January 14, 2007
Bethlehem on a gallery wall
Stephen Bulger
In 2005, the Stephen Bulger Gallery in Toronto exhibited Larry Towell's 'No Man's Land' work, including images from the West Bank. Stephen Bulger participated in a QnA about the exhibition and how to represent a photojournalist in the art world.
Bethlehem, West Bank. 2000. Young Palestinian man loading stone into home made catapult during clash with Israeli Army. Larry Towell/Magnum Photos
What were the factors behind wanting to exhibit photojournalistic work?
I rely on photographs to inform me about the world at large. Given that the work of photojournalists is created to illustrate important events and personalities, I often look at their work for educational purposes.
Why Larry Towell? Were you attracted to his entire body of work, or were you looking for particular content or a specific topic?
I think he is a great photographer. In terms of his viewpoint, I admire the fact that he provides a voice for those who are landless, as I believe this to be a core problem in many areas around the world. I am intrigued by his ability to record the day to day life of people living in a conflict situation in a manner that gets close to his subjects without any seeming interference on his part.
How did you decide which photographs to include?
In terms of his exhibitions, I look at the entire body of work and try to narrow down the selection to what works in my gallery space, while remaining truthful to the spirit of the project at hand.
How was the show received by art critics?
Critics admire his work because to them his photographs go beyond the type of image making usually found in photojournalism.
What were the responses of visitors to the gallery?
Quite a range. In terms of his work from the Middle East, we had everything from praise for showing provocative work from this region which illustrated the resolve of human beings in time of hardship, to outright scorn for perpetuating the lies of terrorists.
Rafah Refugee Camp, Gaza Strip. October 2003. Residents dig through the rubble of their homes after the Israeli army withdrew from Rafah. Larry Towell/Magnum Photos
When representing a photojournalist, who may have had less exposure in the art world than an art photographer, how do you determine the pieces' prices?
For most of his work, Larry does not edition his prints, so that becomes the main deciding factor in its pricing relative to other contemporary works. When you start showing anyone new to the market, the strategy is to look at comparables and price similarly. Once you have success with sales, you gradually increase the prices. In terms of Larry, in 1995 we did not sell anything of his for more than $750. Although most of his work is currently priced at $1,200 - 1,500, we have sold several of his works for $7,500.
Visit the Bulger Gallery's website: www.bulgergallery.com
Published on the Magnum Blog on January 14, 2007
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