A treasure trove of photographic art at Photofusion

Arts Editor Ruth Waters finds Brixton’s unique photography gallery a treasure trove of photographic variety

Electric Lane’s Photofusion is now exhibiting photographs from over 160 of its members in its fourth Annual Members’ Photography Show, reformatted for the first time into a salon. In previous years the annual exhibition has displayed a recent body of work from around 15 photographers with a further 25 members exhibiting their work on an AV show reel, but this year it has received a makeover to maximize the range of work shown and the number of members participating.

Jenna Banat, gallery coordinator & membership secretary at Photofusion, described how the change has allowed the event to “highlight the broad range of talent within the Photofusion membership community”. Photofusion’s place within the community is unique – it is London’s largest not-for-profit photography resource centre and the impressive range of photographic techniques and subjects act as testament to the unique role Photofusion plays for many professional and amateur photographers of all walks of life and levels of skill.

The salon’s launch party on Thursday December 6 attracted over 150 people. Proud photographers pointing out their pieces to friends and family were crammed into the gallery’s two-room exhibition space, along with a babbling throng of interested locals struggling to take in the photo-covered walls. The salon comprises an amazing medley of images: gigantic interiors of warehouses and cityscapes side-by-side with small and gentle domestic portraits; manipulated digital images cheek-by-jowl with pinhole camera prints.

Jenna Banat explained to me that the salon not only provides an amazing opportunity for members to showcase their work, but as the first time many have exhibited their work, the salon offers an insight into what goes into putting together a group show, providing essential training for photographers just starting out. Equally, for the more experienced photographers participating, the salon provides the chance to gain more exposure, to network and potentially find new clients to buy their work.

Overall the salon is about bringing all of Photofusions’s members together, from the professionals to the inexperienced amateurs. A large proportion of the members in the salon are from the local area, and the impressive and far-ranging photographs – as well as the astonishing number of people who turned out for the launch of the salon on a cold December night – reveal the Brixton art scene to be as vibrant as it is inclusive.

The Annual Members’ Photography Show 2012 will be on display at Photofusion until January 18 2013. Entry is free. More information about the photographers taking part can be found at www.photofusion.org

You can find Ruth Waters at @MinimalismBlog.