Sue Fifer explored this through the work of established photographers and members of the Forum, following the headings used by Jackie Higgins in her book, Why it Does Not Have to be in Focus (Thames and Hudson, 2017). ‘Portraits/Smile’: e.g. John Stezaker & Andy Warhol. ‘Document/Snap’: e.g. Henri Cartier-Bresson & John Baldessari. ‘Still Lifes/Freeze’: e.g. Thomas Demand. ‘Narrarive/Action’: e.g. Keith Arnatt. ‘Landscapes/Look’: e.g. Hiroshi Sugimoto. ‘Abstracts/Dissolve’: Robert Rauschenberg & Alvin Langdon Coburn.
Sue showed much that chimed with Gerry Badger’s view of photography as ‘fiction, metaphor, poetry.’ If a lot of the work also used variously reflections, blurring, shadows, close ups, combined images and eccentric viewpoints, it depended on serendipity and the ability to look and see. The contributions from the Forum were highly individual; as the Canon marketing slogan says, ‘No one sees it like you.’
Photos: 1. No. 3 Bus window, Cambridge, January 2017; 2. Aquarium lights, Hardwick, March 2016