Reviews |Wex Photo Video to launch More Than An Image 2017 short films, exhibition

Wex Photo Video to launch More Than An Image 2017 short films, exhibition

Wex Photo Video to launch More Than An Image 2017 short films, exhibition
News

Wex Photo Video is launching a series of short films and an exhibition showcasing the work of five photographers who overcame significant personal challenges in order to create their body of work.

More Than An Image 2017 follows the work of photographers Ian Treherne, Jim Mortram, Hannah Laycock, Giles Duley and Daniel Regan.

Wex says the exhibition is intended to explore the reasons behind why we take photos, and the stories behind a photographer’s work.

The shot films will be published online each week from Monday 16 October, and an exhibition of the photographers’ images will debut in November. The first films for release will be by Ian Treherne and Jim Mortram.

Wex Photo Video – More than an image

The Blind Photographer, Ian Treherne

Ian was born profoundly deaf and has used film and photography from childhood to help him cope with anxiety and isolation.

When, aged 15, Ian was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease that will eventually lead to him losing his vision entirely, he became determined to forge a career in photography.

His work is evocative and challenging, with a unique style that reflects the limited field of his own vision. The camera acts as an equaliser for Ian, as looking through the lens allows a similar limited field of vision as he experiences in his daily life.

Ian uses photography as a tool to compensate for his lack of sight, helping him to express himself and connect with the world on his own terms.

It helps him combat the sense of isolation, anxiety and stress brought about by his condition and to confront and come to terms with the reality of one day losing his eyesight completely.

A Duty of Care, Jim Mortram

Jim Mortram is the creator of Small Town Inertia, an award-winning documentary and portraiture series focusing on the market town of Dereham, Norfolk.

Having been a carer for his mother from a young age, Jim developed an anxiety disorder so severe that he didn’t speak for almost a year.

Being loaned a camera by a school friend arrested his descent into depression and near total isolation, ultimately providing a lifeline to his community and a sense of belonging for himself.

Initially using the camera for his own recovery, Jim now turns the lens on those living on the margins of society, highlighting the need, fear and daily battles that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The first film will be launched online on Monday 16 October, with films released weekly until 13 November. The exhibition of their images will go on display from 1 November at the new flagship London Wex Photo Video store, due to open at the end of October.

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