Colour or color

Photo © Carlos Perez Siquier

Whatever way you spell it doesn't matter but its a pretty exciting week coming up with the Martin Parr curated show 'Colour before Color: 1970's European Color Photography' at the Hasted Hunt gallery in New York opening on June 7 and running through July 20.

There seems to be no avoiding Mr Parr, prolific is not the word his influence is inescapable and whether you like or dislike his own work you cannot begrudge his obvious passion for the art and his unique view on the world. He is not only a photographer but an author, curator, collector. I am a huge fan, surprise, and he has had a huge influence on me from the git go. Reread an earlier post here, to see how early on he had an effect.

Photo © Peter Mitchell

The show features work by Luigi Ghirri, Keld Helmer-Petersen, Peter Mitchell, Carlos Perez Siquier, Ed Van der Elsken (none of whom I am familiar with) and John Hinde (with whom I am very familiar).

Joerg 'Conscientious' Colberg has a terrific conversation with Parr about the show here and the significance of these photographers in the history of color photography.

I have touched on John Hinde a little before. Anyone growing up in Ireland or the UK in the 50's, 60's and 70's will particularly remember his bright colour saturated postcards that may seem a little twee now but were revolutionary @ the time. Hinde born in England dabbled in photography early on and after several ventures in and out of it, including owning his own circus for a short time, he settled in Ireland and turned his hand to making postcards. The wonderful book 'Our True Intent Is All For Your Delight' a collection of John Hinde's Butlins Photographs is not only magical for the pictures but for the introduction by Parr and the interviews of the 3 photographers who worked for Hinde and the studio he created. I found the text to be most illuminating and educational. I grew up in Dublin only a few miles from where Hinde first started and my uncle Michael worked on the printing presses when the company expanded from its makeshift digs in Bullock Harbor to a brand new high tech custom built facility in Cabinteely in the 60's. We always got new calenders every year, Hinde style.

By the mid 60's John Hinde Ltd. was one of the largest postcard companies in the world. His visual style was clearly obvious and although he would stop taking the photographs himself it is hard to distinguish between Hindes work and that of the three young photographers he hired and trained to shoot a certain way, his way.

Photo © John Hinde Studios

The Butlins images are a little different from those on the cards, For those of you unfamiliar with Butlins it was a holiday camp and became something of a Britsh Institution enjoying a heyday in the 60's and 70's. They had various locations across the UK and were something of a low tech Disneyland where the guests were locked in at night and were woken early to the infamous 'Wakey Wakey' breakfast call that would bellow from the camps tannoy (loudspeaker). Hinde was commissioned to photograph the camps as his hallmark bright colours were ideal for their promotion. Alot of the shots were interiors and elaborate lighting with flash was required. The interviews in the back of the book with all three photographers, Elmar Ludwig, Edmund Nagele and David Noble are fascinating and well worth the read. They explain the process of both the Butlins photographs and the postcards and share their own unique experiences on working with Hinde.

Photo © John Hinde Studios

There is little to be found of Hinde on the web. He sold the company in 1972 and all but disappeared. The Butlins pictures had such an affect on Parr (he himself had worked @ Butlins as a camp photographer) that he set about generating enthusiasm for Hindes work which eventually culminated in a retrospective show at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in Dublin in 1993. Hinde attended the show, Parr together with David Lee the shows researcher had tracked him to the Dourdogne in France. He was never that enthusiastic about the Butlins photographs it turned out and couldn't understand their significance.

"he was a populist who tried to create imagery that would have mass appeal" MP

Hinde died in 1997 @ the age of 81 and the company that bears his name is still in existence although www.johnhinde.com never seems to be working quite right, there is some additional info here.

I am very much looking forward to seeing the show. The gallery will host a discussion with Parr and a distinguished but as yet unannounced panel on June 20 from 5pm to 6pm followed by a reception.