The Hidden Lane Gallery

The Hidden Lane Gallery

The Hidden Lane Gallery header image 2

Scottish Press Photography Association and Red Road Flats Exhibition

August 27th, 2011


The idea for this exhibition came in conversations with freelance press photographer John Linton, and Suzanne Bunniss, who among many commitments , works with groups dedicated to assisting asylum seekers and other immigrants. The Red Road flats had become synonymous in central Scotland with the often grudging help given to those newcomers to Scotland in need of support. Meagre charity, often as cold as the clichéd adage, leaves not just gaps, but huge craters in the provision of help. The Red Road started with hope for badly housed Glaswegians. It has ended its days having become a bad name in all its functions

The pictures, by Scottish photographers document some of the sadnesses, and some of the joys which happened there.

The Red Road pictures appear upstairs. Downstairs is a selection of images submitted by Scottish Press Photographers, under the umbrella of the Association which they have formed to promote their work, which earns them an often precarious living. Photographers were staff men (very few women , then as now). Their work was often excellent, but often it was pedestrian. Today things are different; each photographer is only as good as his next picture. From the submissions received, standards have benefited from the competitive nature of the job today.

From the hundreds of entries received, the problem was not to find good images which would tell a story. Virtually every submission was worthy of inclusion.

The judges, Suzanne Bunniss, Alex Hewitt, deputy picture editor of the Scotsman, and Joe Mulholland had grave difficulty in narrowing the field to fit the wall space available. The same panel chose the images of the Red Road flats from a smaller, but equally accomplished field, again constrained by space.

All Gallery profits from sales of images will be donated to asylum seekers’ charities, with a further contribution from photographers whose work is sold.

From Saturday 3rd September until Friday 30th September.

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