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Homer Sykes

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Homer Warwick Sykes (born January 1949) is a Canadian-born British documentary photographer[1] whose career has included personal projects and landscape photography.

Early life and education

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Sykes's father, also named Homer Warwick Sykes, was a Canadian-born American of English extraction who worked for the China National Aviation Corporation in Shanghai; his mother, Helen Grimmitt, was born in Hong Kong but her family emigrated to Canada in the early 1930s. The couple were married in Shanghai in August 1947; but in June 1948, at an early stage of his wife's pregnancy, Homer was killed in an accident at Lunghua airfield. In September 1948, Helen returned from Shanghai to her family home in Vancouver, where her son was born in January 1949.[1][2]

Helen and her infant son Homer travelled to Liverpool on the SS Empress of Canada, arriving in September 1950. She remarried shortly thereafter. The family settled in Birmingham; like his father, Homer's step-father was a keen photographer. Homer too was a keen photographer as a teenager, creating a darkroom at Sidcot, his boarding school, that he would take home during vacations.[2]

In 1968 Sykes started a three-year course at the London College of Printing (LCP),[1][2] while sharing a house in St John's Wood.[3] In the summer vacation during his first year, he went to New York, and was impressed by the work of current photographers – Cartier-Bresson, Davidson, Friedlander, Frank, Uzzle and Winogrand – that he saw at the Museum of Modern Art.[2]

Life and career

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While wondering about a new photographic project, Sykes serendipitously came across a story on the Britannia Coconut Dancers in an issue of In Britain magazine.[2] This led him to research other local festivals in Britain at the archives of Cecil Sharp House.[4] Sykes' photography of these festivals was inspired by that of Benjamin Stone, but he approached them with a modern sensibility and a small-format camera, "[trying] to include the unintended participants and to document the unfolding drama in a contemporary urban environment".[5] After viewing a touring exhibition of Stone and Sykes' photography of "festivals, customs and pageants", Colin MacInnes wrote that:

Although these photographs do great credit to Sykes both as a photographer and as a social investigator, it should not be thought that his interests lie exclusively in the direction of barrel parades, beating the bounds, or the Queensferry burryman (who saunters around the boozers looking like a floral dalek on appropriate occasions). For . . . [Sykes'] chief interest is in a more varied photography. . . . At [giving us a heightened image of reality], Homer Sykes is very good indeed. . . . [When photographing a pageant], he seems to have caught the performers rather off their guard – not so much when doing this traditional thing, as having done it, or being about to do it.[6]

The photographs also appeared in Once a Year: Some Traditional British Customs, a book (published by Gordon Fraser, uniform with Patrick Ward's Wish You Were Here) in which Sykes presents one or more photographs of and a detailed explanatory text for each of 81 customs—for example, three photographs (on pp. 105–108) of the annual auction on the first Monday following St Peter's Day (29 June) at the Grapes Inn of the mowing and grazing rights to Yarnton Meadow (or Yarnton West Mead), Yarnton (Oxfordshire). Once a Year has been described as "a beautifully photographed, tender and often humorous document";[7] and, 32 years after its publication, as remaining "[p]robably the best study of English folklore and ritual".[8]

But Sykes's interests went far beyond annual customs. Annie-Laure Wanaverbecq of Maison de la photographie Robert Doisneau writes that "Observing his countrymen with humour and curiosity, over several years [Sykes] produced a fabulous visual archive of a nation in crisis and beset by doubt."[9] This included the glam rock, punk, new wave and other music/fashion scenes of Britain.[1][10]

Michaël Houlette of Maison de la photographie Robert Doisneau writes:

The combination of several people in the same frame characterizes most of the photographs by Homer Sykes selected for [an exhibition of his work of the 1970s]. Often the structure of his images rests on two or three main figures who stand out and reveal themselves by an expression or attitude. There is no overly obvious direction or composition, just a keen observation and a systematic method of shooting: a short focal length, some preliminary observation and a certain English manner, frank and courteous, to come in contact with people that he sometimes photographs at very close range (surprisingly, they also seem to ignore the photographer who is at work). Present at the event, invisible in the image, Homer Sykes made discretion a real trademark. And if it's evidence of knowing how to see, it's the relinquishment of the frame to those he photographs: "My pictures are about people, what they wear, how they look, how they interact with each other, against a background that sets the scene. They are not about me".[11]

After absorbing advice from David Hurn, then a part-time lecturer at LCP who was living nearby, as well as other photographers that he met through Hurn,[2] Sykes moved on to photographing news stories for the Weekend Telegraph, Observer, Sunday Times, Newsweek, Now, Time,[2] and New Society.[4] He worked with various agencies including Viva,[12] and from 1989 to 2005 was with Network Photographers.

Sykes photographed the British landscape, as well as pubs, prehistoric remains and other scenes in Britain, for various books published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. He also found time for his own projects: Hunting with Hounds, "a closely observed documentation of another set of rituals that define a dimension of the English way of life",[8] and On the Road Again, photographs of four North American road trips taken over three decades.[13]

When the Grimstone Foundation invited Sykes to photograph Shanghai, the city of his conception, he jumped at the opportunity. A high point for him was his discovery that the building on Jiang Xi Lu where his parents lived still existed, as the Fu Zhou building.[14] Sykes's collection was exhibited and published as Shanghai Odyssey.

Sykes has taught in the master's course in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at the London College of Communication.

In 2014, Maison de la photographie Robert Doisneau (Gentilly, Paris) held a major exhibition of Sykes' work from the 1970s.[9][10]

Exhibitions

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Solo exhibitions

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Other exhibitions

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Permanent collections

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Books

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  • British Image 1: Photographs by Homer Sykes, Claire Schwob, John Myers, Daniel Meadows, Bryn Campbell, Roslyn Banish, Ian Dobbie, and Paul Carter. London: Arts Council of Great Britain, 1975. ISBN 978-0728700352. Sykes' "Calendar Customs" appears on pp. 4–15.
  • The Facts about a Pop Group: Featuring Wings. London: Whizzard, Deutsch, 1976. ISBN 0-233-96771-0. Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1976. ISBN 0-207-13410-3. New York: Harmony, 1977. ISBN 0-517-52983-1. Text by Dave Gelly. About the group Wings.
    • Wie eine Pop-Gruppe arbeitet. Musik erklärt für junge Leser. Hamburg: Tessloff, 1978. ISBN 3-7886-0801-3.
  • Once a Year: Some Traditional British Customs. London: Gordon Fraser, 1977. ISBN 0-900406-68-2.
  • The English Season. London: Pavilion, 1986. ISBN 1-85145-035-1. Topsfield, Mass.: Salem House, 1987. ISBN 0-88162-236-2. Text by Godfrey Smith. On the social "season".
  • The Village Pub. Country Series 26. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1992. ISBN 0-297-83125-9. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1996. ISBN 0-297-83561-0. London: Phoenix Illustrated, 1998. ISBN 0-7538-0434-4. Text by Roger Protz.
  • Mysterious Britain: Fact and Folklore. Country Series 30. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1993. ISBN 0-297-83196-8. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1995. ISBN 0-297-83453-3. London: Phoenix Illustrated, 1998. ISBN 0-7538-0432-8. London: Cassell, 2001. ISBN 1-84188-149-X.
  • The Great Stones of England. Weidenfeld Country Miniatures. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1994. ISBN 0-297-83323-5. On megaliths.
  • The Storm Is Passing Over: A Look at Black Churches in Britain. London: Thames & Hudson, 1995. ISBN 0-500-27826-1. Text by Roy Kerridge.
  • Celtic Britain. Country Series 40. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1997. ISBN 0-297-82210-1. London: Phoenix Illustrated, 1998. ISBN 0-7538-0128-0. London: Cassell, 2001. ISBN 1-84188-150-3.
  • On the Road Again. London: Mansion Editions, 2002. ISBN 0-9542233-0-6.[49][50]
  • Shanghai Odyssey. Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2002. ISBN 1-899235-14-0.[n 1]
  • Hunting with Hounds. London: Mansion Editions, 2004. ISBN 0-9542233-1-4 (hardback). London: Mansion Editions, 2005. ISBN 0-9542233-2-2 (paperback).
  • Goodbye to London: Radical Art and Politics in the Seventies, ed. Astrid Proll. Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz, 2010. ISBN 978-3-7757-2739-6. Contains a chapter by Sykes, "Grunwick was different", about the Grunwick dispute.
  • This is England. Paris: Poursuite, 2014. ISBN 978-2-918960-77-5. Published to accompany "England 1970–1980" at Maison de la photographie Robert Doisneau.[n 2]
  • Once a Year: Some Traditional British Customs. Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2016. ISBN 978-1-911306-03-0. An augmented edition of the 1977 book.[n 3]
  • Blitz Club Blitz Kids. Paris: Poursuite, 2017. ISBN 978-2-918960-95-9. Photographs of the Blitz kids.[n 4]
  • My British Archive: The Way We Were 1968–1983. Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2018. ISBN 978-1-911306-40-5.[n 5]
  • Colour Works: The 1980s and 1990s. Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2021. ISBN 978-1-911306-73-3[n 6]
  • Before the Blue Wall. [Little Neston, Ches.]: Fistful of Books, 2022. Photographs of the area demolished in order to create the London Olympic Park.[n 7]

Zines

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  • Stonehenge: 1970s Counterculture. Southport: Café Royal, 2013.[n 8]
  • Working Men: Club and Coal. Southport: Café Royal, 2013.[n 9]
  • Blitz Kids: Skins and Silver Spoons. Southport: Café Royal, 2013.[n 10]
  • Once a Year: 1970s Folklore in Britain. Southport: Café Royal, 2013.[n 11]
  • Toff's Hat Flat Cap. Southport: Café Royal, 2013.[n 12]
  • Brick Lane and Co: Whitechapel in the 1970s. Southport: Café Royal, 2013.[n 13]
  • A Tinker's Tale. Southport: Café Royal, 2013.[n 14]
  • Once a Year: Folklore in Britain Now. Southport: Café Royal, 2013.[n 15]
  • Saltaire 1981: Still a Model Mill Village. Southport: Café Royal, 2014. On Saltaire, a model village in Bradford.[n 16]
  • Mexico 1973: Mazatlan and Heading South. Southport: Café Royal, 2014.[n 17]
  • Biddy Boys Ireland 1972. Southport: Café Royal, 2015.[n 18]
  • Made in Roath. Southport: Café Royal, 2015. Photographs of Made in Roath.[n 19]
  • Running Riots and the Days After. Southport: Café Royal, 2015.[n 20]
  • My Britain 1970–1980s. Southport: Café Royal, 2015. To accompany the exhibition "My Britain 1970–1980" at Les Douches la Galerie, Paris.[n 21]
  • Sloanes & Rahs. Southport: Café Royal, 2015. Edition of 150 copies.[n 22]
  • Sir Freddie Laker Inaugural Skytrain Flight 1977. Southport: Café Royal, 2021. Edited by Craig Atkinson.[n 23]

Notes

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  1. ^ "Shanghai Odyssey." Dewi Lewis. Accessed 10 June 2022.
  2. ^ "This Is England." Poursuite. Archived by the Wayback Machine on 30 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Once a Year." Dewi Lewis. Accessed 8 June 2022.
  4. ^ "Blitz Club Blitz Kids." Poursuite. Accessed 8 June 2022.
  5. ^ "My British Archive." Dewi Lewis. Accessed 8 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Colour Works." Dewi Lewis. Accessed 8 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Before the Blue Wall." Fistful of Books. Accessed 8 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Stonehenge: 1970s Counterculture", Café Royal Books. Archived by the Wayback Machine on 26 October 2013.
  9. ^ "Working Men: Club and Coal", Café Royal Books. Archived by the Wayback Machine on 26 April 2013.
  10. ^ "Blitz Kids: Skins and Silver Spoons", Café Royal Books. Archived by the Wayback Machine on 26 August 2013.
  11. ^ "Once a Year: 1970s Folklore in Britain Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine", Café Royal Books. Accessed 10 September 2015.
  12. ^ "Toff's Hat Flat Cap", Café Royal Books. Archived by the Wayback Machine on 26 October 2013.
  13. ^ "Brick Lane and Co: Whitechapel in the 1970s", Café Royal Books. Archived by the Wayback Machine on 26 October 2013.
  14. ^ "A Tinker's Tale", Café Royal Books. Archived by the Wayback Machine on 22 September 2013.
  15. ^ "Once a Year: Folklore in Britain Now Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine", Café Royal Books. Accessed 10 September 2015.
  16. ^ "Saltaire 1981: Still a Model Mill Village Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine", Café Royal Books. Accessed 10 September 2015.
  17. ^ "Mexico 1973: Mazatlan and Heading South Archived 30 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine", Café Royal Books. Accessed 10 September 2015.
  18. ^ "Biddy Boys Ireland 1972 Archived 30 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine", Café Royal Books. Accessed 10 September 2015.
  19. ^ "Made in Roath Archived 30 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine", Café Royal Books. Accessed 10 September 2015.
  20. ^ "Running Riots and the Days After", Café Royal Books. Accessed 10 September 2015.
  21. ^ "My Britain 1970–1980s Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine", Café Royal Books. Accessed 10 September 2015.
  22. ^ "Sloanes & Rahs", Café Royal Books. Accessed 15 October 2015.
  23. ^ "Homer Sykes — Sir Freddie Laker Inaugural Skytrain Flight 1977 Archived 27 February 2021 at the Wayback Machine", Café Royal Books. Accessed 3 March 2021.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Jonze, Tim (16 June 2021). "Sigue Sigue Sputnik at a Newcastle B&B: Homer Sykes' best photograph". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Graham Harrison, "Homer Sykes", Photo Histories, 30 November 2007, revised 21 December 2022. Accessed 30 January 2023.
  3. ^ Lyndon, Neil (30 June 2001). "No place like someone else's home". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  4. ^ a b David Alan Mellor, No Such Thing as Society: Photography in Britain 1967–1987: From the British Council and the Arts Council Collection (London: Hayward Publishing, 2007; ISBN 978-1-85332-265-5), 15, n.13.
  5. ^ "We are here: Martin Parr, Anna Pavord and others on photographing Britain", Tate etc, issue 10, Summer 2007. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  6. ^ a b Colin MacInnes, "Arts in Society: Photo Pageants", New Society, 16 August 1973, pp. 404–405.
  7. ^ Simon Roberts, "Once a Year: Homer Sykes", We English, 22 September 2008. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  8. ^ a b Peter Hamilton (18 November 2009). "Now the time returns again". British Journal of Photography. Archived from the original on 12 April 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
  9. ^ a b c Annie-Laure Wanaverbecq, "Homer Sykes: England 1970–1980", Maison de la photographie Robert Doisneau, 2014. (in French) Archived by the Wayback Machine on 14 July 2014. Accessed 9 September 2015. (Observant ses concitoyens avec humour et curiosité, il produit pendant plusieurs années une fabuleuse archive visuelle de la vie ordinaire dans un pays en crise et en proie au doute.)
  10. ^ a b c Michaël Houlette, "« England 1970–1980 » par Homer Sykes à la Maison de la Photographie Robert Doisneau Archived 30 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine", Actuphoto, 11 April 2014. (in French) Accessed 9 September 2015.
  11. ^ Michaël Houlette, "« England 1970–1980 » par Homer Sykes à la Maison de la Photographie Robert Doisneau Archived 30 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine", Actuphoto, 11 April 2014. (in French) Accessed 9 September 2015. (La réunion de plusieurs personnages dans un même cadre caractérise la plupart des photographies d'Homer Sykes sélectionnées pour ce projet. Bien souvent la structure de ses images repose sur deux ou trois figures principales qui se distinguent et se dévoilent par une expression ou une attitude. Il n'y a pas de mise ou scène ni de composition trop évidente, juste une observation fine et une méthode systématique de prise de vue: une focale courte, quelques repérages préalables et une certaine manière anglaise, franche et courtoise, d'entrer en contact avec les personnes qu'il photographie parfois à très faible distance (étonnamment, celles-ci semble d'ailleurs ignorer le photographe qui est à l'œuvre). Présent à l'évènement, invisible dans l'image, Homer Sykes fait de la discrétion une véritable marque de fabrique. Et s'il fait preuve d'un "savoir voir", c'est pour laisser le champ libre à ces sujets. . . .)
  12. ^ "Viva, une agence de photographes: 1972-1982 Archived 30 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine", Jeu de Paume, 2007. (in French) Accessed 9 September 2015.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i Homer Sykes biography, How We Are: Photographing Britain from the 1840s to the Present, ed. Val Williams and Susan Bright (London: Tate Publishing, 2007; ISBN 978-1-85437-714-2), p.221.
  14. ^ Homer Sykes, "Photographer's statement", Shanghai Odyssey (Stockport: Dewi Lewis, 2002), n.p.
  15. ^ Description of poster, Amber Online. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  16. ^ Joanna Pitman, "Ghost of the Past: Homer Sykes's portrait of Shanghai old and new captivates", Times (London), 21 May 2003; archived by the Wayback Machine on 15 June 2011. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  17. ^ Exhibition notice Archived 31 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Hereford Photography Festival. Accessed 22 January 2010.
  18. ^ "Photography & the Archive Research Centre", Facebook. Accessed 2 July 2010. (registration required)
  19. ^ "Homer Sykes: England 1970–1980 Archived 30 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine", British Council France. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  20. ^ Claire Rodineau, "L'Angleterre punk d'Homer Sykes s'expose à Paris", Le Figaro, 7 July 2014. (in French) Accessed 9 September 2015.
  21. ^ Press kit[permanent dead link‍] for "My Britain 1970–1980", Les Douches la Galerie. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  22. ^ "Homer Sykes: My Britain 1970–1980", Time Out Paris. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  23. ^ Sarah Moroz, "Homer Sykes: Photographers are lemmings", The Guardian, 9 September 2015. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  24. ^ "Homer Sykes: capturing the whimsy, folklore and festivals of Britain". The Guardian. 1 May 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  25. ^ "Exhibition record". Archived from the original on 12 May 2006. Retrieved 8 May 2010., British Council. This does not specify the place(s) of exhibition, but (as of 9 September 2015) the OPAC of the libraries of the Province of Prato lists a publication titled Il Regno Unito si diverte that specifies Milan.
  26. ^ a b "The Other Britain Revisited: Photographs from New Society", Victoria and Albert Museum, 2010. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  27. ^ "Viva, une agence photographique", Jeu de Paume, 2007. (in French) Accessed 10 September 2015.
  28. ^ Mathieu Menossi, "Ethique photographique: Exposition Viva, une agence photographique au Jeu de Paume", Evene.fr, via Figaro.fr, February 2007. (in French) Accessed 9 September 2015.
  29. ^ Blake Morrison, "Think of England", Guardian, 19 May 2007. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  30. ^ Benjamin Secher, "Portraits of a strange land", Daily Telegraph, 14 May 2007. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  31. ^ Press release for the exhibition, British Council. Archived by the Wayback Machine on 17 July 2008.
  32. ^ Cathy Lomax, "Grayson Perry: Unpopular culture", Daily Telegraph, 3 June 2008. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  33. ^ "Goodbye London: Radical art and politics in the seventies". NGBK. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2022..
  34. ^ "Goodbye London: Radical art and politics in the seventies Archived 7 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine", art-report.com. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  35. ^ Sean O'Hagan, "Mass Photography: Blackpool through the Camera" review and slideshow, Guardian, 31 July 2011. Both accessed 9 September 2015.
  36. ^ "6/08/2011–5/11/2011: Mass Photography: Blackpool through the camera Archived 30 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine", Grundy Art Gallery. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  37. ^ Mac Birmingham Summer Brochure 1011, issuu.com. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  38. ^ Hazel Johnson, Photo 50 'A Cyclical Poem' curated by Nick Hackworth Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Photomonitor. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  39. ^ Rob Alderson, "Interesting group photography show questions nature of time and change", It's nice that, 16 January 2013. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  40. ^ "Photo50 at the London Art Fair", AnOther, 17 January 2013. Accessed 9 September 2015.
  41. ^ "Country Matters". James Hyman Gallery. Archived from the original on 26 April 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  42. ^ "Country Matters", James Hyman Gallery. Archived by the Wayback Machine on 14 July 2014.
  43. ^ "Picturing Derry", cityofculture2013.com. Accessed 10 September 2015.
  44. ^ "The Male Gaze", James Hyman Gallery. Archived by the Wayback Machine on 14 July 2014.
  45. ^ Pete James, "Art Fund Award for Birmingham Library", British Photo History. Accessed 10 September 2015.
  46. ^ Homer Sykes in the British Council collection. Archived by the Wayback Machine on 7 August 2011.
  47. ^ As was found on 10 September 2015 by entering the photographer's name in the Collections search page.
  48. ^ List of photographers collected, Museum Folkwang. Accessed 10 September 2015.
  49. ^ Polly Corrigan, "Road works", Daily Telegraph, 23 October 2002. Accessed 10 September 2015.
  50. ^ Peter Marshall, "Cowboys, cars, and the road." In pp. 4–7. The Journal of London Independent Photography, Autumn 2002 issue (PDF file). Accessed 10 September 2015.
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