2020VISION exhibition launched
Written by John MacphersonThe most ambitious nature/environmental photography project ever undertaken in the UK, 2020VISION, launched its photographic exhibition in Edinburgh on Thursday. Well over 100 guests attended the event in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh and were treated to a rain-free evening. Almost all of the twenty-strong photography team attended too, coming from all over the UK for the launch. Award-winning photographers Andy Rouse and Alex Mustard did a wonderful job welcoming guests to the event, Andy doing a great imitation of large bush, whilst Alex prepared for the torrential rain that had been forecast which thankfully did not materialise!
Mustard & Rouse welcome Sir John Lister-Kaye to the Botanic Gardens © John MacPherson
It’s been three years work to get to this point, over a year of planning and fundraising, with the twenty photographers finally able to undertake their individual assignments across the UK over the last 18 months, so very satisfying for all of us to see it come together so successfully.
Otter& feet © John MacPherson
The exhibition will run in Edinburgh at the Botanic Gardens until the 30th September and admission is free, and thereafter will be appearing in various UK cities until 2015, accompanied by a variety of other events. Check the 2020 website for details of locations and venues (many still to be confirmed so bookmark it and check regularly). The images are fantastic and thought-provoking so get along and see it if you can!
2020VISION exhibition outdoors at the Royal Botanic Gardens © John MacPherson
The venue The John Hope Gateway in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh is really quite fantastic, and I can’t think of a better place to have launched this exhibition. The combination of the outdoor location, backdrop of woodlands and the stunning modern building is a real visual treat.
2020 Team celebrate the opening © John MacPherson
The flagship book will be published on 1st August by AA Publishing. 272 pages, lavishly illustrated and with a foreword by naturalist and presenter Chris Packham. Order from AA Publishing here.
2020VISION book cover image
Vested interest alert: I am a founding Director of WMF (Wild Media Foundation), a not-for-profit collaboration involving photographers, filmmakers, sound recordists, musicians, writers, and graphic designers, with a core remit to tell stories about science and the natural world in an engaging and accessible way, using print and digital media. 2020VISION is a WMF initiated and managed project. I am also one of the contributing photographers to the 2020VISION project (undertaking an assignment on marine ecotourism). WMF was created to allow us to undertake collaborative work on large-scale projects that no one photographer could hope to do alone.
Author — John Macpherson
John MacPherson was born and lives in the Scottish Highlands. He trained as a welder in the Glasgow shipyards, before completing an apprenticeship as a carpenter, and then qualified as a Social Worker in Disability Services. Along the way he has cooked on canal barges, trained as an Alpine Ski Leader & worked as an Instructor for Skiers with disabilities, been a canoe instructor, and tutor of night classes in carpentry, stained glass design and manufacture, and archery. He has travelled extensively on various continents, undertaking solo trips by bicycle, or motorcycle. He has had narrow escapes from an ambush by terrorists, been hit by lightning, caught in an erupting volcano, trapped in a mobile home by a tornado, kidnapped by a dog's hairdresser, rammed by a basking shark and was once bitten by a wild otter. He has combined all this with professional photography, which he has practised for over 35 years. He teaches photography and acts as a photography guide & tutor in the UK and abroad. His biggest challenge is keeping his 30 year old Land Rover 110 on the road. He loves telling and hearing stories.
Discussion (2 Comments)
This is brilliant John. Therefore no surprise to me that you had a hand in it. I, humbly, take my hat off to you.
Thanks Ben! But this really is a team effort. Several of us behind the scenes doing creative stuff, fundraising, writing, AV production, meetings, cajoling potential funders, trying to scrape together the cash to pay the photogs for their assignments, then all the photogs bloody hard work over 18 months to take what I have to say are utterly astonishing images (I’m doing the AV stuff and the embarrassment of riches they have provided is quite remarkable).
We aim to do theatre shows with the images and sound – we have Martyn Ford on the team who has been been able to help us obtain a superb orchestral piece which was specially written for us by Thao Nguyen. This was played live and recorded for 2020VISION by the National Youth Orchestra of Wales a few weeks ago and will be central to some of the roadshow events. Its a brilliant piece of music and we’re really fortunate to have such talent on the team.
It really is a testament to the power of collaborative working and a shared vision.