August Sander

With a day off after Amsterdam (you may have missed the back blips linked to yesterday, tsk) but the howling wind proving off-putting for an out-of-town wander, we headed to the Dean Gallery to see the August Sander photography exhibition that I had seen advertised the week before.

It didn't disappoint. This German photographer set himself a massive challenge, photographing the 20th Century. And some of his portraits are just superb. Here we have (since I bought the book of the exhibition), from top left clockwise, the Police Constable (1925); Architect (date unknown); the Boxers (c.1928); and the Odd-Job Man (c.1928). Considering when they were taken (and some were from before the first world war) the clarity in the pictures is astonishing. And they are utterly timeless, without a contrived feel of modern 'posed' portraiture. There is distrust in some eyes (especially in photos of children), and in many of the shots the subject is determinedly not looking into the camera.

Great stuff, and reminiscent of the John Thomson blip of last month. We had a wander round the rest of the gallery, then a laugh at the modern art across the road, before heading back into town for a relaxed late lunch. All doing pretty well at taking my mind off what I am sure will turn into a fight tomorrow at work about finishing up at the end of this month (again, the details are in yesterday's blip - it's just crazy given I'm being made redundant that they still think they can insist I should see out April with them rather than accepting a much MUCH better job that has been offered to me...). Anyway, I've told newjob people that I'm going to start with them on 4th April. And I'm likely going to have to change my references...

Before that, tonight, Taiko drumming week 8, and a further test for my still-sore-probably-bruised ribs from the bike tumble a week and a half ago (basically if my chest is still sore on Friday I'll be going to the doc), and pondering putting in a commission bid for the Japanese prints I like at the Lyon and Turnbull auction tomorrow (there are 25 prints in the lot - I'll likely keep 10, if successful, and sell on the other 15).

And somewhere in the midst of all of this I've got some writing to do about cycling. Busy is good.

Anyway, back to August Sander, and the desire it has sparked in me for my photography. I fancy setting myself a challenge. A task if you like. Much like Sander deciding he was going to photograph the aspects of the 20th century - there was a telling quote on one of the walls about photography being 'documentary', but only if not 'muddled with' too much. It struck a chord. And I've got a few documentary ideas - and Blip is kinda the perfect place to put that documentary.

Delusions of grandeur on my part? Possibly, but then people probably thought that of the likes of Sander as well.