News
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Thames in Focus: Photographers Capture Spirit of the River
A new season of photography opens at the River & Rowing Museum, Henley on Thames from 4 September 2010, featuring two special exhibitions which capture diverse aspects of life on the River Thames.
The photography season opens with Iain Weir - Sports Photographer, a striking exhibition of contemporary sports photography providing vivid snapshots into the physical challenges and triumphs at some of the UK’s top sporting events. A keen rower himself, Weir has been photographing major sporting events for over 2 years, capturing events from the Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race to the Henley Swim. Weir’s photographs will be exhibited for the first time ever from 4 September –14 November 2010.
Iain Weir says: “I am very excited to be holding my first ever exhibition at the River & Rowing Museum. As a rower, my experiences in a boat have influenced the pictures I like and choose to show people. Rowing is such an emotionally charged sport, a culmination of the extreme sacrifice and hard work that goes into a season married with a brutally honest assessment of your efforts as you cross the finish line. Having enjoyed all of these emotions at some point during my own rowing career, there's something I can identify with in almost all of the photos I've taken.”
Alongside Iain Weir - Sports Photographer is the fourth in a series of photographic exhibitions on the People of the Thames by Jil Orpen (11 September - 7 November 2010), offering unexpected glimpses into the lives of the wide spectrum of people that are influenced by the river. The exhibition examines why it has such an impact on these people, through photographs, interviews and poetry.
Jil Orpen says: “There is more to people’s lives on the non-tidal Thames than events and a place to live and work. Thought and emotion also play a large part in our interest in this waterway. As a photographer, I am constantly aware of the River Thames’ historic and natural aspects but, am conscious too how it influences many. Its flow stimulates thoughts; brings pleasure, provokes moods, gives a sense of renewal and challenges people. I hope that I’ve managed to express this intangible sense in the photographs and audio interviews in this collection.”
Exhibitions
Iain Weir - Sports Photographer
4 September –14 November 2010
With a rowing bias, photographer Iain Weir has captured the essence of several sporting events by trying to marry his knowledge of the sports as a participant with an eye for photography. Amongst the collection are a selection of images commissioned on behalf of BBC Sport, as well as three years coverage of the Henley Swim and other sporting events.
People of the Thames
11 September – 7 November 2010
The fourth in a series of photographic exhibitions on the People of the Thames who are connected with the river along its non-tidal reach, between the Source and Teddington Lock. The river is a fundamentally important part of England’s history. The exhibition examines why it has such an influence on these people, through photographs, interviews and poetry. Jil Orpen will be giving talks on her exhibition in the Kirkham Gallery on 11 September and 2 October 2010 at 3pm.
For more information, please visit the RRM website.
