One year after his exhibition Out of Shadows / Sorti de l’Ombre, Adrian Bondy and Mind’s Eye gallery present thirty-one portraits of former boxers by the English photographer John Claridge. John grew up in the East End of London, an underprivileged nelghbourhood close to the docks, where one engaged ln bare-knuckle fighting in order to eam a few pennies. His uncompromising, contrasty portraits bear witness to the hard life led by the residents of this neighbourhood.
« My dad was a bare-knuckle fighter in the 30’s, among many other things, in the dock area of the East End of London. He also fought in New York in the 30’s. When I was a kid I wanted to take some pictures of hlm and told hlm I’d make hlm look good. He told me to take a hard picture of hlm, adding “Don ‘t look at the traits, look deeper. A lot of living and a bit of suffering went into how I look. Don ‘t forget that.” I’ve tried not to in the following pictures. »
John Claridge
Born ln 1944, John Claridge left school at flfteen and took a job ln the photography department at McCann-Erickson. In 1963, he opened a studio near St. Paul’s Cathedral, specialising in magazine work and advertlslng. His work ls held ln many collections, notably the Arts Council of Great Britain, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the National Portrait Gallery, and the Museum of Modern Art. He lives and works in France in the Aveyron.
EXHIBITION
John Claridge : The Hardest Game
From September 23 to October 31st, 2015
Mind’s eye / galerie Adrian Bondy
221 rue Saint-Jacques
75005 Paris
France
http://www.mindseye.fr
http://www.johnclaridgephotographer.com
