Photo: Steve Kilmartin.

Street life through the lens

Contrasting views of street life in London and India is the theme of the new Zoom Arts photography exhibition which opens shortly at its St Leonards Warrior Square station gallery. Nick Terdre reports.

Photo: Steve Kilmartin.

The show will feature photos by Steve Kilmartin and Tony Ellis. Steve travelled to India in March especially for the assignment, spending two weeks at Maha Shivaratri, the holiest Hindu festival. The festival takes place in Varanasi, also known as Benares, an ancient city on the banks of the Ganges: at more than 3,000 years old, it is believed to be the oldest city which is still inhabited in the world.

During the festival the city’s population doubles overnight to some three million, Steve says. It becomes exceptionally crowded, and personal space does not exist. On the other hand, no one takes much notice of a man wandering around brandishing a camera.

Steve’s colour photos will be juxtaposed with black-and-white pictures taken in London by Tony Ellis, who also found some striking characters to shoot. The show is a contribution to the ongoing debate about the respective merits of colour and black-and-white in the world of photography.

Photo: Tony Ellis.

In June, Steve’s photos will be exhibited at the Hoxton Basement in Hoxton Street, Shoreditch, as part of the end-of-year show for the degree he is close to finishing at the University of Kent in Tonbridge.

Zoom’s previous show at the Warrior Square station gallery went well, raising a total of £141 for the Hastings Lifeboat.

The next exhibition at the Warrior Square station gallery, in early May, will feature work by Rachel Hoath, a cast and fused glass artist who teaches fused glass techniques at her studio in Bexhill. Rachel will be on hand to talk about how the work is made.

In mid May, the gallery will host an exhibition of photographs by John Scowen, one of Zoom’s founder members. John will be displaying a wide range of images, including portrait work and landscapes.

And rounding off a busy period for the group, in late April/early, May Zoom Arts will be presenting Full House, an exhibition of members’ work at Stade Hall.

Photo: Tony Ellis.

Street Life Through The Lens Zoom Gallery, Warrior Square Station, Kings Road, St Leonards-on-Sea TN37 6HL. Wednesday 20 – Sunday 24 April, 10am-4.30pm. Free entry. Private viewing at 7.30pm on Friday 22 April.

Full House Zoom Arts members exhibition. Stade Hall, Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings TN34 3FJ. Saturday 30 April – Sunday 8 May. Free entry.

Rachel Hoath Exhibition of glass works. Zoom Gallery, Warrior Square Station. Monday 2 – Sunday 8 May, 1.30-4.30pm. Free entry. See here for more information on her work and workshops.

John Scowen Exhibition of photography. Zoom Gallery, Warrior Square Station. Monday 9 – Sunday 15 May, 9.30am-3.30pm. Free entry.

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