‘Upon The High Street’ is a realist photography exhibition which opened to the public at Rochester Art Gallery today and aims to capture the people of Chatham High Street in an attempt to highlight the history of the town and the diversity of those that live there.
The project was created by award-winning Medway-raised photographers Joshua Atkins and Daniel Loveday.
Upon entering the exhibition, I was drawn into the settled silence of the exhibition, a vast contrast to the busy high street of Rochester just outside.
Whilst the exhibit certainly captures the atmosphere of Chatham High Street, Atkins and Lovejoy were also keen to document the challenges faced by high streets across the country.
They stated: “It’s fascinating to both observe this and then document it from our two viewpoints, especially as the high streets across the UK rapidly evolve and adapt.”
Meanwhile, the public expressed their views on photography and the arts in general could be encouraged and promoted as a viable career path by local councils.
I think this is testament to the passive nature of the artwork itself, which does not wish to tell its audience what to think but rather to let them form their own interpretations on what the photography represents.
It would seem however that the Rochester art gallery has gained another thought-provoking exhibition which will surely interest and engage many passers-by over the coming months.
The exhibition will be open every Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm and will be on display until Saturday 13th January 2024.