mission geekery at the photographers gallery

i love the new photographers gallery in london (well technically it's the old one moved to a new venue). it's become one of my places to meet people if i am anywhere near oxford circus. although oxford street is really busy because this is slightly off the main track, the cafe is a bit quieter than anything else around there. last week i met andrew jones there and, mission geek that he is, he spotted a piece on mission in the exhibition on photography in soho. he even snapped photos of the magazines featuring what we might call missional church in 1955. andrew has blogged the pics and story .

on the subject of mission and photography there is a showcase on the london independent photography site of mark denton who has a series called missionaries which is described like this...

Mark’s series ‘Missionaries’ (2008) portrays the young recruits of a fundamentalist evangelical Christian community in Sussex, England. In this project we see images of young people as they undergo six months of intense training and conditioning in a closed environment set very much apart from mainstream society.

he describes himself as an athiest so it is interesting seeing how he comes to view something like this to capture it in images. i'm not actually sure what the group is - anyone know?

this missionary theme reminded me (and i'm not going to try and explain the connection in my brain) of nic's provocative post before christmas narnia über alles !

Comments

[jonah]

I "think" it's YWAM and these guys are at Holmsted Manor in Hampsted Heath, W. Sussex. Not totally sure. But I've been to Holmsted Manor once before and the piano looks rather familiar.

[Johnny Laird]

The Vision on the wall looks like the 24/7 Prayer Vision...

[Dan Wilt]

Fascinating. An image by an atheist noting the "set very much apart" training of Christian missionaries within a "closed environment."

How poetic. Again, an image is a mirror.

(Note: I have nothing against time apart for learning - it is a central theme of my work - it is the irony of the artist/art and the nature of the description above that I highlight as a helpful, gift reflection from the culture to the Church).

[Dave B]

Yeah, it's Holmsted - my brother-in-law used to be Base Leader there until very recently. I didn't know they'd had a photographer in though. It's very odd to see this place I know well as an object for documentary rather than as a place for living. The house lends itself well to it though. The photos are beautiful but they do make the students look bit washed-out, in keeping with the 'brainwashing' that's supposed to have gone on (and didn't - I've blogged my more drawn-out thoughts to save space ;).

Still, I've got a lot of love for Mark Denton for allowing his perspective to be changed as he went on with the project instead of just making a closed-eyes polemic.

[Ben]

Looks like an interesting exhibition, the pictures on Mark Denton's site do look beautiful. Dave B, I really appreciated your post on the subject too.

[Nic]

Hey Jonny, let me make the connection for you. It was the line about missionaries not factoring in our dark history.

BTW, you are responsible for that post. Do you remember you asked me a few years ago about the 'state' of my faith— In a pub, I think. At the time a gave a really crap answer. Well, its taken two years to compose and that's it, a proper response— a positioning statement. Cheers !-)

[jonny]

nic glad i drew you out!

[chloe]

Amazing photography. And the comments by the artist are really intriguing. I felt a real connection - powerful stuff and brilliant gifting.