Bohemia Village Voice  Bohemia Village Voice

For bohemians everywhere

Luke Garvey

By Sara Young, (Dec 2011)

Swallowtail caterpillar – by Luke Garvey, photo taken using a Fujifilm Finepix HS10

Swallowtail caterpillar – by Luke Garvey, photo taken using a Fujifilm Finepix HS10

When I asked 22 year old, local photographer Luke Garvey where he gets his inspiration for photographs from, he answered, seemingly without having to think; ‘Life; it’s what I see that inspires me…And the idea of taking a better picture than the last!” Looking at Garvey’s work it would be impossible to overlook the evidence of this, which is not only the pictures themselves but the way in which he manages to capture moments and detail that require a good eye, but also a genuine appreciation of one’s surroundings. Maybe appreciation isn’t a strong enough word.
Garvey takes his camera everywhere with him, because he is a firm believer that photography enables you to ‘Capture a single moment…something that you might not be able to get again.’ When I met up with him, he had around 5 memory cards as well as his camera, and recalled moments where he has actually had to get off buses prematurely on his way home, in order not to miss a photo opportunity. Not originally from Hastings, he finds a lot of subject matter within the town: ‘A lot of the events they put on, it can look very different depending on the day.’ He also remains fascinated by the coastal landscape and the myriad of moods it can produce:  ‘Being by the sea, knowing that you’re by the sea – you see it and it’s always different. It can always be a different thing to look at.’
There is not really any such thing as a ‘project,’(It’s rare for me to plan stuff!’) for Garvey because taking photos has almost become instinct; yet it would be incorrect to think that no thought goes into the final outcome. Looking around the exhibition with him, I got an extremely laid back, yet detailed, picture by picture account of how and when each photograph was produced; some of the methods used by Garvey to get such unique visions of his environment are truly fascinating in their simplicity. He has an indisputable and rare talent for emphasising the extraordinary within the ordinary.
Further to his credit, Garvey not only knows his photos with incredible intimacy, he also takes an extremely hands on approach in every stage of their creation. For example, with his series of photos of crystals  (which could be mistaken for hand drawn, pastel compositions) he not only prepared the wood they were printed on, but helped with the printing. This is also the case with the short films that Garvey has made, something which he is hoping to do more of; he is responsible for script writing, editing, filming, music score, and in one case, animation – all of which is predominantly self-taught:  ‘I like to make a film my own, so I don’t do much research into how similar films are made.’

Luke became aware of his creative talent when he attended Bexhill College to do a Media and Photography course, which provided the right atmosphere for him to thrive. Diagnosed with both ADHD and Aspergers Syndrome, both Luke and his amazingly supportive mother Julia, are aware of how lucky Luke has been to discover such a positive outlet. Far too often, far too many children with the diagnosis’s are deemed ‘naughty children,’ and written off at an early age as underachievers. With three exhibitions in 12 months, an ever developing talent and extremely positive feedback so far, Luke himself says: ‘I feel like it’s going somewhere. I don’t feel like I’m at a standstill.’ I believe Luke is right.

Luke Garvey - bonfire

Luke Garvey – bonfire

Luke Garvey Telephone box, Hastings Promenade

Luke Garvey Telephone box, Hastings Promenade

Luke Toadstools

  

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