14 November 2003 - 25 January 2004

Me and My Camera(person)    Performance artists usually have to rely on others to record their work, either as photographs or films. The relationship between the artist and the person that documents their work can be a highly creative collaboration, leading to beautiful and often iconic images of live action. These documents stand as works of art in their own right but also situate the original event within a broader art history.

For some artists the ideal situation is to work collaboratively over an extended period, building an almost empathic bond with their photographer. Others give explicit instructions as to what to shoot and when to take the image, whilst some leave decisions on composition and timing entirely to the photographer. In a few exceptional instances the photographer or film-maker has taken an image and continued to work with the material in the darkroom or editing suite to create ground-breaking work.

Occasionally such artist/photographer relationships can be troubled – arguments over ownership of the image, debate as to what constitutes the actual work of art, as well as the financial considerations of income from the sale of photographs, are all areas of potential conflict.