One LP is a unique and critically acclaimed portrait photography project that explores the inspirational qualities of recordings and the impact that they have on people's lives. Each portrait features the subject holding a recording that is of great personal significance.
The photograph is accompanied by a short interview that explores the meaning and value of the selected album. “Great project!” - Graham Nash
The project commenced in 2010 as a response to conversations with musicians about their relationship with the work of other artists encountered via recordings. These conversations had focused on the albums that had profoundly moved the subjects.
As a conversation is, of course transient, - usually committed only to memory - Will was eager to find a format that would adequately document his interactions with the artists. The One LP series is the outcome of these engagements. Something they excavates layers of memory, influence, being and uniqueness. Perhaps more poetically, One LP has come to represent a journey into another's soul: the album that each artist selects is a part of them: their past, present and future.
Working in collaboration with Prof. Tim Wall, the project, conceived in the jazz world has been extended into many other music genres and now includes around 300 people in a spectrum of occupations and music genres, including music fans, artists, academics, broadcasters, musicians, writers, photographers.
The premiere exhibition was held in New York at the ARChive of Contemporary Music.
“British photographer William Ellis is perhaps best known for his impeccable photos of jazz musicians. Truly cool interactive exhibits like this that combine multiple art forms don't come around often.” -Time Out New York
Visit the One LP exhibition at the HVF Hangout - in the Phil Foyer and get to know all the ins and outs of this project during the accompanying fascinating talk.
Created by:
-William Ellis, Visiting Research Fellow in Photographing Popular Music Culture, Faculty of Arts, Design and Media, Birmingham City University, UK.
-Tim Wall, Professor of Radio and Popular Music Studies, Faculty of Arts, Design and Media, Birmingham City University, UK.
Visit the exhibition from Friday 'till Sunday, 9am-6pm.