackney.

The Ghetto

This is a series of portraits Hunter’s friends and neighbours made when he was studying for his photography degree at the London College of Printing in 1993/94. The title is taken from a headline in a local newspaper which described the area Hunter and his neighbours lived in as  “a crime-ridden, derelict ghetto, a cancer – a blot on the landscape.” The photographs were used as part of a campaign to save the community from developers and Hackney council. Fourteen years later the community is still very much intact. The portraits show the residents to be just ordinary folk, living their lives. Many are averting their gaze which conveys a sense of vulnerability. Hunter’s use of a large format camera and transparency film gives the photographs a distinct quality, somewhat akin to an oil painting. The colours are rich and the images shows the interiors in great detail.  Interestingly Hunter displayed the transparencies in a 3D model of the squatted street in Hackney where they all lived.

Prayer Places

This is a series of  interiors of buildings used for religious ceremonies, including mosques, churches and meeting houses. They were taken with a pinhole camera which provides a very wide angled view. As for the Ridley Road market images this series is another way of looking at the diversity within Hunter’s locality. How does one portray religious diversity through photography. This is one approach. I think it works very well. There is a contemplative feeling about the photographs which are low key and rich in colour.

Holly Street 

This series of  portraits is of the residents of the Holly Street estate, Hackney. They were made in 1997 when this estate was was about to be demolished. It is a sensitive portrayal of the residents. As with his other portrait series Hunter affords his subjects with dignity and gravitas. The portraits are environmental giving significant prominence to the rooms within which the subjects are pictured. One can look at these portraits on many levels. For the subjects themselves they are about memory. For the social historian they are a documentary record of living conditions in the late 90s. For the casual viewer they are ripe for exploration. I found myself looking for linkages between the subject and their possessions. In this particular portrait for example the tidiness, the shield and picture of the Queen, the desk with its huge chair all give me the impression of an organised person who has spent time in the military. This leads on to my wondering about where this man has served and so on.

Holly Street Voids

This is a companion series to Holly Street in which Hunter has photographed the interiors of empty flats in Holly Street. In the absence of the occupier of the flat the imagination has free rein to consider who used to live here. The emptiness of the rooms also rams home a sense of absence and loss which refers directly to the impending demolition of the building.

Persons Unknown

This is another series of photographs relating to Hunter’s experiences squatting in Hackney. The title refers to the addressee on the eviction notice received by each of the residents.  The postures and gestures reference Vermeer’s paintings and are designed to give dignity and  status to the community. As I mentioned in my introduction referencing high art in photographs of everyday modern life in his community is an approach which Hunter has used on several occasions. He does it with a clear purpose – to elevate the status of his subjects. I think it works. The photograph below is perhaps one of his best known.