Urban Landscape: Chris Killip Research

 As we are discussing street photography in class, I decided to research on a street photographer's works that I have found to admire.

Chris Killip

 Housing Estate (May 5th, 1981)

The image contains a group of children hanging out on the streets of North Shields and the building behind the children seems to be in an unfortunate state. Chris Killip took this photograph when the three major heavy industries of the nation—coal mines, shipyards, and steelworks—started declining. Along with the aftermath of the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike as seen with the graffiti written on the wall in the background, 'Bobby Sands Greedy Irish Pig'. As of taking the photograph, Killip (2020) states that “I am the photographer of the de-industrial revolution in England. I didn’t set out to be this. It’s what happened during the time I was photographing.” 

Castletown, (1970-1973)

The second image is of stone buildings on the coastline of Isle of Man. He began photographing pictures of the island and its surroundings while working nights at his father's tavern. The Isle of Man had been establishing itself as a tax haven at this period, which had the effect of declining several deeply established ways of living, working, and practising culture. Chris Killip photographed the landscapes, resting areas, and locations where the island's famed agriculture was practised while immersing himself in the daily lives of the locals. Together, the photographs create a close-up snapshot of the Isle of Man between 1970 and 1973, documenting his native place and capturing changes that were only beginning to take into effect. The image also uses the painting type method whereas the image is divided into 3 parts concluding of the sky on the top, the object in the middle, and a sea on he bottom.

References:

Hubber, L. (2020) Caught in the Act: A conversation with photographer Chris Killip, Getty Iris. Available at: https://blogs.getty.edu/iris/caught-in-the-act-a-conversation-with-photographer-chris-killip (Accessed: April 24, 2023). 

Isle of man, 1970 – 1973 (no date) Martin Parr Foundation. Available at: https://www.martinparrfoundation.org/chriskillip/isle-of-man-1970-1973/ (Accessed: April 24, 2023). 

Museum, V.and A. (no date) Castletown: Killip, Chris: V&A explore the collections, Victoria and Albert Museum: Explore the Collections. Available at: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1060565/castletown-photograph-killip-chris/ (Accessed: April 24, 2023).