The Balfron Tower is a high-rise public housing block in London’s East End. It was designed by Erno Goldfinger and built in the 1960s as a solution to public housing. The building is a typical example of Brutalist architecture, which has been the subject of much aesthetic criticism. However, it had originally been produced with utopian social ideals.
Simon Terrill’s ‘Balfron Tower’ is part of a body of work that looks at the fine line between utopia and dystopia within crowds and spaces. At the time of making this photograph, Terrill was living in the Balfron Tower and had become a part of its community. He created this work as a kind of portrait of the building and its residents. The photograph is the result of a highly staged event that took place after months of planning.
This work is indicative of Terrill’s practice in that it involved photographing a carefully constructed crowd scene. Terrill’s photographic practice is closely related to his background in theatre and the production of his images often involves working with a team of technicians to stage a photographic opportunity. His background in theatre is also reflected in his attention to audiences and the ways in which they engage with public events or performances.
(2014)
Chromogenic prints are printed on paper that has at least three emulsion layers containing invisible dyes and silver salts. Each emulsion layer is sensitive to a different primary colour of light (red, green or blue). The development process converts the hidden dyes to visible colour depending on the amount of light it was exposed to. This type of paper is commonly used to print from colour negatives or digital files to produce a full-colour image. It can also be used to print black-and-white images, giving softer grain and less contrast than gelatin silver prints. Commonly known as c-type prints, chromogenic processing was developed in the 1940s and widely used for colour printing, including for domestic snapshots. While recent years have seen this process accompanied by ink-jet and digital printing technologies, chromogenic printing still remains in use to this day.
