Many thanks to The Guardian for featuring COMMUNITY + CONNECTION a new exhibition from #f22aop women photographers created to celebrate International Women’s Day.
You can read the full Guardian article here, and see all the work featured in the exhibition here
I am pleased to be exhibiting alongside a supportive community of multi talented photographers: Lesley Lau, Nicola Tree, Helen Roscoe, Felicity Crawshaw, Jayne Jackson, Gabrielle Motola, Danielle Kalinovskis, Jenny Lewis, Eleanor Church, Scarlet Page, Karen Yeomans, Fiona Freund, Denise Maxwell, Carol Sharp.
Aldermaston Women meet every month setting up their tents outside the main gates of the UK’s Atomic Weapons Establishment. I visited last December on the 40th anniversary of Embrace the Base, where it turned into the coldest weekend of the year as temperatures dropped to minus seven degrees. Undeterred by freezing conditions (many of these women had experienced harsh winters at Greenham Common) and fueled by hot tea and field-kitchen food they continued their [almost] peaceful protest highlighting the futility of nuclear weapons with workshops, talks and song. Warning that “the creation and storage of Atomic Nuclear Weapons brings with it the threat of ultimate destruction.”
The exhibition Community & Connection was created by f22aop women photographers and the work of all 15 selected artists can be viewed here.
My thanks to the judges Andy Greenacre, Photography Director at The Telegraph. Jennie Ricketts, Independent Photography Editor. Fiona Shields, Head of Photography at The Guardian. Jane Sherwood, News Editor at Getty Images.
Special thanks to Aldermaston Women and Greenham Women Everywhere! Wishing you all a very happy International Women’s Day #embraceequity
Happy new year everyone. Many thanks again for your continued support, and to all the talented and generous teams I had the good fortune to work with throughout 2022.
I wish you all a happy, healthy and inspiring new year.
Love Wendy x
Here is a snapshot of last year’s highlights as chosen by Instagram’s #bestnine Click links for stories and team credits.
Artist Jemima Brown recently published Peace Camp, a new book showcasing her unique and fascinating figurines, and to mark the 40th Anniversary of the Women’s Peace Camp at Greenham Common.
Her mixed media sculptures have extraordinary life-like features and expressions. They sit atop vintage Thermos flasks and Campingaz lamps, dressed in individually crafted hand knits and protest t-shirts emblazoned with tiny CND badges.
Last year I documented the Greenham Womenanniversary march – 110 miles from Cardiff to Greenham Common. This is me at the end of day #8. I think there are definitely some similarities with Jemima Brown’s sleeping figurines!
Unfortunately our right to peaceful protest is still under threat as our Government tries to force through another bill, this despite the fact that the public and the House of Lords rejected their last attempts. To stop the bill, please take a look at the Greenpeace petition here.
The Power of Women charity uses creativity to champion equality and diversity of women and girls, culminating in their annual arts festival to celebrate International Women’s Day. The art auction and exhibition has been created to help raise funds to support POW‘s charitable work, notably the continuing issue of violence against women.
“Artists featured in this auction include internationally renowned artists, students and recent graduates, and people who create for their own enjoyment including young people. Everyone can create art!“
The 40 artworks up for auction can be viewed online here, or in person at the Hotel Michele exhibition space in Margate. Bidding opens online from next Wednesday 16th November.
I am delighted to discover that I have also won both the Documentary and Landscape categories in this years Julia Margaret Cameron awards! Again, my complete and sincere thanks to the JMC judging panelfor selecting my work, which I hope will help to highlight some of the issues illustrated below :
WINNER DOCUMENTARY SINGLE :
This is Kate Morrissey who received a custodial sentence as a result of her heroin addiction. She is now an NHS manager, and leads campaigns to bring about reform of the criminal justice system. See her moving and inspiring TED talk “Do we truly believe in rehabilitation?”
WINNER LANDSCAPE SERIES :
‘More Wallander than Broadchurch, this small seaside hamlet sits between vast wastelands and the Channel. A singular ribbon of mid-century houses, with strange street furniture and incongruous planting, standing in exposed isolation at the Edge of England’. A series from my project Urban Palms.
HONORABLE MENTION DOCUMENTARY SERIES :
These images were taken last year on the road from Cardiff to Greenham Common. I documented a reenactment of the nine day 110 mile protest march that started the Greenham Women’s Peace Camp – the largest female-led protest since suffrage. To find out more about this initiative please take a look at the work by activist group Greenham Women Everywhere, or check out my previous blog post on this event here.
Massive congratulations to all the other winners and finalists in this year’s JMC awards.
I am extremely honored to have this project selected by the judges – Jennie Ricketts trustee at Autograph Gallery and the Martin Parr Foundation, and Isabelle Von Ribbentrop the Executive Director of the Prix Pictet.
The Greenham Women’s Peace Camp was the largest female-led protest since suffrage, and led to the international ban of Cruise missiles. But this extraordinary event has largely been written out of history. Last year the activist group Greenham Women Everywhere recreated the protest march from Cardiff to Newbury [that started the Peace Camp] to once again highlight the achievements of these remarkable women.
It was an honor to walk alongside and document this new protest march from Cardiff to Greenham Common. Below is a series of 15 selected works, from this extensive project, that have been shortlisted for the 37th Association of Photographers(AOP)Awards.
Walking for 110 miles over nine days, the pain of polluted roads and thunderous traffic was accompanied by camaraderie and song.
Original Greenham Women shared inspiring, and sometimes terrifying stories, of their time spent at the peace camp, with a new generation of impassioned activists.
Their aim, to highlight the urgent crises of the climate emergency, nuclear weapons escalation, daily violence against women, extreme hunger, and social inequality, could not be more timely.
Having my work chosen for this category, in a genre I am not generally known for, really means a lot to me. I hope that my photography will help highlight the important work initiated by Greenham Women Everywhere.
Many thanks to The Times for featuring one of my images from the Greenham Women 110 mile protest march.
Bringing together original Greenham Women with a new generation of activists. “Walking in the footsteps of our foremothers to highlight the multi crises of the climate emergency, nuclear weapons escalation, extreme hunger, social inequality, daily violence against women, and more.”
A series of this work has been chosen as a finalist in the 37th AOP photography awards.
I am very proud to have one of my images selected for the Turner Contemporary Poster Exhibition together with this roll call of extraordinary artists.
The exhibition is part of the Turner Contemporary Open which runs until 20th February 2022. The various posters can be seen dotted around East Kent railway stations creating a kind of art trail treasure hunt. Please let me know if you spot this one.
My featured image is part of an ongoing series titled On This Line That Divides. An exploration of the extraordinary Dymchurch Wall, a four mile sea defence on the south Kent coast overlooking vast sands, and where refugees have recently come ashore.
Thank you for your continued support and kindness throughout another extraordinary year. I wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday and an inspiring and fulfilling 2022.
Another chance to see selected photography from my Greenham Common portfolio, opening today at The Base Greenham. All images were taken at the Greenham Women’s Peace Camp in January / February 1985.
I am excited to be exhibiting alongside Jemima Brown‘s wonderful Peace Camp figures. Also at the gallery will be David Hockney‘s Hockney & Hollywood.
A new exhibition of my COMMON PEOPLE photography (including previously unseen images) opens at The Base this autumn. I am delighted to be showing my work alongside Jemima Brown‘s Peace Camp, and David Hockney‘s Hockney & Hollywood.
In 1981 a group of 36 women walked from Cardiff, Wales, to Newbury, Berkshire. It took them ten days to walk the 110 miles, some pushing children in pushchairs, sleeping in tents and church halls on the way. Their peaceful protest was against the siting of American nuclear missiles on British common land. On arrival they set up camp outside RAF Greenham Common. This was the beginning of the legendary Greenham Women’s Peace Camp.
Despite this being the largest female-led protest since suffrage, this extraordinary event has largely been written out of history. So to mark it’s 40th anniversary, and to get people talking again about the achievements of these remarkable women, the group Greenham Women Everywhere (GWE) are re-creating the march; following as close as possible to the original route and staying overnight in the same areas.
I photographed the Greenham Women’s Peace Camp in 1985 when I was a photography student, and now GWE have invited me to join them on their new march. I will be documenting the walkers, the rallies, the camping, the singing and the many cups of tea. From when the march leaves Cardiff, and throughout the following ten days until arrival at Greenham Common.
It will be a huge honor to be part of this pilgrimage. I hope that my photography will help highlight the importance of peaceful protest, and the remarkable achievements made by the original Greenham Women.
For more information about Greenham Women Everywhere and details of the march please click here
If you would like to buy me or my assistant a cup of tea to fuel us on our journey I have set up an account with ko-fihere.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor to help me bring this project to fruition, I would love to hear from you. The easiest way is to DM me through my Instagram channel, or message me through my website www.wendycarrig.co.uk
Many thanks as always for your support and for reading my blog.
“The timing couldn’t be more crucial as we face the multiple, cascading crises of the climate emergency, nuclear weapons escalation, daily violence against women, extreme hunger, social inequality – and so much more. We need to stand on the shoulders of our foremothers and carry their campaigns for peace and justice forward, while securing the Greenham Women’s unique place in activist history.”
Someone’s Daughter is an important new photography exhibition created by The View Magazine, lead campaigners for the rights of women in the criminal justice system. The View has commissioned twenty five international photographers, each to create new portraits of a woman activist/former prisoner, and a leading woman in the field of law/human rights. It was my pleasure and honour to photograph two extraordinary and inspiring women – campaigner Kate Morrissey and artist Rachel Ara.
.
.
.
Kate Morrissey and Zane
The final portraits are being kept under wraps until the big revealwhen the Someone’s Daughter exhibition opens at Photo London this autumn. The exhibition will then go on tour to venues including the House of Lords, and the National Justice Museum. The portraits will be auctioned, raising funds to help The View Magazine continue their vital work supporting women prisoners and their families, and a copy of each portrait will be donated to the National Portrait Gallery for it’s permanent collection.
.
.
Rachel Ara
.
My thanks to The View Magazine, it’s an honour to be included in this important initiative. The exhibition will be curated by renowned photography expert Jennie Ricketts, former picture editor of the Observer magazine, and trustee at Autograph gallery and the Martin Parr Foundation. I’m pleased to be exhibiting alongside photographers Alba Duque, Amelia Troubridge, Billie Scheepers, Carol Allen-Storey, Conor Horgan, Craig Easton, David O’Driscoll, Emily Garthwaite, Felicity Crawshaw, Gavin Smith, Hannah Starkey, Harry Borden, Jennie Baptiste, Kristina Varaksina, Laura Pannack, Nadav Kander, Nick Haddow, Nick Knight, Poulomi Basu, Sara Bennett.
You can see the full exhibition at Photo London from 8th-12th September 2021. Photo London is open to the public and tickets can be purchased here. Further exhibition dates and venues to be announced. If you wish to support The View Magazine you can subscribe or make a donation here.
Women Photograph aims to reshape the makeup of the photojournalism community, ensuring “…the industry’s chief storytellers are as diverse as the communities they hope to represent.”
Established in 2017 Women Photograph is a non-profit created to elevate the voices of women & non-binary photographers. My thanks to Women Photograph founder Daniella Zalcman for inviting me to join and support this important group of 1000 female photojournalists, representing 100 countries.
Every day the Women Photograph team records the lead photo bylines from the front pages of eight major international newspapers, including The New York Times, Le Monde and TheGuardian. Here are the stats from the most recent quarter:
The JMC awards havetaken their name from pioneering photographer Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879) who is recognised as one of the foremost photographers of the 19th Century.
I’m delighted to have my work selected for the 16th JMC awards, especially in genres I am not usually known for. The work is all from my personal projects : Don’t Look Now, ALL at SEA and On This Line That Divides.
I am delighted to be exhibiting a portfolio of my Greenham Common photography at The Pie Factory Margate as part of POW Festival 2021
POW! is a charity celebrating and exploring issues around feminism, women and girls, and their annual festival is designed to coincide with International Women’s Day celebrations.
To accompany the opening of Actions of Art and Solidarity at the Kunstnernes Hus Norway this week, the curatorial team at the Office for Contemporary Art, Norway invited participating artists to contribute ideas for a protestplaylist.
Actions of Art & Solidarity opened today at the Kunstnernes Hus Oslo. This international group exhibition has been curated by the Office for Contemporary Art Norway (OCA) and I am absolutely thrilled to be invited as a participating artist, showing an extensive portfolio of my Greenham Common photography.
“…includes works by both national and international artists operating in the name of cultural, socio-political and environmental solidarity across various geographies and contexts…”
I am of course disappointed that I can’t be in Norway for the opening events, but I am hoping that I may get to see the exhibition [and meet the team] at the Kunstnernes Hus before it closes on March 21st. My sincere thanks to Katya Garcia-Anton, director and chief curator at OCA; Elsa Itzel Archundia Esquivel; Liv Brissach; also Astrid Vostermans the contemporary art publisher and founder of Valiz who is publishing the accompanying reader.
“Solidarity has re-entered the global zeitgeist with resounding force in the last decade. It has driven new thinking focused on countering systemic failures and outright abuses related to climate, economy, surveillance, health, gender and race amongst other issues. Actions of Art and Solidarity considers the central role that artists play within this historical shift in the new millenium, drawing parallels to synergic cases of the twentiethcentury.“
Photography copyright Wendy Carrig. All rights reserved
Beatriz Gonzales, Mural para fabrica socialista (detail( 1981)
Wendy Carrig 