Thecolourof memory EastAnglia Contemporary Group
October2025
WearememberoftheContemporarySpecialInterest GroupoftheRPSwhoresideinEastAnglia.Itisa largegeographicareacoveringfromtheM25upto theWashandthewesternedgeofCambridgeshire,
Theparticipantsaresmallinnumberandspreadall overtheregion.WemeetmonthlyviaZoomandtryto producebodiesofworktwiceperyearthatweused toexhibitvirtually.
Theproblemwithvirtualexhibitionsisthequalityof imagerendition.Thiszineisanattempttodojustice totheworkproduced
Contactthegroupat contemporaryea@rps.org
‘Thecolourofmemory’
Thisthemeistakenfromaquoteattributedtoan artworkbyValdaBaileyexhibitedintheBosham Gallery2022.
“Theworldretreats,ourlives contract.Welook,welisten,we contemplate,wegrieve.The worldhastoppledfromitsaxis andwecannolongerfindthe piecestocompletethepuzzle.”
Coverphotographscredit
Frontcover: JonathanWilliams
Backcover: PaulAshleyARPS
Theintentofthisgroupistointerpretoursetthemes withoutnecessarilytakingtheliteralinterpretation
Asever,thisassignmentprovedtobesomewhat challengingwithnotallmemberstakingpartin interpretingthestatement,orindeedfindingthe referenceworkcatalysetheirthoughts..
Baileyisamulti-disciplineartistwithabackgroundin paintingandherworkstraddlesAbstract
ExpressionismandSurrealism.Morecanbeseenon hersite https://www.valdabailey.com/about I
Theresponsestothisextractareasdiverseasusual forthegroup.
TomOwensARPS
October2025 .
PaulAshleyhituponathemeveryearlyoninthisexerciseanditisoneofthosethingswetakeforgrantedevery dayaswemakeourwayaroundourbuiltenvironments
JonathanWilliams,ischallengingnotionsofcolourmemoryinrelationtochildhoodtoysandtheuseofnurtured memorypitchedwiththatofAIandthevastarchiveofcoloursbankedinthe‘spacewecalltheWebthatis employedbyalgorithmstocolouriseand‘correct’ourmemories.
KeithLockehasdugintohisarchivestoselectsignificanteventsorlocationstriggeredbydominantcolours associatedwiththosememories.
ChrisCrosshas,likePaulAshleyhitonsomethingthatisaccessibletoallofusbutpossiblyunseenbymostin thepatinaofageongraveyardheadstones
TomOwensrummagedthroughanoldcigarboxofchildhoodphotographshandedtohiswifeduringabrief periodofglasnostbyhismotherandhasusedthemtotriggercertaincoloursandlightthatremainsignificantto himtoday.
Withthepassingoftime,wethinkbacktowhenElizebethandWilliamwereburied,andtheir headstonewasnewlyplaced.Cleanstonefreshfromthestonemason’syardwiththeirnames freshlychiselledintothesurface.Fromthevisionandmemoryofthemourners,bright unblemishedstonetohonourthedead.
Astheyearshavepassed,withtheheadstonestandingproudlywithothersintheGreat Churchyard,natureandtheenvironmenthavecometobearandleaveitsmarkonthepristine stone.Aswelookatthestonetoday,lichenhasgrownwhichclingstothestonewithmighty force.Bringingcolourwherepreviouslynoneexisted,withyellowandgreymakingtheir presencefeltoverthepassageoftime.Ifanyonewasstillalivetodayfromthatfuneral,they wouldrecalltheeventandpicturethatgravestoneandremarkonhownaturehascoloured theirmemoryintothevisionweseetoday.
Ihaveattemptedtoshowwithaselectionofimagesandthepanelof6,thatnaturewiththe passageoftimehasaddedcolourtothememoryofthedeceased.Somemightcallit neglect,butthiscemeteryhasbeenlongclosed,sotherewillonlyberelativeswithnoliving memoryofthosegonebefore.Atranquilplacegivingmanyphotographicopportunitiesto linkthepastwiththepresent.
ChristopherCrossLRPS
PaulAshleyARPS
‘Thecolourofmemory-isblue' AselectionofblueplaquesaroundCambridgeputupbyCambridgePastPresentandFuture.
PaulAshleyARPS
Colourphotographsplayasignificantroleintriggeringandpreservingmemories.Thevibrant coloursintheseimagescanevokestrongemotionalresponsesanddeeperconnectionsto thepast.
Colourisintrinsicallylinkedtoemotionandexperience.Whenweseeacolourphotograph, thecoloursthemselvescantriggeracascadeofmemoriesassociatedwiththatspecificevent orplace,makingthemapowerfultoolforrecallingandrelivingcherishedmoments,thereby makingtheexperiencefeelmorerealandvivid.
1.GreyMorningatIpswichDocks.
2.TurquoisecolourofMoraineLakeAlbertaCanada.
3.SilvercolourofexcitementcollectingnewMotoGuzziMotorcycle2006.
4.BlueCalmofDowntownTorontoWaterfront.
KeithLockeARPS.
Memoryisacomplicatedphenomenon.Ourmemoryofaphotographisreconstitutedfrom partialinformationfromourmemoryoftheoriginalphotographandpossiblyamemoryof beingtherewhenthephotographwastaken.Ourbrainthenwillfillinthemissingfragments thatwehaveforgottenabouttoproducethecurrentmemory.Wedonothaveaphotographic memory,thecameraisaccurate,butourbrainisnotasprecise.
Inthesephotographsmyaimistoexplorehowgoodmymemoryisinrememberingcolour comparedtolettingphotoshopdotheanalysisaswellasaskingthequestionwhatisthetrue colourofaphotograph?
Thefirstphotographisofatoyusingoutofdateslidefilmproducedaslidewithacolourcast. ThesecondphotographisofmyattempttocorrectthecolourcastusingPhotoshoptools,to takethecolourasclosetotheoriginalasIcouldremember.Thethirdphotographisthe photographcorrectedautomaticallybyPhotoshopusingitsAItools.Thefourthphotographis takenbyadigitalcamerawiththeRawfilebeingprocessedbyDXOsoftware.
Thiscouldbeviewedasatechnicalexercisewithlittlepracticaluse,inthatPhotoshopis betteratproducingrealisticresultsthantryingtodothesamethingmanually.Colouritselfis problematicasthecolourseenonscreencanbedifferentfromaprintofthesame photograph.
TheotherphotographIhaveworkedonisatypicalblackandwhitephotographthatIhave appliedthecolourisefilterinPhotoshoptoproduceacolourphotograph.Iwasthereinthe originalsoIcantestifythatasfarasIcanremember(65yearsago)thecolourinthe photographisafairrepresentationoftheoriginalcolours.
JonathanWilliams
TomOwensARPS
Memoryisacomplexthing.InmyearlycareerIhadtowriteupcontemporaneousnotesthat mightbeusedinaCourtofLaw.Eachteammemberhadtorecordwhattheysawanddidand mostlytherecordsdiffered.Perfectlyco-ordinatednoteswereindicatorsofcollaborationand connivancethatcouldleadtoacasebeingthrownoutofCourt.Notebookswereonething, butIalsohadtouseacameratorecordsuspectsandconcealmentsofcontraband. Photographswerealmostalwaysacceptedasunchallengeableevidence.Howwouldthatfair today?
Earlycareeraside,myearliest,memoriesofcolourwerebasedonweekendcamping/fishing tripsespeciallyinearlySpringwherefromtheageof5or6Iwasmesmerisedbylightand colour,particularlycontre-jour,althoughIhadnoideaofthatatthetime.Ididhoweverfixate ontheearlyleavesonAcerPalmatumtreesaswetrudgedupthevalleyfromthecampsiteto attendchurchservicesonaSunday.Thatismyfirstrecollectionofplantedco-ordinatesinmy headoflight,colourandplace.
Irummagedthroughanoldcigarboxofphotographsofmeasachild,almostallare monochromewithanoddcolouronethrownin.Nometadatainthosedaysbutthefirst imageisofmeanhouroldsome70yearsago,followedbyaplacenearBamberBridge wheremymotherscavengedsphagnummossfromthebogsnearbyforherhangingbaskets. Clearlythatwouldbeacapitaloffencethesedays!
Therarecolourimageiseitherbeforeorafteranenforcedreligiousceremony.Judgingbythe colourofthetie,itmusthavebeenaJesusthemeaswealwayshadtowearblueforthe VirginMary. Colourdoeshaveaplaceinmemoryasdoesplaceandsomecaseslocksthetwotogether.
TomOwensARPS
FormoreinformationabouttheContemporaryGroupof theRoyalPhotographicSocietypleasevisit https://rps.org/groups/contemporary/ ©Copyright2025remainswithallartists