Sunday 14 October 2012

Bernard Rudden: The World is Illusion

Yesterday Di and I went to Hampstead.
We had our first date there 26 years ago and took a little trip down memory lane; essentially shopping with empty pockets (just as well as I was nearly talked into buying an anti-aging grapefruit serum @£69) and then on to lunch at the Holly Bush pub, which hasn't changed a bit in a quarter of a century; probably the same beer mats; seemingly the same pastry on the beef and mushroom pie.
Our real reason for the journey was to see the opening of an exhibition, 'The World is Illusion' by the brilliant photographer and film maker Bernard Rudden.
I first heard of Bernard through his connection with the Blue Nile. In 1990 he made the documentary 'Flags and Fences' which followed the band on their American tour.
More recently Bernard has made videos for selected tracks from Buchanan's 'Mid Air' album.
The current exhibition 'The World is Illusion' is best described by Bernard himself:

"One day I took a picture of a moon like shape on the wall. It was broken and crumbling and revealed another wall behind it. To me it seemed that this was the Earth or the Moon I saw and behind it was brick and behind the bricks something else; yet another layer; another layer of reality. I believe that images are born in sensation... When I look into the viewfinder of the camera I realize that this frame I see is interdependent with so many other factors. The image is made up of so many things we don't normally see. For me, when the photograph is taken it 'dies' to reappear in an entirely different moment and place. When I look at these again, I am the viewer, I see objects made of light, secret messages can be deciphered anew, and trees cast themselves on walls; nature's shadow sage for a giant theatre show. It is important to be 'really in it' because it will never be the same again. This thought fills me with a real sense of wonder; something magical happens..."

If you're in North London why not pop in to the Zebra Gallery on Perrins Court, to witness Bernard's beautiful images in the raw; something magical for sure.
The exhibition runs until November 15th.
Meanwhile, I have included a three of Rudden's evocative 'Mid Air' videos below.



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