The Backbone, by Ayesha Jones
A selection of photographs from Ayesha Jone’s The Backbone is currently on exhibition at The Royal Photographic Society, Bristol, as part of the group exhibition Shine a Light / Who Dared to Dream.
In the exhibition, curated by the Royal Photographic Society, and on display until the 29th September, the work of six contemporary female photographic artists is shown as a means of shining a light on themselves, both as a tool for understanding and as one for engagement.
The exhibiting artists are Fion Hung-Ching Yan, Ayesha Jones, Tasha Hylton, Trish Crawford ARPS, Caroline Fraser ARPS and Rachel Nixon.
The exhibition presents photographic projects which explore personal stories and histories or seek to effect wider change by raising public awareness. The artists present their themes using a breadth of different approaches including documentary, conceptual, self-portraiture, landscape and the layering of images and artificial intelligence (AI) generated details.
The exhibition is inspired by Joy Gregory’s new book ‘Shining Lights: Black Women Photographers in 1980s-90s Britain, published by MACK, the book brings together 57 photographers whose work spans documentary and conceptual practices. A selection of the work from the book is also on display at the RPS exhibition.
In the exhibition the projects presented cover a range of themes: Medical conditions and the physical and mental impact on individuals, the environmental impact of discarded plastic on our beaches, society’s negative views of older women, an exploration of love and feelings, and a rediscovered family album as a key to understanding the artist’s parents.
Supported by GRAIN Projects.
For more information on the exhibition and visiting the RPS see https://rps.org/exhibitions/to-shine-a-light-who-dared-to-dream/
