Earlier this summer an exciting new exhibition opened at Dimbola Museum and Galleries.
Portrait of an Island was created by Isle of Wight photographic collaborators, Steve Blamire and Julian Winslow.
The exhibition, showcasing the depth of contemporary cultural talent living and working on the Isle of Wight, is part of the 2015 Julia Margaret Cameron bicentenary celebrations.
Imaginative use of props
The work produced by Steve and Julian draws on Julia’s pioneering style to form a contemporary representation of the Island community in 21st century.
Although we’re not sure Julia was quite as inventive as Steve and Julian have been with props (you’ll understand what this means when you see the exhibition)!
The exhibition features a whole host of Island characters – from artists and architects, to artisans and musicians.
A truly exciting prospect
Steve Blamire says,
“The opportunity to produce a new body of work for Dimbola during Julia’s bicentenary year was a truly exciting prospect. The Island is home to such a deep and rich collection of individuals and this is a subject we have wanted to explore for some time.
“The exhibition is the first stage of the Portrait of an Island project, we will be continuing to shoot a whole range of individuals during the remainder of 2015 ahead of producing a book towards the end of the year.”
Who’s featured
The Island characters featured in the exhibition include: chef Robert Thompson, painter David Firmstone, illustrator Zoe Sadler, farmer Ben Brown, ceramicist Matthew Chambers, architectural designer Lincoln Miles, musician and producer Paul Butler, Ventnor Exchange artistic director Jack Whitewood, writer Hannah George, artist Joanne Hummel-Newell and yours truly, myself and Simon from OnTheWight.
The exhibition closes on 4th October, so make sure you try to make it over to Freshwater before then.
It’s a truly stunning exhibition that we’re very humbled to be included in.
Dimbola is open seven days a week 10am-5pm.
Image: © Julian Winslow and Steve Blamire
