RESEARCH POINT PETER DENCH

Before you start this exercise visit Peter Dench’s website www.peterdench.com. Analyse Dench’s style, looking particularly at his use of surrealism. How effective is surrealism as a visual and conceptual strategy in Dench’s documentary photography? (Open College of the Arts, 2014: 66)

I have explored Peter Denche’s work on his website which is predominantly highly saturated; both visually and conceptually surrealism seems to be central to his style, as is the subject of the English and Englishness.

In his work Sun Sea and Covid-19 (2020) he utilises the Surrealist elements of:

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And similarly in his work Alcohol and England (2016, comissioned by the Sunday Times Magazine) he uses:

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In this series he starts rather gently but moves quickly onto sad and seedier situations which he does not flinch from representing honestly.

Rather like Parr he highlights elements of Britishness, but in a very “in your face way”. The highly saturated colours in his work both draw you to it and jolt your senses, rather like some of the subject matter. I find his use of surrealism effective but rather irreverent and obvious.

After writing this I listened to an interview with him and this helped me to understand his work style better:

• Told that photojournalists should have an idea and then find material for it; he disagrees with this preferring to have an rough idea but developing work as he finds it.
• When working on a long term project he breaks it down into themes such as  alcoholism, weather, love…
• He has produced 3 books in 11 months and at the point of the interview was finishing off all lose ends and taking time to decide what projects he wants to do in his next few years.
• His work has been influenced by the locality where he grew up, where poverty alcoholism and so forth were obvious.
• He talked of the importance of “blending” when photographing and consequently as he gets older his subject matter is changing.
• The humour in his work comes from his upbringing by the sea and seaside humour; he recognises that pictures can’t be funny alone but should have an effect/message; he believes this can be achieved by dropping images in between them that are different/serious/have impact. He beieves that people respond favorably to his humour because most can identify with it.
• Dench believes that honesty is important in photography and helps to interest people.

His work uses surrealism and colour in a very effective way but I don’t identify with all of his humour and find some of of his images too harsh.

My learning:

• Think about themes when developing a long term project
• Acknowledge the influence of your upbringing and/or locality

References:

Ben Smith (2015) A Small Voice Podcast – 010 Peter Dench At:   https://bensmithphoto.com/search?q=dench&f_collectionId=558f13b0e4b0b62583b2124a (Accessed 13/09/2020).

Neon Sky Creative Media System (2020) intro. At: http://www.peterdench.com/sun-sea-covid-19/P6250673/ (Accessed 17/08/2020).

Open College of the Arts (2014) Photography 2: Documentary-Fact and Fiction (Course Manual). Barnsley: Open College of the Arts.

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