Take One a Day: Louth Photography Project
A Louth Photography Project to coincide with World Mental Health Day.
A celebration of Lincolnshire landscapes and people through an exhibition of photographs, taken by amateur photographer Paul Gutherson and award-winning photographic artist Richard Ansett. Paul, who has lived in Louth most of his life, starting looking for the beauty in the every day after discovering a person who had died by suicide. He started taking one photograph every day as creative therapy to overcome the trauma and to reclaim the landscape he loves. Richard Ansett, who has photographs in the National Portrait Gallery, was invited to take portraits to support Paul's landscapes. He sought out people with experience of mental health challenges, in the same landscape as Paul's photographs.
Paul says: 'Sometimes the photograph itself is not that important. It is the purposeful act of seeking something beautiful. Shutting out negative self-talk through the discipline of looking, especially on difficult days, is what becomes important.
Suicide rates have risen in rural areas since 2016. Lincolnshire has a large farming community, responsible for £2 billion of the UK’s agricultural output, but mental health support is spread thinly.
Richard, himself a Samaritans volunteer, says: 'It is a genuine privilege to be invited to contribute to Paul’s exhibition. I have been so warmly welcomed by many people who it turns out I share a great deal with. In this exhibition, we have all tried to make sense of the terrible loss of life of an unknown woman. In her darkest moment, she has brought us together. I hope that this memorialisation reminds others in their moment of despair that people do care.'
A further collection of Richard's portraits, developed with a men's support group in the area, will be available at the exhibition in the limited edition magazine Man Up.
Take One a Day is curated by Jason Baron, Photography Lead at Comic Relief and former Creative Director of Photography at the BBC.
Take One a Day: A photo exhibition, will be available to view at Spout Yard Park Gallery, Louth, from 8-14 October.
Thanks go to AKP Group which has kindly supported and sponsored the event.
Event Date & Time
- 08 Oct 2023 - 14 Oct 2023
- 10:00 - 16:00
