Northern stars shine bright at Manchester portrait photography showcase
· New collection of portraiture from Chester-born photographer Rory Lewis entitled ‘Northerners’
· Portraits of esteemed actors, politicians and sports personalities of Northern heritage to be featured, including Stephen Graham, Sir Patrick Stewart, Tony Blair and Olympic gold medallist Beth Tweddle
· Exhibition from 1 August to 31 October 2019 at Wex Photo Video, Manchester
16 May 2019: Known for his extraordinary portraiture, Chester-born photographer Rory Lewis will exhibit a new body of work featuring an array of iconic actors, politicians and sportspeople all of whom hail exclusively from the North, at Wex Photo Video in Manchester.
Open from 1 August to 31 October 2019, ‘Northerners’ showcases some of the world’s most recognised faces, captured by Lewis over the last decade. High-profile subjects include Line of Duty and This is England star Stephen Graham, distinguished actors Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen, and celebrated Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle. Most of the portraits are previously unseen and will be unveiled for the first time at the Wex exhibition.
A Northerner himself, Rory Lewis was born in Chester, and divides his time between the UK and Los Angeles, working with a wide variety of clients. Rory’s particular style deliberately challenges the established norm, injecting moments of spontaneity – and even awkwardness – into his imagery. His aim is to strip back the artificial layers of typically staid portraiture and replace it with strangeness and a sense of quiet. Rory draws inspiration from the Masters of Art including Hans Holbein the Younger, Titian, Caravaggio and Jusepe de Ribera.
Rory Lewis commented, “Being born and bred in Chester, I’m passionate about showcasing the home-grown talent of the North, so the idea of celebrating others who have their roots here appealed to me. Each shoot has been unique, and I approached my subjects all individually. Photography of this nature is a rare pleasure and surprising at the same time. You wouldn’t believe that many of these personalities have an aversion to being photographed. If you look online, you will find only a handful of portrait sessions that truly convey the person, not the character.”
Lewis admits that each shoot brought its own set of challenges, ranging from lighting decisions to coming to terms with directing individuals with legendary status. His first success was a studio session with Manchester-born actor David Warner, whose previous portrait had been taken by Cecil Beaton in 1966. Rory’s stunning shot of Warner now hangs permanently in the National Portrait Gallery. More recently, Lewis has worked with several Prime Ministers, including Tony Blair and David Cameron, actors such as Stephen Graham, Iain Glen and Karl Pilkington, as well as Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool. He describes some of these experiences below.
Stephen Graham (actor/DJ, born in Kirkby): I’ve admired Stephen’s work for many years. He is a screen icon, exceptionally talented and known for playing no-nonsense gritty characters. My goal was to capture Stephen’s métier in my portraits, asking him to pose without emotion, then changing to shoot fierce and angry expressions.
I opted to capture Tony Blair (born in Edinburgh) as a contemplative statesmen. Looking back and looking directly to camera, we worked through a series of thoughtful poses. I found Blair to be an extraordinary sitter. Speaking about his career, I was able to direct Mr Blair as he meditated on the past. One of my aims as a portraitist is to record the figures of our time, and this sitting certainly represents living history.
Also from Chester, Major General Susan Ridge is the first woman to hold the rank of Major General in the British Army. Since September 2015, she has been Director General of the Army Legal Services Branch (DGALS). This photograph reveals the changing face of the British Army: modern, diverse, with women now pushing to the front of what has been traditionally a male-dominated organisation. General Ridge’s uniform had to be custom made, with no other female officer previously holding the rank. It was an honour to capture such a historic portrait.
Tiffany Tangen, events manager at Wex Photo Video, commented, “Following his successful exhibition at our London gallery last year, we are thrilled to welcome back Rory Lewis with another outstanding collection. As great admirers of Rory’s photography, we’re excited to give visitors the opportunity to view the inaugural showing of ‘Northerners’.”
About the exhibition
Venue:
Wex Photo Video
Unit 4, Downing Street Industrial Estate
Charlton Place
Manchester
M12 6HH
Opening hours can be found here.
‘Northerners’ will be held from Thursday 1 August to 31 October 2019 at Wex Photo Video in Manchester, with free entry.
Limited edition prints from the exhibition will be available for purchase. Presented in partnership with Epson, each photograph is printed on an Epson lab quality SureColor SC-P800 Printer using High Grade Epson Media A2 Enhanced Matte Paper.
Rory captured the majority of the portraits with a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Profoto B10 lighting and Lastolite backdrops.
Portraiture Workshop with Rory Lewis
29 August 2019, 10.00 to 16.00 at Wex Photo Video Manchester
Join Rory Lewis for an exclusive portraiture workshop at Wex Photo Video in Manchester. In this session, attendees will learn how to master their portrait photography techniques and bring their work to the next level. More information can be found at https://www.rorylewis.studio/workshops/august-29
