Welcome to Gaviworld

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I’ve been planning to make an audio story with friend and painter Gavin Watson for some time.

Gavin’s heading off to Switzerland soon to give a series of talks and exhibit some prints of his paintings. His hosts asked if he could supply a short film about his life as an artist.

It was a request that provided the perfect catalyst for us to do both — record the audio that’s been on my mind for a while and to film Gavin at work in Gaviworld, his home studio in the wilds of Northumberland.

So, I went to stay with Gavin for a couple of days earlier this month. The short film we made can now be viewed at the top of this post.

In time, I’ll compile the rest of the audio recordings into a longer story but, for now, I hope you enjoy this wee film.

Thank you for reading and watching — feel free to leave any thoughts/comments below.

Gavin Watson by Jack Lowe, November 2021

Let’s Get Lost with Jim McHugh

Recently, there seems to have been a fair amount of material resurfacing in the Cybersphere on Jim McHugh’s Polaroid series, Let’s Get Lost.

And little wonder as this great body of work, shot on 5×4″ Polaroid over a fifteen year period in Los Angeles, is now on show at the LAX Exhibition Space in Terminal 3.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jim for a few days in Cologne a while ago.  Seeing this video brings back happy memories of a calm, content man who seemed to have it all going on…

Jim McHugh and Jack Lowe in Cologne, 2008 (photograph by Paul Kenny)

Cornerstones 1996~2004

‘Finn’ by Jack Lowe, available in the Cornerstone Collection

As my about me page describes, I’ve been re-embracing my own photography recently (the whole raison d’être for this site, of course) and it’s amazing to see what can happen when one makes certain mental shifts.

Indeed, print No.1 of Bardsey Island sold within an hour of being released!

No sooner had I collated this Behance Project, which I entitled Cornerstones, then enquiries gently came my way asking about the availability of those images too.

So, I thought you might like to know that I’ve now created the Cornerstone Collection, right here on these pages.

It is comprised of photographs made between 1996 and 2004, all of which have been pivotal to me in some way during what I consider to be the first chapter of my photographic career.

If you are already familiar with my work, you’ll find some old favourites nestling in there…

‘Tree Space 4’ by Jack Lowe, available in the Cornerstone Collection

Apple Meets Analogue

Yesterday, I drove the sixty miles or so north to meet up with my friend and client, Paul Kenny — he needed a hand (moving from the dark side) to install his first Apple computer.

Living in the wilds of Northumberland, Paul’s worked for many years as a photographer, now comfortably bridging his analogue craft with that of the modern digital era.

We often while away a pleasant few hours together here and there — this post is simply a collection of photographs of scenes I’ve observed at Paul’s home.

I hope you enjoy them…

Paul with some work in progress…

Studio notices and a pair of vintage Volvo hubcaps…

Printers’ letterpress tray with knickknacks…

Lift the hood on Paul Kenny’s scanner and you’re sure to find interesting things…

Discarded hand-made negatives and a Heineken barrel…

On the way to lunch — the Cheviot Hills, a pylon and a tree…

Apple meets Analogue…

Now comfortably installed…

Moss

On my way home — a cloudscape between Lowick and Fenwick, Northumberland

Paul will need no introduction to regular visitors of Jack Lowe Studio.

If you’d like to learn more about his incredible cameraless photography, do pay a visit where you’ll find material aplenty.

Welcome to my Latest Creation…

I bid you a warm welcome to this, my newest creation — my newest creation?  Yes, there are others…

You might like to visit them — Jack Lowe Studio documents some of the day-to-day work from my photographic printmaking studio and DigitalBasics shares tutorials on the basics of digital photography.

So, what’s different about this one and why Mr Jack Lowe?

Well, at heart, I consider myself to be a photographer.  With the distractions of life and in the plight to earn a crust, one’s roots can sometimes get left behind or even forgotten in this fast-paced life of ours.

I always said that I would return to my own photography at some point and, after twelve years of dedicating my life to the work of other photographers, I feel the time has come to embrace my own work once more.

To that end, this blog will be my forum and I hope you enjoy it.

A photographer for as long as I can remember…

What to Expect…

Mainly I will share my own work in progress with you, culminating in the periodic release of specially selected images — either as sumptuous Digital Archival Pigment prints or the finest Platinum/Palladium prints, which you will be able acquire and collect if you wish.

Also, expect to see posts on matters that interest me and that I think might be of interest to you too, usually with a photographic slant or connection but perhaps not!

Let me know if there’s anything you like, don’t like or would like to see more — I’m all ears on this new journey…

Mr Jack Lowe…?

Finally, why the formality of Mr Jack Lowe?

This is purely a consequence of the availability of domain names.  It’s happened quite a bit recently with Twitter, Instagram and now this WordPress blog.

With jacklowe already taken, I’ve been opting for mrjacklowe instead — I’ve grown to quite like it and so decided to run with it a little…