The Story
’48 Hours on Clapham High Street’ brings to life this south London high street, and its many characters, in 48 images. It was photographed during the Autumn of 2016 by award-winning photographer, Jim Grover, a local Clapham resident for almost 30 years. It was first exhibited in Omnibus, Clapham's arts centre, in April 2017.
Jim has brought an unusual photographic approach to this story. He limited himself to the south side of the High Street during daytime hours (5am -5pm), working exclusively in colour, and limited himself to the north side at night (5pm - 5am), working exclusively in black and white. He has also limited himself to just 48 hours of shooting time (although spent many pleasurable days on the street, getting to know its rhythms and occupants). The final 48 images comprise 24 colour images and 24 black and white images.
The photo-essay is supplemented with analysis of the High Street and its daily life, including the perspectives of 48 workers and users of the High Street, highlighting the diversity of opinions and reactions that it provokes.
The Photographer
Jim Grover is a photographer based in Clapham, South London.
Jim's images have appeared in various publications and online including The Times; The Sunday Times; the BBC; Sunday Times Travel; The Guardian; The Guardian Magazine; The Daily Telegraph; The British Journal of Photography; Black + White Photography; Leica Forum.
His images have been recognized in various competitions including The Sony World Photography Awards, and the Landscape Photographer of the Year Awards. In 2015 he won the ‘Faith Through a Lens’ competition; the judging panel was chaired by the internationally renowned photographer Sir Don McCullin CBE.
His work has appeared in various exhibitions in Somerset House and The National Theatre in London. In March 2016 his solo exhibition, ‘Of Things Not Seen’ in the Oxo Gallery on London’s South Bank attracted 7,400 visitors and extensive media coverage; it has been exhibited seven times including at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival. Other solo exhibitions include 'The Jazz Gig' and 'Cafe Delight at 21', which was featured on the BBC TV News.
In 2016 he was a member of the judging panel at the MIA Photo Fair in Milan.
Jim is currently working on various commissions. His next solo exhibition, 'Windrush: Portrait of a Generation' will be in May/June 2018 in London's Oxo Gallery on the South Bank.
The Curator
Katy Barron is a curator, writer and art adviser, specializing in photography.
She has curated photography exhibitions for museums, galleries and festivals. In 2016 she curated Jim’s Of things not seen exhibition at London’s Oxo Gallery as well as Unseen, Photographs by Wolf Suschitzky, Dorothy Bohm, and Neil Libbert at the Ben Uri Museum and Gallery in London.
She is currently the Senior Director of Michael Hoppen gallery, one of the world’s leading photography galleries.