Guest Lecture: Karen McQuaid

Karen McQuaid is a highly experienced and respected curator working at The Photographers' Gallery in London. Karen will be discussing the workings of the gallery as well as giving her insights into contemporary photography. This is an opportunity not to be missed.

Growing up Karen was unable to get access to books. Neither at her home or within her town therefore she found work within a magazine shop. From that she found interest in fashion. She always wanted to read books as she felt she would be able to learn a lot from them, in which she did. 

She completed a degree in fashion at Epsom university but this was only the beginning of her career.

Karen showed us some of the exhibitions and books she has helped put together for various photographers. They were much more than just a photo on a wall. There was so much engagement with the photographs, especially with Lorenzo Vitturi's exhibition, Dalston Anatomy. He had re-made the sculpture inside the gallery space alongside the images he took of that sculpture. There was also dialogue that he had from the conversations had at Ridley Road Market printed onto the carpet which had been placed on the floor. I really love that idea of bringing the photographs to life by presenting the objects taken in that frame. 

From her talk I grabbed a few photographers names that I had never heard of before but the work seemed interesting but also the ones that I had forgotten about, such as Jim Goldberg. She said Jim had an exhibition coming up at The Photographers' Gallery which I think will be an interesting one to keep an eye on. I quite like his work and has fed into my work in the past. She also advised us to take a look at Fotopub. 

Exhibitions are a great way to get work seen and display your work in a more creative way other than by book or online. With some of the exhibitions Karen showed to us objects that made the photos are brought into the gallery space. This is such an engaging way for people to interact with their work which I think is great. It is definitely something I will consider when putting up my exhibition. Kerry Curl done the same by bringing in the TV, sofa and more to the exhibition alongside her images. It definitely catches the viewers attention and brings the images to life.