5 to See: This Weekend

5 to See: This Weekend

From documentary realism to uncanny compositions, this week’s selected presentations engage with aspects of daily life, visualising ecological, historical and social subjects through a variety of photographic techniques.

Sabine Weiss: Les Villes, La Rue, L’Autre, Centre Pompidou, Paris

Investigating the post war years 1945-1960, Weiss’ (b. 1924) images pair social realism with an interest in form and composition. Using light and shadow to capture timeless, personal moments, the practitioner draws a portrait of everyday life at a turbulent time in Paris’ history. Until 15 October. Find out more here.

Erwin Olaf, Izzy Gallery, Toronto

Through highly stylised images, video installations and sculptures, Dutch multidisciplinary artist Erwin Olaf (b. 1959) rewrites the conventions of fashion photography. Using the visual language of the genre, the polished, curated images address social issues within a wider context. Until 30 July. Find out more here.

Vanessa Winship: And Time Folds, Barbican Centre, London

Presented alongside a concurrent exhibition of work by iconic documentary photographer Dorothea Lange, Winship’s (b. 1960) oeuvre engages with timely ideas of identity, using the lens as a tool through which to capture the fragile nature of society and navigate socio-political landscapes. Until 2 September. Find out more here.

Olaf Otto Becker, Huxley-Parlour, London

The first solo show of Otto Becker’s (b. 1959) photographs is at once environmentally responsive and visually striking. The collection documents the effects of global warming on the coastal landscape, addressing environmental issues by capturing the colour, light and scale of the Arctic landscape. Until 7 July. Find out more here. 

Lee Miller and Surrealism in Britain, The Hepworth, Wakefield.

The first exhibition to track the photographer’s engagement with the movement, this collection offers a range of solo and collaborative works created alongside key Surrealist figures such as Man Ray and Leonora Carrington. Until 7 October. Find out more here.

Credits:
1. Erwin Olaf, Grief, Caroline, 2007.
2. Paris, 1953 © Sabine Weiss / Collections Musée de l’Elysée
3. Erwin Olaf , Shanghai Huai Hai 116 Portrait 02, 2017 – 2018.
4. Vanessa Winship, She Dances on Jackson.  © Vanessa Winship/ VU
5. Olaf Otto Becker, Ilulissat 11, 07/2016.
6. Lee Miller,  Untitled (Exploding Hand), c. 1930. Gelatin silver print. Lee Miller Archives, Sussex, England. © Lee Miller Archives, England 2011. All rights reserved.