Interview: Clive Tarplee

Name: Clive Tarplee
Title of work: Margate at Dusk

Where do you live?
Westbrook, Margate.

When was the work that's in the show taken?
My photo was taken last August bank Holiday weekend.

What were you doing in Margate that day?
I was taking a stroll along to the harbour from Westbrook seafront, with my family, and thought would take some dusk/night pictures as had had new zoom lens for my Olympus camera for my birthday and not had much chance to use it.

What made you take the picture?
I like to take landscape pictures especially along the coast.

Why did you put them/it in the Margate UK flickr group?
I added my pictures to the Margate Uk group to perhaps get some feedback on it and show that Margate can look good !

Have you exhibited before?
This is the first time i have exhibited any work, and it was really great being asked to exhibit it in the Glimpse 2009 exhibition.

How have you found being part of Glimpse 2009?
It has been great being part of the exhibition and meeting some of the other photographers who are local too.
What do you think about Margate?
I think Margate has gone down hill over recent years especially now dreamland closed, as there is very little to draw people to come to Margate, so anything like the "Glimpse 2009" exhibition can only be good for Margate !

Glimpse 2009 final day get together

We thought it might be nice to have a little send off for the closing of Glimpse this coming Sunday the 19th of April. Very much an informal affair. So hope you'll come along.

If you're exhibiting, you can take any unsold works away with you at the end of the night. Otherwise we can also arrange storage for a limited period. Dan or Louise will be able to fill you in on the details.

So bring a friend, come along on Sunday afternoon. It would be nice if people arrived from say 2pm onwards. Hope the weather stays nice.

Interview: Kevin Button

Name: Kevin Button
Title of Work: Brickwork and Orange

Where do you live?
Ashford, Kent.

When was the work that's in the show taken?
20th September 2008.

What were you doing in Margate that day? I came to Margate for the Kite Festival. It was a lovely sunny day and managed to get a few good
shots.

What made you take the picture? I’m always looking out for patterns, lines and bold colours, and the doors of the buildings on the Harbour Arm deserved a closer look. I try to look for the details that otherwise go unnoticed.

Why did you put them/it in the Margate UK flickr group?
I use Flickr for inspiration and ideas. If I’m visiting an area I’ll do a quick search on Flickr and see what to look out for, and try to post into a group so that others can do the same. The towns we live in and visit have changed a lot in the last 10 years, with new developments, shopping centres and housing. We don’t know what changes will occur in the next decade, but we can document the changes.

Have you exhibited before?
Never, but it was a nice surprise to be asked.

How have you found being part of Glimpse 2009? It was very weird seeing one of my photographs on the wall.

What do you think about Margate? It needs to look to the future. Too many people hark back to the days when it was a popular holiday destination and still think that it can be that again. Time has moved on, and people want something else now. If I knew what that thing was, I’d let you know. However on the few occasions I’ve been to Margate, the things that scream out to be photographed are everywhere, now all I’ve just got to get out there and explore the area.

Interview: Neil Brown

Name: Neil Brown
Title of work: Hackney love Emin

Where do you live?
Faversham
When was the work that's in the show taken?
2002

What were you doing in Margate that day?
Visiting a friend

What made you take the picture?
I had just got off the train and was walking along the seafront, I noticed something written on the harbour and took a shot from the beach, then had to get in for a closer look.

Why did you put them/it in the Margate UK flickr group?
I guess because of the double Margate connection. I think Tracey Emin put Margate back on the art map, when she became as famous as she did. I just found the message amusing and have always wondered who did it. I have also added it to a Hackney group on Flickr, with administrator approval.

Have you exhibited before?
Yes, I try to get involved in a few shows a year around the south east, I teach art as well as practice and I feel it’s good for the students to see I practice what I preach.

How have you found being part of Glimpse 2009?
It was great to show my work back in Margate. I was born in Margate and lived there for 26 years. I also went to school with Dan, so it was extra exciting to be working alongside him as a friend and as someone I admired as an artists. I would personally like to thank Dan and Louise for setting up the show and putting in so much hard work, thank you.

What do you think about Margate?
I love Margate (Might get that on a T-Shirt :oD ) I have so many good memories of growing up in Margate. I am currently working on my own project, which will showcase a period from the late 80’s to mid 90’s of the skateboard scene in and around Margate – Blatant plug right here -
http://the0utsid3rs.blogspot.com/

Interview: Iain Aitch

Name: Iain Aitch
Title of work: Emin in Dreamland

Where do you live?
London
When was the work that's in the show taken?
2003, on an unseaonably hot April day. I think it was the 19th.

What were you doing in Margate that day?
Working. I was interviewing Tracey Emin for The Observer newspaper.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2003/may/25/unitedkingdom.observerescapesection
is the article in question.

What made you take the pictures?
We were wandering around Dreamland and I wanted to get two of Margate's most famous icons in the same shot. The Scenic was closed at the time and this was as close as we could get. The photo was taken shortly after the arcade fire created Godden's Gap. Tracey was aghast. I still believe that building should be restored. Shame on TDC for not ensuring it happened.

Why did you put them/it in the Margate UK flickr group?
I think the originators of the group may have told me there was one being set up. But I love flickr groups anyway, as they are such a great resource.

Have you exhibited before?
Yes and no. My sticker-decorated teenage guitar is currently in a show at Stratford station in East London, though I gave it away a few years ago to an enthusiast. So this is my first time in a show with me being credited.

I couldn't attend the opening evening, so I sadly missed out on meeting other artists on show. But I shall remedy that this week. No Turner Prize nomination as yet.

What do you think of Margate?
A scruffy place that has a home in my heart. I was born and brought up in Margate. And that never leaves you.

Interview: Paul Phelan

Name: Paul Phelan aka Phelsey
Titles of work: Margate Lifeboat

Where do you live?
Westgate, Kent

When was the work that's in the show taken?
In the summer a few years ago

What were you doing in Margate that day?
I think i was just out having a coffee somewhere.

What made you take the pictures?
I took it because of the sunset and it was a scene that was typical of life in a coastal town, a necessary part of sea life that has been practised for generations.

Why did you put it in the Margate UK flickr group?
Because it belonged there.

Have you exhibited before?
I have never exhibited before but was really chuffed to be asked.

What do you think of Margate?
I think Margate has got the potential to be a vibrant tourist attraction again, I feel there is an great effort from certain quarters trying to lift Margate off it's knees, this has shown over the last few years with the events that are staged during the summer. I think Margate still has to rely on the tourist trade if it is to thrive because there is a distinct lack of decent job oppotunities in this area.

Interview: Aaron Stone

Name: Aaron Stone
Titles of work:
See Gulls
House through the Bush
Lido A Wash

Where do you live?
Ramsgate, Kent

When was the work that's in the show taken?
All in 2008.

What were you doing in Margate that day?
See Gulls:
I had been out with two other people taking stock photos and points of interest from around Minnis Bay to Margate. It was just a day out and with everyone off work, it was a good chance of a get together and take some shots along the sea front.

House through the Bush:
I had been asked by someone writing an article about Northdown House and its closure and the council wishing to sell the property, to go and get some images so that they could use in their article.


Lido A Wash:
I went to Margate where the waves were rough and get some fast paced action
shots.


What made you take the pictures?

See Gulls:
The tide was coming in and just before, the seagulls were sitting on the rocks leading out to sea. But as they were starting to get covered in water, they came up and the next high spot, was the wall around by the boating pool. I was with my friend and I got him ready for this shot. I lined up the camera and said go. On that marker, he ran down the side of the boating pool and spooked the seagulls creating them to suddenly fly up and away.

House through the Bush:
I have a particular style with my images, something in the foreground, something in the background. After taking the image for the magazine, I wanted to capture more interest with the image. By doing so, I also caught more of the surrounding land too. I lined up the image so that the main features of the building (like doors) were not covered by the foreground leaves. I kept the focus in the background as I wanted the image to stand out. The weather was not fantastic as there is no blue sky but was bright enough to photograph.

Lido A Wash:
I wanted to capture the waves lifting up as high as possible by the process of the sea forcing against land based objects. Where I was, I nearly got soaked by other waves coming over to my left and the spray started to effect the camera. I focused on the sign with Lido and waited. Some smaller waves came over so I got to line up and then the big one. At that point, I had to move again otherwise I too would have been not enjoying an early sandy shower.

Why did you put them/it in the Margate UK flickr group?
When I signed up to Flickr, I started joining groups that were relevant to my images. As I took some of Margate, I joined the Margate Group. When I took an image in that area, I wanted to share it and see what other people have made of that area too. Margate is not a small town as many people are aware, but it is great to put images in and get feedback from local people and get their perspective about the town. I would for example, add images like the See Gulls image to Margate, Thanet, Kent groups and also groups such as Seagulls - as that is the main subject of the image, and Beaches Group.

Have you exhibited before?
The closest I have got to displaying my works, is a recent Council run competition called "Thanet Is Beautiful" where I made the top 10 finalists but unfortunately did not win. But out of competition, I have only done private viewings of images for people such as connected a TV to a laptop and done 'viewings' of images that I have taken. To actually have a physical piece and display it in a gallery for a length of time is a first for me and a great achievement.

How have you found being part of Glimpse 2009?
To be part of the Glimpse 2009 photographers has been fantastic, it has given me the chance to get a project completed (the creation of selected images through printing and framing) and display my work for the public to see. The opening night, I made sure I was available to attend and stayed the entire night as it meant a lot to me to actually meet the people who created the event and for those that took the photographs along side mine in the Margate Flickr group. It was a social event where we all had something in common.

What do you think of Margate?
My thoughts of Margate are that of mixed. It has great potential though not enough people at the right level to push it forward. There are groups of people that really want aspects of Margate to thrive, such as Dreamland Amusement Park and Turner Contempory, but it just seems to me that not enough people in the council really wants it to work. Thanet is not just made up of Margate, it does include Ramsgate and Broadstairs, but with the growth of Westwood, the town now seems to struggle. Margate has the added advantage of being a seaside resort and also boasts some great holiday atmosphere, though is this enough to get Margate back on the map again? I would like to see such a thing happen.

Event image printing service available from Aaron Stone

Glimpse 2009 exhibitor, Aaron Stone has a portable printer set up that is available for hire by arrangement.

What is the kit?
Aaron: The printer is a dye sublimation printer made by Mitsubishi. Its main purpose and set up is for Event Photography where images are Lab Quality and ready to be taken away instantly. 6x8" photos are ready in 20 seconds and can be touched immediately. Any events where a moderate number of people will be attending (more specifically with families) are events where the printer would be taken as it can be used for instant portrait work. Though, for use within a
gallery, the digital files will also be printed out at a ratio of 3:4 (otherwise slight cropping will occur) and can be mounted and sold instantly all done to order.

What size are the prints?
Aaron: There are two main sizes offered and that is postcard size of 4x6" or 6x8".
Due to the nature of the printer, either one or the other will need to be chosen as entire media packs need to be changed of which can take a few minutes per change.

How do you charge?
Aaron: Events are not charged and we avoid paying to be at events, we look at it as a service to encourage people to the event. We get our money from the customers that purchase the images.

Do you have a website?
Aaron: The website will be coming online in May (www.ap-photo-events.co.uk) where
events will be listed and more information can be obtained. Otherwise, phone 07724196359.

It's a great way to promote your event and to sell your artwork in small printed format especially to those that may not afford other bigger pieces.

1000th visitor!

Yesterday we arrived at our 1000th visitor to Glimpse! How great is that? It feels like such an achievement for a DIY project and proof that there are people moving through Margate. If you visited us, thank you!

Interview: Nick Townsend

Name: Nick Townsend
Title of work: Harbour Cafe

Where do you live?
Bristol

When was the work that's in the show taken?
Around 1991.

What were you doing in Margate that day?
On a day trip with a group of FE students.

What made you take the pictures?
I had avery nice meal of fish and chips there. It reminded me of childhood trips to the seaside (including Margate).

Why did you put them/it in the Margate UK flickr group?
To share with others. I like the idea of others getting pleasure from photos that have been in a photograph album for the past 20 years.

Have you exhibited before?
No, never. It may inspire me to organise one for my Flickr group in Bedminster, Bristol.

How have you found being part of Glimpse 2009?
I would love to have been there but had other commitments

What do you think about Margate?
I was really surprised when I went back to Margate. From my childhood i remember it for Dreamland and the boating lake, but when I returned I loved the old town. Now I believe it has become quite a cool place.

Interview: Mark Thompson

Name: Mark Thompson
Titles of works:
Waves
Homeless Badger Rumages in a Margate Bin
Car Park
Wind and Water
Margate Harbour 2007
Tea and Sandwiches at Walpole Bay Hotel
Reflection

Where do you live? Birchington on Sea.

When was the work that's in the show taken? The pictures where taken between summer 2007 and a few months ago.

What were you doing in Margate that day? Just enjoying myself , taking a walk or a bike ride along the coast!

What made you take the pictures? If I see something I like or if it looks unusual, I like to snap it so I have a record of my day and I can relive my walk or bike ride later, I loved the sunshine on the tea tray at the Walpole Bay Hotel after a longish walk round the coast from Broadstairs, I felt I deserved a treat and I wanted to remember the good feeling, that picture always reminds me of a great day.


Why did you put them/it in the Margate UK flickr group? Because flickr is about sharing and connecting with people and that's what I wanted to do!
Have you exhibited before?
No... Scary isn't it!
How have you found being part of Glimpse 2009?
It's fun, its exciting, its great to meet up and put aface to an avatar and I sold a picture on opening night! How could it be better?
What do you think about Margate?
Margate has so much going for it and so many good people care about it that you can't help but be totally optimistic about the future. I love it!

Interview: Dave Mason

Name: Dave Mason
Title of work:
Pride,
Swingboats
Two Posters and a Door

Where do you live?
Woolwich, South East London.

When was the work that's in the show taken?
Two images during the Margate Pride Festival the Swingboat and the American Car image with the final image of the posters taken on Boxing Day 08.


What were you doing in Margate that day?
My reason for visiting Margate is always to look for photography.

What made you take the pictures?
Solely a passion for photography.

Why did you put them/it in the Margate UK flickr group?
I enjoy sharing images with fellow photographers in whatever way I can be it flickr , presentations and exhibitions.

Have you exhibited before?
I seem to exhibit about four or five times a year in different venues.

How have you found being part of Glimpse 2009?
It is always a joy to share a common interest with fellow photographers.

What do you think about Margate?
I have always loved Margate for its quintessential British seaside appeal. In recent years it has suffered like many UK seaside towns but I believe that it has begun to turn the corner and will soon hopefully return to it's former glory.

Interview: Xtina Lamb

Name: Xtina Lamb
Title of works:
Pea Fritter
Summer Mist

Where do you live?
Finsbury Park, North London

When was the work that's in the show taken?
Pea Fritter was taken 23rd November, 2000, in my car after the traditional trip to Pete's Fish Factory on arrival in Margate. Summer Mist was taken on 2nd June 2007, from the harbour arm.


What were you doing in Margate that day? I've been to Margate many times with Iain Aitch, who grew up there. It's rare that we'd arrive in the car without immediately eating pea fritters and chips from Pete's. Often we'd go over to the car park and eat them in the company of scary looking hungry gulls, while watching the sea. We were in Margate to visit Iain's family, or he was writing an article about something local.

What made you take the pictures?
The pea fritter is just funny. You don't see them anywhere other than seaside towns it seems, and I wanted to document this golden battered delicacy. I sometimes like taking photos of things that have become a regular part of my life. This pea fritter was my treat for having driven us to Margate. I think they're delicious.

We saw the mist driving along the sea front on a hot summers day. I had to stop and take photographs as it was so unusual - the opposite of the pea fritter photo and nearly the same place. The mist was really beautiful and eerie, rolling in over the beach. Iain was wandering about on the jetty and I kept him in the shot as I liked the strong shadows contrasting with the soft mist. Looking at it now, I enjoy how he's observing Margate from a distance and it all looks a bit dreamlike and unreal.

Why did you put them in the Margate UK flickr group?
I have a great fondness for Margate and Thanet. People who don't know the place (and those who do) often have negative things to say about it. The Flickr group is a good place to show what I like about Margate. I want people to share some of my affection for it.

I've made some very lovely real world friends because of the photos I've shared on Flickr. Partly it's about trying to be a better photographer or artist and getting encouragement from people, but also it's a place to share things that other people are interested in, and to have fun with images. You can tell a lot about someone by their Flickr photos - how they see the world, their sense of humour and what's meaningful to them.

Have you exhibited before?
Not photographs, though I've shown my art and printmaking work. Two more of my photos have been picked for another Flickr group show in London this May 'Londonist Presents: Slow Exposure'.

How have you found being part of Glimpse 2009?
I'm enjoying being in such great company! I wasn't able to make the opening though and don't think I'll be able to go down to see the show in person, and I'm sad about that. The leap from online community to exhibition is exciting, and I would've loved to have met the other people involved, especially in Margate.

What do you think about Margate?
I love so many things about the place: the Shell Grotto, Walpole Bay Hotel, Northdown Road, the Lido obelisk, Mad Hatter Cafe, the chalk graffiti... but have been shocked by the effect of Westwood Cross, Turner Centre, and the decline of Dreamland. It's an edgy place, with tensions, stigmas, problems and from what I can see - a worse than useless council. But it's also very beautiful for those who care to look, and has a tough, wilful character. I hope to see it enjoy a new heyday in the future.

Interview: Mark Perry

Name: Mark Perry
Title of work: Rackem Packem Stackem
Where do you live?
Birchington

When was the work that's in the show taken?
2006

What were you doing in Margate that day?
Location shots for music video

What made you take the picture?
The images themselves.

Why did you put them/it in the Margate UK flickr group?
Being local and joining in.

Have you exhibited before?
Yes.
How have you found being part of Glimpse 2009?
A unique oppotunity to be a part of something positive for the local area.

What do you think about Margate?
I have always seen Margate as having its day, somewhat a kin to Brighton, as I know that there is an abundance of local talented individuals, who with the means to create and exhibit their work will play a big part of putting Margate on the cultural world map.

Interview: Jamie Dobson

Name: Jamie Dobson
Title of work: Lido Sands

Where do you live?
Margate

When was the work that's in the show taken?
July 2008

What were you doing in Margate that day?
Out walking with my son.
What made you take the picture?
The site was about to be "redeveloped" so i thought id better capture it before it was demolished...it's still there.

Why did you put it in the Margate UK flickr group?
I hoped other people would like it and find it of some interest.

Have you exhibited before?
No.

How have you found being part of Glimpse 2009?
Its been fantastic!.. I've met lots of very nice talented and unpretentious people, and seen some wonderful images of a town ive lived in my whole life. The mix of people involved ranging from professional photographers and artists to lowly enthusiastic amateurs, such as myself, and the strong DIY ethics of the exhibition have been a major part of its attraction. It has changed my whole opinion of exhibitions and I really hope it marks the beginning of a long and successful series of events.

What do you think about Margate?
I've lived in Margate my entire life (38years) and have seen it change over the years,mainly for the worse and mainly due to the cavalier attitudes of successive, unimaginative ,short sighted and out of touch councillors (tory and labour) and greedy developers. I'd really like to see the politics taken out of town council (what a ridiculous idea!) and instead see a group of people take control who actually care about the town, its history, its architecture,and those who live in it. I never tire of the stunning beauty of the beaches, and wonderful wide open skies, and now see my own children playing on those same beaches, and i look forward to exploring with them for a very long time to come...

Interview: Erica Smith

Artist: Erica Smith
Title of work: It Could Have Been Havana

Where do you live?
Hastings, East Sussex

When was the work that's in the show taken?
I took my photo on 4 July last year. It was a gloriously hot Friday -- one of the only really hot weekends I remember last summer.

What were you doing in Margate that day?
It was the first time I'd ever visited Margate. I drove over with an older friend who had been sent to live in Margate when she was about six. She didn't have very happy memories of Margate, but on the day we visited, we had a fantastic time.

What made you take the picture?
Because the sea and sky were just SO blue. We don't get such deep tropical colours in Hastings. I guess its because you have north coast light. I called my photo "It could have been Havana"
because the sea wall is a bit like the Malecon in Havana. And there was a similar feeling of rich, glorious heat.

Why did you put the image in the Margate UK flickr group?
Because I like Flickr! I'm not a member of hundreds of groups, but if I take photos of
something I like, then I usually join a group to share it with like-minded souls. I also think Flickr is a valuable tool for documenting what places are really like. It's a sort of Mass Observation for the 21st century.

Have you exhibited before?
I've never had a photograph in an exhibition before.

How have you found being part of Glimpse 2009?
It was lovely to come over and see other people's photos of Margate in the Glimpse show. It is a wonderful, rich town for photographers. I've found it really enjoyable to explore the town -- and to see the subjects of other people's photographs in real life. It was also great to meet some of the other photographers and get shown a bit of Margate by the locals. Thanks!

What do you think about Margate?
I'm bewitched by Margate. Like Havana, the architecture tells a story of richer times, but because it is quite a poor town, there is a lot of street life. People use the outside spaces, and I think that's a good thing. Margate still has the feeling of a traditional British seaside town, and that made me feel like I was 14 again, back in 1977. I'm sure the town will change, and I'm sure the Margate Flickr photographers will document that change in a very personal way.

Glorious morning

It's glorious sunshine this morning on the Harbour Arm. The Margate Yacht Club are out.

Open!

Phew! We made it through a hectic week and picking up last minute pieces and late night hanging of the work (thank you, Dan and Tony) We had a great opening night with the gallery full from 5pm until we finished at 9. Really wonderful to see so many people down there and we sold our first piece. Yay!

It was a really nice idea to have more than one art event on in the same evening. It works really well for a town like Margate. People went and came back and left again.

After clearing up, today was a beautiful day out on the Harbour Arm. We'll be out there all day , everyday for the next two weeks. So if you fancy popping down to say hello, please do!





We're really pleased to see the numbers joining the flickr group have grown as has the collection of images. We've set up a Glimpse 2009 group so we can chart all the images from the event in one place. If you have images to add, please add them to the pool.

Countdown to Friday

Let's hope the weather continues until Friday! It's absolutely beautiful in Margate today.

We've been busy taking delivery of all the artwork for the exhibition. It's great to see these images in the flesh so to speak. Amazing how some are larger and some are smaller than imagined. Can't wait to see them all up on the wall as a collection. We're busy with the task of hanging from today.

Don't forget it's our opening event on Friday at 5pm until 9pm.