A DOCUMENTARY-style photographer has captured the everyday lives of residents across Oxford for a new exhibition illustrating the meaning of community.
Former Oxford Mail photographer, Rob Judges, will be displaying his photography in an exhibition on the topic of 'communities' alongside three other photographers.
The images explore a range of different communities, with photographs cohering around specific locations as well as shared social, historical and political conditions.
Mr Judges has previously worked as a press photographer for national papers and the Oxford Mail between 1977 and 1982. Since, he has become a regular contributor to exhibitions with photography shown across the country in London, Bath and in Oxford including at Oxford Arts Week and at the Jam Factory.
In Mr Judges photography for 'communities' he has captured life in Horspath village near Oxford and of life in East Oxford.
Mr Judges said: “They are differently resourced areas; one is a rural country place and the other is inner city and not quite so well off. The idea is to show how similar we are rather than how diverse we are.”
Each photograph comes in a pair, one reflecting on East Oxford the other on Horspath, the images include everyday activities such as playing sports and laughing with friends.
He said: “It is of everyday things, very mundane, people doing ordinary things in the community centre and in the village hall. There is some of Tai Chi or religious prayers, meals and social events. It is to show it does not matter where we come from really, we are all pretty similar.”
He added: “My favourite is a picture of a girl laughing at a rehearsal in East Oxford and two women laughing their heads off as they try and manipulate a scarecrow in the village hall.”
Also featuring at the exhibition is Uwe Ackerman, a retired physiologist, living in Oxford, who has a whole set of pictures on the destruction and rebuilding of Botley.
Bharat Patel is an Oxford-based photographer working with NGOs and international charities. The photographs show snaps from Ethiopia and Angola showing their communities and culture.
Ania Ready is a Polish-born British photographer interested in exploring issues related to identity, social change and her Polish heritage.
The communities exhibition will be on display at The Barn Gallery 21 St Giles in Oxford until August 17 10am to 4pm with free entry.
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