“Where My Grandfather Drank # 1” 2002
Birmingham born and bred photographer Stephen J Morgan will be exhibiting a series of images inspired by his upbringing in the city and his Irish heritage.
Over the last seven years I have worked in two ways. The first, as in the series’ ‘I Was Born an English Catholic’ I photographed what I knew and where I came from. I took photographs in the Ladywood Social Club in Birmingham, the three bars where my grandfather drank and the two stages he sang on. I didn’t want to just document the club; I wanted to show where he stood and where he sang. Five images were enough, no more, which was a revelation to me. With this work I also looked at my relationship to religion, Irishness and how those two things shaped me and gave me my identity.
“Where My Grandfather Sang # 1” 2002
The images will be exhibited at Wapping Project Bankside, London from 8 July – 14 August.
[...] Stephen took the portrait above and is keeping the photography flame flying. He has a show opening next week at the Wapping Project Bankside in London. Images by Stan Morgan courtesy of Birmingham Library [...]