University of Chester: New exhibition by students explores escapism through a lens

A new photography exhibition is showcasing work by students from the University of Chester and celebrating the role of the camera in offering a form of escapism.

The work will be on display at the Tower Gallery, at the University of Chester Warrington site, at Crab Lane. An opening night launches the free exhibition on Thursday May 5 at 6.30pm, which then runs until June 12, 2022.

Escapism celebrates the work and talents of third year Photography students, Charlotte Coleman, Adam Glowacki, James Taylor, Dan Kanabar, Mia Cooper, Sam Seitbekir and Tee White.

Documenting the escapes from life in front of the camera and how it acts as a way for the photographer to escape the world around them, for many of the students this will be their first exhibition.

In images curated during their final year, the photographers depict different forms of escapism, raising the question in the process of ‘why do we seek to escape the world we live in’?

The exhibition is arranged around giving a window into the different forms, with each photographer having a space which physically represents the theme of their images. The exhibition features original prints by all the photographers which work alongside contextual elements to make the audience feel as though they are escaping the world around them.

Photography student, Mia Cooper said: “Each set of images represents an individual journey. From the gateway into emotions, highlighting how out of five subjects not one is the same, transitioning to the return of the rave scene in post-pandemic times. Or a trip to your local where, no matter who you are, the atmosphere creates a sense of community and culture.

“Images also focus on the hardships of society and the ways we seek to escape them and the poetic way in which colour can differ from the normality that you see. They pose the question of ‘what about animals and how a cage, cages the very spirit of the animal’ or how birds can bring a whole new appreciation to the escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

“Each of these photographers explore these journeys and invite the audience to peer into the hidden escapes that we use in life.”