Recently, we invited the photographer Mick Williamson to deliver the first of what we hope will become regular artist’s talks at darkroom. During the evening, Mick took a deep dive into his decades of image making to coincide with the recent release of his book ‘The Photo Diaries of Mick Williamson’ published by The Silverhill Press, and upcoming documentary ‘The Wordless Diary’, directed by Rod Morris.
Part of Mick's ongoing photographic practice since the mid 1970’s has involved the daily use of a small half-frame camera, to create his ever-evolving body of work. His photographs have been exhibited internationally in both solo and group shows. He was also a senior lecturer in photography, having taught across the globe with his most prolonged tenure at The Cass School of Art (now part of London Metropolitan University).
Mick's painstaking commitment to photography, specifically the black and white analogue process, with which he’s shot and printed everything himself since the 70s, has seen him amass a staggering archive comprising thousands of prints and millions of negatives. Mick walked the audience through his unwavering picture-making process, fuelled by a perpetual curiosity for life and light. A curated selection of his beautiful black and white silver gelatin prints was also on show on the night.
Despite experimenting with various cameras throughout his career, it’s the unassuming Olympus 35mm half-frame camera that has predominantly served as the extension of his eye. Initially purchased to capture snapshots of his children in a more candid manner than his go-to medium format camera at the time, Mick has since shot anywhere between 500-1000 rolls per year, with the half-frame giving 72 shots on a standard roll of film.
Ironically, given such an impressive body of work, is Mick’s seemingly casual approach to photography. Shooting largely with no fixed agenda, his photographs focus on a diverse range of everyday subjects from still life to street, landscapes to snapshots. Subtle motifs can be seen reiterated throughout his work: the outstretched palm of a hand, subjects cast in obscurity, and dynamic compositions—all delicately drenched in light. Mick discussed the importance of light’s ability to transform the mundane into the magical, and looking holistically at his body of work brings into question whether the subject of the work is, in fact, light itself. Mick’s fascination with light invites us all to pay closer attention to our process of going through the world, to get out and shoot, and find silence in the noise of the everyday.
View examples of Mick Williamson’s work here.
