jon cartwright / the gift in whitechapel

in residence 27th november-6th december 2008

the gift in whitechapel

for the gift shop, jon presents a hard won collection in striking contrast to the work he is becoming known for. this set of images reveals the darker less optimistic reality of an east end in which ‘gift-giving’ in its different iterations seems to take second place to the more visible market economy. some of these images reflect aspects of the gift economy which seem more unique to whitechapel and the greater east end - in its thriving donated arts scene and outspoken politics. but despite the hustle we find comfort in the same relationships we’ve come to seek elsewhere in his work – between members of a family, between the street person and the passerby, between a child and their new found object. its in these images most of all that the collection appears out of time, beyond and before 2008, and underscores the timeless emotions associated with the concept of gift. jon came to whitechapel an innocent observer from another part of london with his eyes wide open to the possibilities and the reality of the east end. he spent a good six weeks, covered some miles, and went through some significant amount of exposures simply to get a glimpse of the gift in whitechapel. a long glimpse into a london not much different to his london, but rather more hidden.

the collection was presented with the generous input of the legendary ken morse (rostrum photography) and jon bruguier (AV production).

jon cartwright

jon cartwright is a london based photographer specialising in street photography. predominantly taken with a fixed 35mm lens, his candid, thought-provoking pictures document the fleeting moments so often lost in the capital’s crowds. his intimate portrayal of people and places reveal a wealth of london living, creating unusual portraits against a familiar backdrop. in addition to his street photography, jon also works from his studio on london’s south bank.

see more of jon’s work here.

in kulcha – there were many stink bits to 2008. but there were some really sweet ones too; for us, one of these moments was the launch of the gift shop, meeting and working with the talented group of people who make up the collective and then bonus points like this (hark at you jon, hark. at. you):

* metro, monday december 15 2008