If you have a spare hour over the coming weeks, go along to the The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery.
It’s a lovely mixture of traditional and contemporary takes on the photographic portrait and it’s a real mixed bag of styles and subjects. You’ll even see a few familiar faces like Benedict Cumberbatch and Barack and Michelle Obama amongst the portraits.
This exhibition is perfect if you want to dip in for a short while. It’s not too heavy on captions or explanations, the pictures do the talking. My favourite image was called ‘Norma’ by photographer Teena Taylor. It shows a very elegant and beautiful lady, aged eighty-seven. The message of the portrait – that female beauty and the ageing process should be highlighted and shown positively. I love that the photographer has captured the essence and confidence of a lady in her elder years. I think that her face is full of stories, adventure, energy and style. Experience and ageing should be celebrated and I loved this shot. It stood out for me amongst all others.
One of my favourite things about the National Portrait Gallery is the fabulous book shop. I couldn’t resist picking up an A/W edition of LOVE magazine and I’m going to make a good big mug of tea and get reading: the perfect Sunday!
Entry costs £4 and £3 with concession.