48 Hours on Clapham High Street: A Photo-essay

10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Monday, April 3, 2017 - Sunday, April 30, 2017

Omnibus

During the Autumn of 2016, award-winning photographer Jim Grover spent 48 hours taking photos on Clapham High Street.  The result is a set of images that encapsulate the many and varied ways that people experience “their” high street.

In particular he uses the pictures to highlight the stark contrast between the High Street’s typical, mundane, daytime routine and its intense weekend nightlife, when young revellers from all around London swarm to the High Street, attracted by the numerous pubs and clubs.

To emphasise these differences, Jim constrained himself to photographing the south side of the street during daytime hours (from 5am to 5pm), working only in colour.  In contrast, he photographed the north side at night (from 5pm to 5am), using only black and white.  He also limited himself to just 48 hours of shooting time.

The stark difference between the two lives of the High Street – – daytime shoppers and night-time clubbers – – are amplified by this unique approach.   Curator Katy Barron, who worked with Jim on his previous project, has selected a set of 48 images: 24 in colour and 24 in black and white for this exhibition.

The resulting photographs capture a rich diversity of scenes from everyday life.  Beauty and ugliness; chaos and tranquillity; youth and age; love; compassion; tenderness; companionship; resilience; and humour, are all played out in front of the over-looked backdrop of a typical British high street.