Chance Would be a Fine Thing

A photograph from my series 'Par Hazard' has been chosen as the signature image to promote the exhibition Chance Would be a Fine Thing, a group show opening tomorrow where 13 photographers respond to the theme of chance. I am showing 10 images from the series which records a succession of walks I made based on the London A-Z. Organised by the Central Group of London Independent Photography, the exhibition takes place at the Mile End Art Pavilion in East London from 13th-18th November and is part of London’s Photomonth. More details can be found here.

It promises to be an interesting exhibition as the participating photographers have produced quite diverse and individual interpretations of the different connotations of chance, involving aspects of luck, risk, fortune, probability, opportunity or prospect.

Despite the current trend for staged or constructed imagery, one of photography's joys has always been its susceptibility to chance. As photographers we choose the subject matter, select the aperture and shutterspeed, carefully frame the composition; but the moment the shutter is released, an element of chance is involved: an expression or gesture changes, the sun appears, a figure crosses our field of vision.  The serendipitous moment then becomes ‘a fine thing’ indeed.

'Chance would be a fine thing' can also be interpreted as desire against the odds. Although there may be no chance, this has never stopped people dreaming.There may be fat chance, but the photographer still strives to capture his or her vision. One of the most exciting challenges for photographers is to try to evoke the tension and ambiguity in these contradictions. This is the first group show of LIP's Central London branch in celebration of its second anniversary.