It's somewhat mystifying and disappointing that Bluecoat have allowed Tish Murtha's Youth Unemployment to remain out of print - but the good news is that British Culture Archive (BCA) have stepped into the breach, in collaboration with Tish's daughter Ella. Vandalism On A Grand Scale features the photographs from Youth Unemployment and the searing essay from which the new book's title is taken.
BCA founder Paul Wright recalls being blown away by the series: "What struck me most was how real it felt. I couldn't understand why it wasn't more widely known. That really stayed with me." He's right to be adamant that the images should be available "in a serious and accessible form. For me, publishing isn't just about reproducing photographs. It's about ensuring important work remains visible." That, in a nutshell, is the BCA ethos generally, and it's nice to see them publishing more books.
Murtha's work is also being made visible through a joint exhibition with Kuba Ryniewicz at the Baltic that runs until April next year. As ever, it's somewhat bittersweet: pleasing that her talent is being more widely recognised and celebrated, especially in her native North East, but saddening (and maddening) that she never enjoyed this respect and admiration she deserved during her lifetime.
No comments:
Post a Comment