Photographer Marc West on his charity exhibition and running the London Marathon

Intrinsically creative and overflowing with energy, of course everyone’s favourite photographer-come-columnist, Mr Marc West, is running the London Marathon in April to raise money for Helen & Douglas House, and is exhibiting 365 photographs at Fusion Arts as part of a fundraising exhibition.

Of course he is… it kinda goes without saying!

On Saturday, March 7, from 7-10pm the doors of Fusion Arts at East Oxford Community Centre in Princes Street will open to a year in the life of a man who goes about his life in Oxford, in much the same way as so many of us do.

Only this exhibition will open visitors’ eyes to a man who really looks, a man who really enjoys his eyes. A man, who has clearly got a bit of a thing for the twilight hour, big men and mannequins (all of which feature heavily in One A Day)!

Throughout 2014 Marc took one photo every day on his smartphone, all 365 of these images have been printed on to postcards, and have been numbered and signed by Marc West.

Commenting on this slightly obsessive photo-documentary approach, he said: “I like to keep myself active/creative with constant little challenges, the name reflects the old adage ‘An apple a day....’.

“Postcards have interested me all my life and I have a large collection – I love their shape, size, portability, cheapness. I think it’s wonderful that you can “own” a work of art.

“Post it to friends, put it on your wall/fridge.”

The postcards will be on sale for a suggested minimum donation of £3 each, but Marc hopes people will be as generous as they possibly can be bearing in mind where the proceeds are going, the fact that they’ll be able to take home an original piece of art, and the fact that he will have to endure 26.2 miles!

Ultimately, he aims to raise £2,000 for Helen & Douglas House, and all proceeds from One A Day will go towards his target.

Marc assures everyone a warm welcome, and encourages potential visitors.

In his words: “Dig deep and come get yourselves a unique piece of art, dah-lings! “It’ll run from 7-10pm only - with music from Pindrop DJs and drinks available at the bar. I’ll be there, come say hi!”

Marc’s images lunge from the thought-provoking to the throwaway.

From the simple and celebratory ‘Just Married’ banner in the back of a car, to the dead bird in the grille at the front of a car; from dreamy monochrome, romantic vistas to four santas in a bar; and from brutalist architecture to two crossed flags, a gesture of hope, that reads “better together” this is a compelling exhibition of speedily composed cursory glances and contrasts.

Reminiscent of the approach taken by The Caravan Gallery, some of Marc’s images are reflective, while others are purely aesthetic exploring beautiful patterns, and beautiful skies, though all are imbued with a courtship with his camera. A courtship that enables him to find romance, humour, and beauty in even the very ordinary, and at times ugly, quotidian. He comments on his approach: “I love the little moments/vignettes in everyday life and wanted to try and capture them. It was always easy – but I just knew when I’d found the shot. Sometimes they just presented themselves to me and others had be sought.”

While some images are simply very, very ordinary, even these possess a sense of wonder and take the viewer on a journey.

Then, out of left field, Marc surprises with a dramatic, bleached-out silhouetted shot of a man in a Musketeers-esque hat and a Spanish Bullfighter’s jacket, his lofty plume breaks through the lines of the telegraph wires overhead.

This is just one of several images in One A Day that convey a magical, toe-tingling sense of mystery.

Marc remarks on the source of his images and his inspiration: “Many (of course) are of Oxford – it's hard to ignore it's natural beauty/buildings/ vistas. But, I wanted to dig deeper and find something else – ‘my’ Oxford/OX4. Looking back I'm pleased I made the effort – it's a snapshot (literally) in time. The result is a visual diary of a year in my life.”

This excellent little one-off, pop-up, photographic exhibition and sale is certainly one of a kind; having looked through every last image, I can guarantee that it makes for compulsive viewing and will leave visitors looking at life just that little bit harder.

WIN!

Here's a chance for you to get your hands on an exclusive piece of Marc's fine art postcard collection. 
Answer our question correctly and one lucky reader will receive a handpicked (at random) favourite in the post – along with a personalised message from the photographer to you. 

Simply tell us what the initials SLR stand for, in connection with photography. 

Send your answer to One A Day Competition, The Guide, Newspaper House, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 0EJ, or email tim.hughes@oxfordmail.co.uk. 

Answers must be received by midday on Wednesday, March 4. Usual rules apply and the Editor’s decision is final. Good luck!