Veteran American Press Photographer to Exhibit 1950’S Photographs In London For The First Time.

Veteran Press Photographer James Black, is to have his work shown for the first time in the U.K. at the Affordable Art Fair in Battersea, London from the 12th - 15th  March 2009.  His photographs, printed by his son Sean Black, will be represented by The Bill Philip Gallery.

James Black left his native Glasgow in the early 1950’s to live the U.S.A. He enlisted with the Army and was sent to Germany as a staff photographer for the U.S. army’s newspaper ‘The Stars and Stripes’. His assignment was to document the gradual recovery of Europe from the Second World  War.  His photographs were published in Life magazine, The Stars and Stripes, Pittsburgh ROTO magazine and both Associated and United Press Agencies.

In 2004 James Black’s son Sean driven by curiosity about his father’s time as an army photographer began to investigate the untouched and extensive collection of negatives and transparencies that his father still held. With his father’s blessing he began to catalogue and print from this unique body of work. 

Sean took a course in photographic printing at California State University and is now studying for a Masters Degree in fine art and photography. Currently he spends six months of the year working with his father in Florida and the remainder studying in California.

Sean has become passionate about his father’s photography. He has published a website to showcase his fathers work: www.jamesblackphotography.com and his work is now available in America through the prestigious Stephen Cohen Gallery in Los Angeles. The Gallery represents some of the world’s best known photographers and includes work by Diane Arbus and Walker Evans. The Stephen Cohen Gallery also hosts Photo L.A. and Photo Miami.

 James Black’s photographs will be displayed in this country by The Bill Philip Gallery at The Affordable Art Fair as a result of a close collaboration built up over the last two years between Bill Philip, based in West Sussex and Sean Black.  Both of them share a love of photography and a belief that the work of James Black is unique both in its time and place and that these remarkable photographs should be shared and enjoyed by a wider audience.

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