In the lead up to this year's Brighton Photo Biennial, we will be inviting staff and friends to discuss their Desert Island Pics.
During BPB12, Stephen Bull will be presenting 'Desert Island Pics' - loosely based on the Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs, where guests are invited to select 8 tracks they would wish to have with them on a desert island.
Photoworks Digital Product Manager, independent Digital Consultant and Producer/Curator of TEDxBrighton, Natalie Lloyd shares her choices with us:
Bill Henson, Untitled #20 (IMO SH 177 N2A), 2000-03
I saw this series at the V&A Twilight exhibition years ago and was captivated by the way the characters were suspended in a realm of possibility - through their physicality and Henson’s aesthetic and juxtaposition against landscapes at dusk. Stranded on a desert island, I imagine there would be the same mystical suspension - a stillness that suggests nothing or everything could happen.
Bill Phelps, Actors Round Table Group Shot (B&W), for The Hollywood Reporter, 2010
Aside from the fact that I adore Phelps as a human being (honestly, he walks into a room and it feels like you’ve just met James Dean), when he first emailed me this photo I was completely captivated. On an island, I’d want to be reminded of the great films that these men have starred in; Drive, A Single Man, Blue Valentine, The Social Network, Milk, You Can Count On Me and more, letting me play the movie in my mind.
Own image, Louise Spence (Nan), 2004
My Great-Grandma was a huge part of my life and when I first picked up a camera, she became my favourite subject.
Bob Carey, Snow, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 2003.
When I first met Bob, turning The Tutu Project into a book to raise money for breast cancer care was just a dream in the pipeline. Now, Bob’s book is a reality that is changing the lives of millions of people through The Carey Foundation. This has always been my favourite image from the series, but now I see his success in addition to the humour and sorrow of the image.
Alec Soth, from the series Broken Manual, 2010
Broken Manual is a hauntingly fascinating series, but alone on an island - I might foster a new understanding of its subjects; those who are in isolation by choice.
Mr Toledano, Robosaurus, Georgia, 2005
Satirical, Americana - but also the rather lonely Robosaurus appears as if calling to the helicopter for help (as I imagine I would on a desert island...).
Martin Parr, Mulberry Close, from the series Boring Postcards, 2004
I've always enjoyed the humour of Parr's work, but Boring Postcards is a particular favourite. These suburbs, much like those I grew up in, and industrial landscapes become so much more potent and fascinating in the context of a book.
As for a seventh, I'm at a loss. When I had originally discussed my DIPs choices, I'd mentioned having a Gursky on the list for their imensity, or a Helmut Newton black and white for their glamour and sexuality, or a Tim Walker for the fantasy. Without a firm decision, I realise that perhaps I just don't require a seventh and the lack of one leaves me open to recall sevel in the absence of one...
Join the debate: