The Wolfson Space, LCF

In January 2025, I was part of a group show of techne artist researchers at The Wolfson Space, LCF.

This was the first showing of The Nita Harvey Archive archival photographs (which I hand-printed and wet-processed on a new DeVere 504), together with my performance photographs wearing her remade Hollywood costumes, revisiting her archival journey and the 1930s Hollywood casting couch story she told me as a child. Exhibiting archival analogue colour C-type handprints, DeVere 504 glass plate prints, collage, 3-D archival prints and my C-type practice photographs and 16mm # Bolex film stills, shot in L.A./ USA (2022).

Curated and organised by Julia Schuerman, Joanne Begiato (LCF) and Alison Green. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DEpw2GZI0Vj/

Research Forum Seminar Room, The Courtauld Institute of Art, Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 0RN

I’m giving a lecture on Friday 23rd February 2018, from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm at The Courtauld Institute of Art, London. It’s open to the public & free. (You don’t need a ticket, turn up ten minutes early). The title of my paper is:

Nita Harvey’s Archive: the role of clothes in the life and career of an English actress (c.1930)

I will be showing unpublished images from Nita Harvey’s archive, see two examples below (Nita, top right & bottom left).

Q & A afterwards, then..pub! All my guests will be brought a half pint. (Hope there’s not too many of you.)

 

 

Nita- self portraits at home (London) & Hollywood publicity film set still.

I think these are ‘self portraits’ by Nita orchestrated with the help of her mother, taken at home in London with domestic tungsten lighting (standing lamps). It looks like Nita has emulated the Hollywood 1930’s style of under-lighting the face to create drama. The image of her holding a cigarette below is very reminiscent of a well known Garbo photo- I will try and find the image of Garbo- it feels like a subliminal 30’s Hollywood image. Can you see the chemical marks running from her forehead to her chin? These are on the tiny passport sized print (I don’t have a negative for this). I love the documented decay of the process here.

I also need to start to collect images of Nita’s hands- they are quite extraordinary- and carry on being so later in life, circa 1960. See below:

The dirt, chemical traces & colour on the print surface below feels tangible and gritty. A reminder of the analogue process and time itself.

Above: Striking domestic ‘self portraits’, circa 1935.

Below: Hollywood, Paramount film set photograph, “Search for Beauty”, 1933

Claude Cahun

 

I took this photo of one of the Claude Cahun self portraits shown at the NPG, London. (Before I got told off and asked to put my phone away!) Its not a good picture of the work but it shows the way in which the photographs were printed & exhibited-  I think exquisitely.

The photographs by CC were small, like miniatures- quietly powerful. They stay with you. There is another show of her work in the Sydney Cooper Gallery in Canterbury- I’m going next week. Can’t wait!

The performative element, the self-portraiture and the playful questioning of gender and identity through masquerade..I find her so contemporary. How did she manage that almost a century ago? Maybe some artists are timeless or just way ahead of they’re time. She was part of the Surrealist movement who have arguably transcended time with many of their ideas and works. And it seems now is Claude Cahun’s time to shine, posthumously.

More images of hers below that I found inspiring:

 

(Notes: make 3-D model in 360 degrees &  place in dome.

Collage butterfly tree of Nita faces in dome.

Remake, ‘After Claude Cahun’ in garden)

 

Reference ideas for Nita gloves photograph: lit as below:

Collage (50p) of gloved hands/black velvet/ filed nails.

(found photo, old 50p)

Reference ideas for interior/ Collage & studio: I like the spooky unnerving quality of the images below..they raise more questions than they answer.