Jonathan Knowles | In Camera

Jonathan Knowles

Jonathan Knowles

Jonathan Knowles is the photographer behind many of the images which have become ubiquitous in British society: the O2 bubbles and the oranges on Sainsbury’s lorries, stores and carrier bags. Recent high profile advertising campaigns have run around the world. In the UK, we have seen advertisements for Plymouth Gin, Nike, Smokefree England, Guinness and Weetabix alongside album sleeves for the Ministry of Sound.

Knowles’ still lives all have a very graphic quality. From the extreme of a white egg on a white background to the sumptuous abundance of his golden scarf, simplicity is at the core of his work. There is nothing that is superfluous to the message in any of his pictures – even crumbs next to a half eaten cake are carefully placed in a ‘random’ way. In each image, the totality is an object which is sculpted by his light, and the way they come together creates a still and permanent beauty.

His liquid work takes this a stage further, this time presenting as permanent what the eye itself can never retain. Whilst unable to control each event in its minutest detail, meticulous planning means that he captures an instant of time never to be repeated; a fraction of a second earlier or later with his shutter and the result would undoubtedly be different.

The images in this exhibition are a combination of Knowles’ serene and sumptuous still lives, together with some images of more explosive moments captured in a way that bring equal tranquility in the absence of the brutal noise that undoubtedly accompanies their creation.