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My
Name is Jones by Jeff Moorhouse All photographs by Cambridge Jones (Encore Edition) We met Cambridge Jones on a balmy March evening in Hollywood California. The occasion was a sneak preview of “Talking Pictures” an exhibition set to open at The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park. The setting was the penthouse suite of one of those chic hotels that line Sunset Boulevard. The hosts for the evening, both Cardiff natives, were actor / director Mathew Rhys and Ioan Gruffudd of Titanic and Horatio Hornblower fame. The Welsh Assembly Government sponsored the event. The turnout for the evening was notable for the number of press and media types on hand with a mandate to cover the arts, entertainment or travel. As you moved about the room you occasionally caught a glimpse of the iconic red griffin or dragon so emblematic of Wales. A clear signal that a number of Welsh ex-pats were also on hand to lend an air of authenticity to the proceedings . The halls were decked with photographic portraits of very recognizable and interesting people. When the hour arrived for introductions and remarks, it became clear that all of these notable personalities shared something in common …an affinity to Wales that inspired achievement in life. It quickly became apparent that our Mr. Cambridge Jones is very accomplished behind a lens, with a host of notable friends and acquaintances His remarks were both interesting and concise. He expressed quite clearly his desire to showcase his homeland by capturing that precise moment in time when camera and lens catch a glimpse of a person's soul. So here we have a celebrity photographer serving as an ambassador for the place he calls home, on bookshelves and art galleries around the world. At the end of the press dialogue, a few well chosen words of thanks to all in attendance were followed by the singing of the Welsh National anthem as a seemingly spontaneous, yet fitting conclusion to the formalities of the evening. As a British celebrity portrait photographer, Cambridge Jones can reflect on a considerable body of work and accomplishment. His subjects, include British Prime Ministers, Queen Elizabeth II, well-known actors and musicians. Notable commissions include work for The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Prince Charles’ charity The Prince's Trust, The BBC, Nelson Mandela, London 2012 (Olympics Committee), Mayor of London Boris Johnson, and Christ Church Oxford. In 2009, Jones was made an ambassador to The Prince's Trust.
"TALKING PICTURES" Members of the Talking Pictures ensemble
"Talking Pictures", an exhibition of notable and creative people, inspired by Wales or carrying the DNA of Wales, has been exhibited in Cardiff, London, New York and now, Los Angeles. Not surprisingly, the subjects were all selected and photographed by Cambridge Jones. His portraits are direct, bold and often puckish. During each photo shoot, Jones asked each celebrity what most inspired them. Their answers accompany each of the portraits as a personal soundtrack giving the audience a unique insight into each of the celebrity’s lives. In describing “Talking Pictures” Jones says, “I shoot celebrities as people rather than people as celebrities. I like my portraits to be honest without any veneer. I want a visual connection between the viewer and the subject, often jumping out of the frame. I am pleased when they walk out of a session an hour or so later and comment that they don't feel they have been photographed. It’s almost incidental that the encounter involved a camera.” Portraits within the “Talking Pictures” ensemble include Sir Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce, Eddie Izzard, Damien Lewis, Michael Sheen, Ioan Gruffudd, Terry Jones, Matthew Rhys, Helen McCrory, Dame Shirley Bassey, Robert Plant, Bryn Terfel, John Cale and many more.. Members of the Talking Pictures ensemble
A little later, we had a chance for some one-on-one with Cambridge and the opportunity to pose a few questions that would provide a narrative directly from the creator of the "Talking Pictures" exhibition. Note: Our questions are preceded by LT, Cambridge Jones' answers follow Cj LT “What impressions do you wish to create in the mind of the spectator who visits "Talking Pictures?” Cj “I think I want two simultaneous and arguably contradictory effects: the ‘intimate / local’ (listen intently as the subject talks to you one to one about their personal experience and influences) and the ‘grand / world stage’ (see the power and charisma of these international performers.) I want them to leave nourished by the local element and impressed by the grand scale of these artist's achievements” . LT It seems that Wales is able to inspire talented people to the arts. To what do you attribute this phenomena? Cj “I think Wales has a genuine tradition and heritage of encouraging performing talent....for centuries every school child has been encouraged to get up on stage and recite a poem or sing or perform an instrument...we call it The Eisteddfod and it goes on at every level of Welsh life from the individual school Eisteddfod up to The National Eisteddfod (www.eisteddfod.org.uk). In a sense Wales has been a secret training ground for the arts for millennia....certainly for centuries before TV, film or the record industry decided to come seeking our talent. You might say we invented something like “American Idol" well before America was invented.!” LT A lot of the ultra talented people in Wales wind up on the World stage. How does this affect the arts in Wales? Cj “The old adage is that ‘you can take the boy out of Wales but you can’t take Wales out of the boy’ and here lies the answer to the question. Virtually no one leaves without returning, Catherine Zeta Jones was back recently supporting The Ryder Cup, Michael Sheen is there now performing in a play in his home town, Anthony Hopkins has helped save Mount Snowdon land etc. Their rise to the world stage just gives them a bigger glow when they come home....so in a sense I think they offer a beacon to new younger talent....they enrich rather than deplete the cultural landscape.”
LT What has Cambridge Jones learned from the art
spectator, your colleagues in the craft of
photography or from the critics concerning
"Talking Pictures"? LT What inspired you to create the rather evocative format of “Talking Pictures”, especially with celebrities or other notable individuals as sitters or subjects? Cj “My work has always tried to add a third dimension to the two dimensional form that is photography. Not because I think the two dimensions are deficient...indeed that is where the truth and beauty lies. But because I need a way to force people to reassess their preconceptions of photography without making mine all edgy and spiky just to be modern. I have used music, voices, oratory etc. to achieve this over the years. “ LT After Hollywood, where will the “Talking Pictures” exhibit appear next? Cj “This show appears to have developed a life of its own, even I don’t know where it is going next! My next exhibition is a retrospective in Russia, 40 portraits spanning 10 years – which opens in Red Square in Moscow next month. This is a show requested by The Moscow State Government, and quite an honour for a Welsh photographer.” LT Will "Talking Pictures" get a permanent home in Wales or remain a “travelling show” for the foreseeable future? Cj “There are 4 sets of portraits in total, all commissioned and owned by The Welsh Assembly Government. I suspect, like the talent they portray, they will always leave Wales to show the rest of the world what we have, and then return to the comfort of Cardiff when they want to recharge with the finer things in life.....like good honest company, beautiful surroundings and a society that has few strata to get in the way of open discourse.” “They are my children, but I must now let go of them, I sense....”
- Relevant Links - Wales Tourism "Talking Pictures" All photos
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