“A good project could be one of many different things,” says Vivienne Gamble, director at Seen Fifteen Gallery and Peckham 24. “Sometimes it will be the story that the photographer is telling that sets their project apart. The storytelling power of photography is one of the reasons that I’m most drawn to the medium.
“I’m drawn to experimental projects, and to artists who are playing with or pushing the boundaries of photography,” she continues. “When it comes to choosing projects to show in the gallery, I look for ones that are going to expand beyond the confines of the gallery walls.”
Gamble is one of the judges for this year’s BJP Breakthrough Awards, along with Emma Lewis, assistant curator at Tate Modern, Diana Markosian, photographer at Magnum Photos; Emma Bowkett, director of photography at FT Weekend Magazine; Maisie Skidmore, online editor at AnOther; Juno Calypso, artist; Hayley Louisa Brown, founder and editor of BRICK magazine and Lisa Farrell, head of exhibitions and events at British Journal of Photography.
Now in their third edition, there are four awards up for grabs with prizes for single images and series, in both undergraduate and recent graduate categories.
Maisie Skidmore echoes her words. “I’m looking for something original, something I’ve never seen before,” she says. “That sense of freshness can exist in the tiniest shred of an early idea, but when it’s real it permeates through the whole project. You can’t miss it.” Skidmore adds that she’s looking for photographers who can take a “time-honoured format”, and push it to show new depths. “That fresh, alternate perspective on an established idea feels very exciting to me at the moment,” she says.
“I’ll be looking for work which shows both visual flair and conceptual confidence,” says Lisa Farrell. “For me, seeing a clear line of enquiry in someone’s work is just as important as a sophisticated visual style. I look forward to seeing images which provoke discussion and have a well considered and consistent visual language.”
Whether you’re currently studying – photography or something else – or within five years of graduation, our judges are looking forward to seeing your work.
