Print Space will be hosting ‘Retrospective’, a special showcase of photography by award-winning, internationally recognised photographer Dougie Wallace. This exhibition will examine his extensive and prolific output, his observations of the idiosyncrasies and both the similarities and differences of culture within human life, to include some of Wallace’s most recognisable and popular images and his most recent and previously unseen work from his significant career. His close-up involvement in communities show a dedication of purpose and reveal the best and the worst of how people live, work and play.
Dougie Wallace is known for his long-term commitments to projects and a distinct, direct style of expressive photography. He has won esteemed awards, exhibited as both a solo artist and in group shows internationally. Also featured in the media as part of the prestigious BBC 4 TV series ‘What Do Artists Do All Day’ to coincide with BBC Season of Photography, plus a commission by Sky Art 50 in collaboration with The BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, and the Barbican.
Scottish-bred, London-based, East London has been a major source of inspiration. In his own words: ‘Living in Shoreditch has helped me develop an eye for the tragi-comic, messy side of uninhibited human behaviour. My Glasgow upbringing has shaped my style, which has been described as “visually exaggerated” and “hard-edged”’.
Wallace has authored seven books, particularly appropriately named for PhotoMonth EastLondon festival, East Ended, explores gentrification in and around Shoreditch, an area of London, infamous for its extreme metamorphosis over the past two decades. This body of work shows the changing narrative told on the walls of this neighbourhood and examines the commentary that street art provides in contemporary society.
Wallace’s interest in East Ended, then shifted focus from Shoreditch to Soho. He captured the rebirth of the area, in stages, following the pandemic closures, and how it evolved.
The contrasts and comparisons in Dougie Wallace’s work, his observations further emphasise his connection to communities and cultures, both in the UK and further afield.
