100 Beats of the Clock by Charles Twist

In 2011, Middlesbrough Council awarded Charles Twist a project to produce 100 photographs of the Transporter Bridge as part of the centenary celebrations. The results go on show for two weeks at the Heritage Gallery at Cargo Fleet. 

 
The project is a tribute to the bridge and a homage to industry on Teesside. Using an old half-plate camera and a vintage lens to reflect the age of the Bridge, Charles took 100 pictures of the Bridge in one day, at regular intervals from dawn to dusk from the same position. In this way, the composition doesn't change, but the subject and lighting mutate slowly throughout the sequence. The pictures were captured on Ilford Direct Positive Paper to mimic the old printing-out papers. The fascination here is that the print on display is the actual paper that was in the camera on the day: there are no negatives or digital files. Each picture is absolutely unique and directly connected to the time and place. There are a lot of ideas to intrigue the viewer: the implicit and explicit rhythms which speak of mechanisation and industry; the reference to recent artistic movements (esp. repetitive minimalism); the use of vintage equipment which shifts the viewer's historical standpoint.

 

Private Viewing: 19th January 2012

 

Exhibition runs until 3/2/2012