Face to Face: The Moving Portrait, the debut solo exhibition featuring ground-breaking new work by established music photographer Tom Oxley,
Tom Oxley’s innovative portfolio of never before seen video portraits include prolific musicians of our time, with Azealia Banks, Professor Green, Mark Ronson, Wretch 32, The Maccabees, Rizzle Kicks, Johnny Marr and Miles Kane amongst others, being projected larger than life onto the gallery’s interior walls.
Each moving portrait, accompanied by a soundtrack of the artist’s choice, enables the viewer to study each subject up close and personal, providing them with an intimacy into the character of the artist.
The technique used for the installation pays homage to the practice of 19th century photographers and expertly delivers these methods into the 21st century for a modern audience.
Sitters in the past would often have to remain still for an extended period of time (usually up to three minutes) whilst the exposure set onto a glass plate. In today’s world, we rely on the speed of modern cameras to capture the subject’s personality in a split second.
The installation aims to show that it is this play on time, extending the frame of portraiture, which becomes the greater study in character.
Speaking about the project, Oxley said:
“The idea behind this project is to combine both the media of photography and video, and push them forward together. I really want people to stop and think, then instantly connect with what is in front of them. This allows the viewer to stand back and truly take notice of what they are seeing, where subtle movements from the subject create a striking visual impact.”
The portraiture landscape has changed dramatically in recent years, with different media bringing new and exciting challenges. By treating viewers to a full three-minute high definition portrait on a large scale, Oxley wishes to show artists who are finely in tune with today’s culture and mood, and bring their own distinctive and creative spark, that will add to the unique essence and integrity of the installation.
About the Artist
Tom Oxley
Alongside his love for photography and all things visual, music has always been inspirational to Oxley. It was therefore a natural progression to move into an area that combines both so he could continue discovering new music, and work directly with the musicians themselves. Over the last few years Oxley as had the pleasure of working with some of the most famous artists in the world, including Adele, Rihanna, Coldplay, Kings of Leon, Nicki Minaj and Florence & The Machine to name a few.
This exciting and new form of photography has already evolved and Oxley is already in pre-production on various other genres for installation, including footballers, glamour models, astronauts and sumo wrestlers.