"Blooming Britain" Photographs by Julie Henry and Debbie Bragg

 

Today I was lucky enough to assist Julie Henry and Debbie Bragg with their "Blooming Britain" exhibition at RHS Wisley. I had never actually visited the site before, so what better time to go!

I first met Debbie and Julie last year at their exhibit at The West End Centre in Aldershot. I had contacted them to say how much I enjoyed their series of the Rushmoor in Bloom competition, (I said I'd never seen photo's of Aldershot looking so lovely!) and offered to help with any further developments, and luckily, after being granted funding from the British Arts Council, they were able to visit RHS competition gardens around the Britain, and present these great photographs, including a selection of weatherproof outdoor prints! (For the tech geeks: Lambda c-type digital prints mounted on PVC with a outdoor crystal wrap!)

"Striving for the pastoral idyll is one of the country's most popular pastimes. For this new body of work, Henry/Bragg have turned the spotlight onto competitive amateur gardeners who enter their local RHS Britain in Bloom campaign. Blooming Britain is an enquiry into the dynamics between public display and the gardeners social standing: gardens are a blank canvas for peoples stories and imaginations"

It was great to meet some of the gardeners featured in the photographs, and I think everyone had a really lovely time at the Q&A session, the rain even held off for a while! I was even given a very snazzy Uniqlo "Pansy" t shirt especially for the occasion! It drew quite a few admiring glances!

Hope you enjoy seeing the show!

The exhibit was held in the beautiful 'Glass House' which was only opened in 2007.

The outdoor work was shown in "The Arboretum" facing back towards the Glass House, look! Sun!

"Church Road 1 - Mrs Deadman, Thundersley, Essex"

"Dobson Court 1, Hilda Heydon, Newton Heath, Manchester"

"Cable Street, Jane Sill, Tower Hamlets, London"

"Parkfields 2, Pat Johnson, Thundersley, Essex" - Julie Henry and Debbie Bragg with Pat Johnson

"Church Road 2, Mrs Deadman, Thundersley, Essex"

"Burnbank Street, Mr Macdonald Baird, Darvel, Scotland" - "I usually try to mix it up each year, a bit of colour for everyone, so to speak!"

Thanks to Debbie and Julie for letting me help! I recommend a day out to Wisley for all! Exhibition open until the 30th of June.

Katie