Join us for the launch of ‘Ancient Light’, a new photo book by Dr Melanie King. All welcome!
‘What to make of Melanie King’s photographs of the stars, which make up the extensive series ‘Ancient Light’? They have none of the glamour of NASA’s enhanced astronomical photographs and cannot repeat the exactitude of the powerful telescopes which constantly map the universe. Rather, they are photographs rooted in the earth’s surface , emphasising our smallness against the infinity of space. This is what we see, insists Melanie King, aligning herself perhaps with Plath’s vision of the tired and bedraggled stars glimpsed in the night sky over England . And to see them like this, to acknowledge the power of their travelled light, we celebrate the fact that we are part of this, moving , vibrant specks in a history as long as time.’ (Professor Val Williams, 2024) ‘Ancient Light’ comprises analogue astronomical photographs of the night sky, often produced in remote locations away from light pollution.
The project arises from King’s practice-based PhD ‘Ancient Light: Rematerialising The Astronomical Image’, completed at the Royal College of Art in 2024. In this book, King highlights the connections between light emitted from deep within the cosmos, photographic materials and the ecology of Earth. The book includes an essay by Professor Val Williams and an introduction by Dr Melanie King.
The launch will include projections from the series ‘Ancient Light’ by Dr Melanie King, and sounds curated by Clementine Blue.
The book has been partially funded by Canterbury Christ Church University.
The launch has been supported by Dr Melanie King’s Patreon subscribers.
Publisher: XYZ
Books Lisbon https://www.artbooks.xyz/
Designer: Joana Durães https://www.joanaduraes.com/portfolio/
Dr Melanie King is a working class artist and curator, originally from Manchester, UK. Melanie is now based in Kent, UK. She is co-Director of super/collider, Lumen Studios and founder of the London Alternative Photography Collective. Melanie is Lecturer In Photography at Canterbury Christ Church University. She has recently completed her PhD at the Royal College of Art. Melanie is interested in the relationship between the environment, photography and materiality. In her work, Melanie intends to highlight the intimate connection between photographic materials and the natural world. She is currently researching several sustainable photographic processes, to minimise the environmental impact of her artistic practice.
Professor Val Williams is University of the Arts London Professor of the History and Culture of Photography at the London College of Communication. She is the author of many books about the culture and societal impact of photography. As a curator, she has curated and co-curated exhibitions for Tate Britain, Barbican Art Gallery, Turner Contemporary, the Photographers Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum. She initiated the Photography and the Archive Research Centre at UAL and was its director until 2018. Williams also teaches on MA Photography at the London College of Communication.
Social media handles
@MelanieKing