Photography, pigment and installation combine in hyper-colourful ode to a Hackney Market

Lorenzo Vitturi lives near to Ridley Road Market in Hackney, London, and he had been documenting the area for 7 years until 2013. His rainbow coloured photographs combine still lives created with  found objects from the market and portraits of people he met on his walks in the area.

I felt compelled to capture this place at its rawest and most beautiful with all its flaws and smells before it too is transformed and disappears altogether —Lorenzo Vitturi

The  photographs were originally published as a book in 2013, but in this exhibition they are combined with sculptural elements and installation.

Detail of sculpture

Close up of installation made using metal clips, tarps and frames, things that can be seen every day in street markets

Fake grass and plastic crates displaying Vitturi’s photographs instead of produce

A mixture of photographs and objects make up this corner installation

Vitturi used to be a cinema set painter and designer, and I really saw these influences in the work.

Details of colours in the photographs are picked out and highlighted. Raw pigment is used in some of the pieces.

The photograph below is lit by daylight filtered through another photograph of a colour and texture of painted wood that has been used to cover the gallery window.

The primarily red photograph below is shown in the hallway near a red fire sign – I don’t think this is accidental.

Some photos are re-photographed to make a new photograph and it makes me think of stories within stories (and I guess I am contributing to that by my photographing them!)

This kind of layering, as well as how some of the work is arranged makes me feel like I am walking amongst theatre flats or props for a production.  I love it!

Greeen Stripes #; Balancing fruit and veg balanced on blocks

The colours are super saturated, echoing that of fruit and veg but also the neon coloured signage often used to flag up bargains and prices on market stalls

Plastic Blue #1 & 2; Still lives are combined with portraits of local people

His use of found or discarded objects and even rotting fruit and then photographing them in a very respectful and beautiful way makes me think of Cecil Beaton’s use of cellophane and foil in his photos such as ‘Miss Nancy Beaton as a Shooting star‘ where he made it look magical…

I also like how he’s taken the tradition of a portrait or still life arrangement and made me want to look at them with new eyes… It also made me think of Arcimboldo’s portrait heads too.

More info:
LORENZO VITTURI: DALSTON ANATOMY
1 Aug – 19 Oct 2014

16–18 Ramillies St, London, W1F 7LW
Nearest tube: Oxford Circus

FREE admission, open 7 days