LIP Central June 2025 Meeting – LIP Satellite Groups

Featured image © Alec Wyllie

Our June meeting was attended by 18 people and its theme was “Beneath Our Feet”.

Unusually we started the meeting with two tributes. The first was to Hugh Look who founded this group 15 years ago and has only now handed over his final role of membership secretary. To mark his contribution, we have bought him a Japanese visual art book of the Hiroshige Exhibition. The second was to Alec Wyllie who has been a regular member and exhibitor for eight years but sadly passed away a few days before the meeting. He was well liked by all and our tribute to him was to show a selection of his varied work from across the years. Alec’s work was included in our “Listen” exhibition catalogue which Steve Jones produced and handed out fresh from the printers. It’s a lovely memento of our inspiring group show.

The group’s interpretation of the “Beneath Our Feet” theme was varied and stimulating. Sue Czapska’s images were taken in ancient woodlands and Highgate Woods and interpreted the passing of time by noticing transient subjects such as seeds or footprints on sun baked earth set in ever changing dappled light and shadow.

Mark Friend’s street photographs, taken mainly with a 35mm rangefinder camera, were underexposed to emphasise the depth of silhouettes and shadows on the tarmac.

Edey Templeton spotted a variety of marks and details on surfaces we walk on, especially those on the beautiful mosaic floor of the National Portrait Gallery.

Janet Nabney teased viewers with images of reflections in the glazing of photo frames so we were never quite sure which was the photo and which was the reflection of its surroundings.

Julian Sainsbury found interesting subjects in Bracklesham Bay e.g. sculptural looking flotsam/seaweed lying on sand. He overexposed the sandy background to burn out its details so it wouldn’t distracted from the subject.

Frankie McAllister noticed patterns on paving, decking, cracked clay and roots under foot. Her image from the beach looked like a necklace made of pebbles and wispy leaves.

Pauline Moon enjoyed exploring her photo archive from a new perspective using texture, colour and abstraction to explore the theme. This approach yielded a varied and interesting set of images including this abstract of stone steps in the Plaka district of Athens.

Austin Guest’s project was literally situated beneath our feet in the disused Northern Line tunnels under Euston Station. The images showed original adverts on tunnel walls dating back to the 1960’s including West Side Story and travel ads for Midlands Railways and P&O ocean liners.

Andrew Boxer showed a project on the pedestrianisation of Queen’s Crescent market in Kentish Town. His images contrasted the disruptive slow work in progress with successful schemes e.g. the pedestrianised Strand or Granary Square.

Steve Jones showed a time series of photos taken over eight years featuring a street cabinet which had become a memorial to a taxi driver. The memorial took various forms over time with pictures of the loved one, family messages and flowers, sometimes cleared away they would come back anew.

The next Central London group meeting will take place on Wednesday 9 July, when the theme will be “Illusion”.