Side Gallery
Introduction
Welcome to Side Gallery
Since opening in 1977, the gallery's been committed to documentary in the tradition of the concerned photographer - our own production/commissions in the North of England and the historical and contemporary work from around the world, which continues to inspire us. Talks are organised around most of the exhibitions. The gallery sells a range of photography books, posters, postcards and prints, along with Amber films on DVD.
Current Exhibition
The Star Cafe, West Auckland by Dean Chapman
HORSE NATION
Dean Chapman
Saturday 21 June to Saturday 23 August
Dean was initially drawn into documenting this territory, back in 2000, photographing teenagers exercising their horses on a housing estate near Bishop Auckland as part of his Coalfield Stories project Shifting Ground. His introduction to the horsey world of harness racing came through Amber’s Murray Martin, who was an active member of the trotting community. In 2003 and 2004 Dean documented the race meetings of the United Kingdom Standard-bred Racing Association, which Murray helped to set up and run. The races were held across County Durham, but Dean followed the story to stables in Wallsend, small horse fairs such as Fencehouses, drives, road races and, of course, to Appleby.
Horse Nation constitutes one of the central photographic essays in a long-term project upon which Dean has embarked, working across the North East, recording the relationship between man and beast – the working, racing and hunting animals around which so many communities and individuals shape their identity.
Event: Dean Chapman discusses Horse Nation, Saturday 21 June, 2pm, FREE
Murray Martin at The Jungle by Sirkka-Liisa Konttinen
FOR MURRAY
Various photographers
Tuesday 22 July to Saturday 23 August
Amber founder member and key visionary, Murray Martin died last August. A great filmmaker, he was drawn into the horsey world through Seacoal (1985). By the time Amber began work on The Pursuit of Happiness three years ago, it had become hard to tell whether Murray was there as a filmmaker or as a horsey man. But he was always a collector – of people, of the detail of people’s lives and of documentary photography. His commitment and his eye were the driving forces behind Side’s unique photographic collection. Celebrating 40 years of Amber and the anniversary of Murray's death in August last year, the exhibition selects some of his favourites and tells some of the stories behind them.
Event: For Murray – food, drink, an opportunity to talk, to toast the memory of Murray and his enormous legacy and to catch preview screenings of The Pursuit of Happiness, Side Gallery & Cinema, Saturday 16 August from 2pm, ( screenings at 2.30 pm, 5 pm & 7 pm), FREE
The Wedding Ribbon by Robert Doisneau
West Virginia, 1946 by Russell Lee
Captured in Amber, Tyne Tees TV, Rpt, 4 Sept
Tyne Tees' Northern Eye documentary on Amber, broadcast on 1 August, got a 21% audience share apparenty. It may indicate a commercial potential some broadcasters have managed to miss in recent years. It may not, of course. Either way, the programme is being repeated on Thursday 4 September at 11pm... Amber defies Gravity in surviving 40 years, says Lord Puttnam. Other people say all sorts of other things about us... We say other things about us... So, if you live in the North East, there's another opportunity to see Captured in Amber, a new documentary exploring the Amber story and paying tribute to Murray Martin. The programme was produced and directed by the excellent Chris Phipps. Thursday 4 September, 11pm.