Jodie Shepley reviews group exhibition Residual Traces, showing at Photofusion until September 7
Stepping back from the recent flurry of Olympic fever, Photofusion’s current exhibition Residual Traces displays six photographic projects, each investigating the effect that the Olympic Games has had on Lea valley, a deprived but colourful pocket of North East London. Over the last five years, the eclectic residents of Lea Valley have seen houses re-developed and organic cafes opened, but these transformations may only prove to marginalize the older, long-standing residents.
The exhibition sensitively documents the hidden actualities of the area’s journey, beginning with Sophia Evans’ The Lea Valley, which snapshots the area’s decay on the day of the announcement of London’s successful bid.  Zed Nelson’s Hackney – Tale of Two Cities is a line of charming and honest portraits that identify the confusion of culture and identity in the borough.
The exhibition continues with Stephen Gill’s wry shots of discarded objects, taken with a 50p camera from Hackney Wick, Jason Orton’s bleak and beautiful Channelsea River, as well as Jan Stradtmann’s affecting spot-lit sheds in his Manor Garden Allotment series.Â
Residual Traces is showing at Photofusion, 17a Electric Lane, until September 7
[…] Catch this group exhibition, Residual Traces, at Photofusion Gallery on Electric Lane. It showcases six photographic projects focusing on the Lea Valley area since the Olympics were announced in 2007, diggers moved in, Westfield turned up and Mo Farah won two golds. Reviewed here. […]