The Archisle Project is delighted to announce the appointment of Lewis Bush as International Photographer in Residence 2018. The Archisle Residency, now in its fifth year, brings international contemporary photographers to Jersey to create, educate and exhibit. The residency awards a bursary of £10,000 for an exhibition of new work responding to the culture of the Jersey and set of these works enter the Archisle Collection at the Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive for future public enjoyment.
Lewis Bush is a Photographer, Writer, Curator and Educator based in London. After studying History and working as a researcher for the United Nations Taskforce on HIV/AIDS he completed a MA in Documentary Photography at the London College of Communication in 2012. Since then he has developed a multifaceted practice encompassing photography, writing and curation to explore ideas about the way power is created and exercised in the world. In The Memory of History (2012) he travelled through ten European countries documenting the way the past was being manipulated in the context of the economic crisis and recession. This project was widely published and was exhibited at the European Union’s permanent representation in London in 2014. More recent works include Metropole (2015) which critiques the architectural transformation of London and the city’s growing inequality by subverting the imagery of London’s luxury and corporate developments. Bush’s new book Shadows of the State (2018) uses open source research to reveal numbers stations, cold war intelligence communications which remain in use today. Bush is a Lecturer on the MA and BA(hons) Documentary Photography Programmes at London College of Communication.
Bush comments: ‘I am grateful for this opportunity to spend such a considerable period of time developing new work, and excited to be doing it within the unique context of Jersey. In the aftermath of the Brexit vote the United Kingdom faces an enormous number of choices about how it orientates itself, and the path Jersey has taken over the last half century is seen by some as a possible model for the United Kingdom as a whole. I am looking forward to exploring these issues in collaboration with residents of Jersey.’
Bush’s projects often incorporate his writing and he also writes extensively on contemporary and historic photography for print and online titles including 1000 Words Magazine, FOAM Magazine, The British Journal of Photography, Hotshoe Magazine, Photoworks, Hyperallergic, Photomonitor, and The Photographer’s Gallery blog. Between 2011 and 2017 he wrote and edited Disphotic, a blog on photography and visual culture.
Archisle Project Leader Gareth Syvret said: ‘Following the success of the residencies in 2013-2017 Lewis Bush is a great appointment for 2018. Lewis plans to investigate the history and status of Jersey’s Finance Industry in the context of Brexit. The project is therefore timely and will mark an important contribution. Lewis’s strong profile as a photographic educator will also bring excellent opportunities to Jersey students of all ages through the Archisle Educational Programme.’
Rod McLoughlin, One Foundation Council Member commented: ‘The One Foundation is delighted to continue its relationship with the Archisle Residency which has been conspicuously successful in raising the standard of photography in Jersey, engaging many members of the community of all ages in workshops, exhibitions and talks. Its programmes have been put together with great skill to draw on the particular qualities of each photographer, so we’re looking forward to the results of the latest partnership with great interest.’
