Jem Southam: Birds Rivers Rain
13 April - 2 June 2019
Through late autumn and winter months, as the light gathers in towards evening, individual birds gravitate into small groups, flitting above our heads form the top of one building to another. The numbers and the noise steadily increase until they all begin a falling descent into a chosen tree where they will spend the night roosting together for warmth and protection. The birds move around the canopy and chatter for a while, before the whole gathering falls silent, roosting through the dark till dawn. Jem Southam 2018
Jem Southam is a leading British landscape photographer whose work, which explores natural phenomena, is usually presented in series. At Kestle Barton Jem will show a new development in his work in which individual pictures stand alone, each a notation of a moment, on a particular walk, on a given day.
Born in Bristol in 1950, Southam studied at the London College of Printing for a Higher Diploma in Creative Photography in the early 1970s and went on to become Professor of Photography at the University of Plymouth until last year (2018). He has exhibited extensively and has work in major collections around the world.
The theme of walking in nature is reflected in an exciting programme of walks and talks that will accompany the exhibition. A weekend of programming at the end of the exhibition, Representing Nature (1-2 June), will include contributions from Jem Southam. There will be further contributions from well known naturalist/writer Mark Cocker (Crow Country) and the musician and poet, Virginia Astley; who recently published her debut poetry collection, The English River (2018).
Birds Rivers Rain is a partnership exhibition in collaboration with The Arts Institute and The Box, Plymouth and supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Image above: Jem Southam: Buckenham Marshes roost
