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Brian Griffin: Work and other stories
7 June - 3 August 2019

Brian Griffin: Work and other stories

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Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: Brian Griffin, Welder, Broadgate, City Of London, 1986
Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: Brian Griffin, Welder, Broadgate, City Of London, 1986

WORKERS, 1986, MMX Gallery, London 2019, Exhibition: Work and Other Stories

Brian Griffin

Welder, Broadgate, City Of London, 1986
Vintage Silver Bromide Print
Image size: 33 x 33 cm | Frame: 64 x 54 cm
Vintage Print, framed.
Series: Work
© Brian Griffin
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Further images

  • (View a larger image of thumbnail 1 ) Brian Griffin, Charles Woods, Writer, 1979
  • (View a larger image of thumbnail 2 ) Brian Griffin, Charles Woods, Writer, 1979
'I photographed the workers at Broadgate like knights lying in state in a cathedral with their swords” – Brian Griffin Inspired by his respect for workers, Griffin constructed these iconic...
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"I photographed the workers at Broadgate like knights lying in state in a cathedral with their swords” – Brian Griffin

Inspired by his respect for workers, Griffin constructed these iconic images using some of the *Broadgate Development’s builders to create imaginary Sarcophagi as a testament to the ultimate sacrifice that 14 men suffered while working on the project. A little-known fact...
Tools replace swords, but the pose is the same, and so is the ending…
The pictures also echo his childhood as both his parents were workers themselves in the English Midlands when industry was booming but also where health and safety wasn’t a priority.
Griffins incredibly acute style and emotional input into these pictures make the images both intriguing and incredibly moving.

WORK, 1988 - is a seminal book in the history of photography. The Work book went on to be awarded the Best Photography book in the World at the Barcelona Primavera Fotografica 1991.*Broadgate, on the site of the former Broadgate station, was the largest and most significant speculative development of the 1980s.

“The development’s ‘iconic status’, commercial success and critical acclaim had given it ‘an enduring place in the canon of British commercial architecture … It represents a place-making achievement of a very high order, creating a piece of city within the City that was a benchmark for later-20th-century urbanism on this scale.’” - Historic England

This is a Classic & Iconic Print from WORK series... A real gem for any art and photography collection. 
“I think that Brian is one of the most interesting portrait photographers ever. His portrait photography belongs to another time. Portrait photography today is like so simple, so straightforward, so it seems that all photography portraits are alike. Brian is different and Brian has a craziness in him – a craziness in a way to see the world, and intensity that belongs only to him.”
– Francois Hébel, Director, Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson (present), Director, Les Rencontres d’Arles (1986-1987, 2001-2014)

Set of 7 iconic images; 6 + 1): Lift Engineer, Sewage Pipe layer, Plumber, Welder, Plasterer, Riveter and Carpenter., 1986  (6 x Vintage Gelatin Silver Print plus 1 x Modern Gelatin Silver Print, Framed) also available for purchase - See the link below or enquire for more details: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/brian-griffin-workers-set-of-7-iconic-images-6-plus-1-lift-engineer-sewage-pipe-layer-plumber-welder-plasterer-riveter-and-carpenter

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Publications

WORK, 1988, which went on to be awarded the Best Photography book in the World at the Barcelona Primavera Fotografica 1991.

Black Kingdom, 2013

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Related artworks
  • Portrait of the Carpenter by Brian Griffin photographer from the iconic Workers series 1986, like knights lying in state in a cathedral with their sword, here instead of the sword, the worker man is holding a saw, his working tool
    Brian Griffin, Carpenter, Broadgate, City of London, 1986

Related artist

  • Brian Griffin

    Brian Griffin

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