The Biggest Photography Exhibition in The World

When you visit any normal exhibition, the photographer or artist has had weeks or months to prepare each individual piece he or she is going to display. They select frames, mounts and the images that show their best work.

They have an opening night where all their invited guests turn up to admire their wonderful work.

But not in my case. This is not your average photography exhibition.

The exhibition starts a couple of weeks before the start of August. Sunday mornings spent in the pub before opening time, armed with a pile of prints and a lot of blue-tac. Now I could have the prints placed in neat rows or exactly square on the wall, no I go for the random spacing and squint look. It's a time saving exercise. In twenty minutes you can have twenty prints mounted on the walls.


Then as the fun and festivities start on the High Street I start recording images. They are then processed and I spend about 30 to 40 minutes a day quickly going through each film choosing images I want people to see and those I've promised people they will see. There are no photography exhibitions where people get to see promised images.

This is not your formal photography exhibition. Photos are mounted to be prodded or, moved to see what's hiding underneath, and horror of horror they even get taken.

Not only do I spend my time putting together new boards, but I have to patch up old boards where gaps have appeared.

I have to thank the pub for being as helpful in that my stuff does take up a little of their staffroom space. Crates of photos and envelopes sorted into the different street performers and Fringe shows.

Each time someone comes down to visit I should be able to point them to the board they might find themselves on or even locate some prints I have put aside for them.

The more people that visit the less I have to take home after the Festival. Which for me is always a bonus. My living room is already bursting with photos.

So when do you visit an Exhibition like mine? Well the best answer is every day. Because what could be there one day might not be there the next. It's a pub venue, so the excuse to pop in for a drink or something to eat is another couple or reasons just to visit.

As for the opening night party, well I don't have one. My party night is the last night,or as close to the last night as I can fit into my hectic schedule.

So how was my last night party. Check out the full details in Fringe Photographer.

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(first posted 12.9.2005)