A NEW exhibition charting the invention of a device which made photography more accessible will open in Pontypool on Tuesday afternoon.
Entitled “1871”, the exhibition will open at 2pm in 76m2 and features a number of images of Pontypool residents and gallery visitors.
Picture The Kickplate Project
The display is the eighth in a series of nine to take place at the gallery, which is operated by the Kickplate Project.
“The title of the exhibition refers to the year when Dr Richard L. Maddox invented the dry plate, making photography more portable and accessible,” said Zosia Krasnowolska, one of the artists behind the Kickplate Project.
Picture The Kickplate Project
“The exhibition brings together a collection of late 19th century images on glass plates brought to us by our visitor, Calvin Morgan, and portraits of Pontypool residents and gallery visitors taken on a handmade large format camera and black and white photographic paper.
“The glass plates are spontaneous family photographs, which is unusual considering the posed studio images from that period that we're used to seeing.”
Picture The Kickplate Project
The gallery will be offering visitors the chance to have their pictures taken in the old-fashioned style as part of the exhibition by Dafydd Williams, also of the Kickplate Project.
“The portraits of our visitors will continue being taken throughout the exhibition, and if anyone would like to be photographed, have their portrait included in the exhibition, and then take it home at the end of the show, just get in touch with us,” added Ms Krasnowolska.
Picture The Kickplate Project
The new display will run until Saturday, November 25 and will be open between 11am and 6pm, Tuesdays to Saturdays.
With origins as a pop-up gallery, The Kickplate Project aims to broaden art photography’s audience in Wales with a goal of “fighting small-town boredom”.
Picture The Kickplate Project
For more information on the ‘Kickplate Project’ and to keep with updates for the gallery, visit thekickplateproject.weebly.com/.
Alternatively, search ‘Kickplate Project’ on Facebook, email thekickplateproject@gmail.com or receive updates on the groups Twitter page @kickingtheplate.
Picture The Kickplate Project
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