Sunken Gardens and Unpalatable Truths at CCA Galleries

Friday 08 September 2017

After five months in Jersey, Tanja Deman and Jonny Briggs, Archisle's International Photographers in Residence, are presenting an exhibition at CCA Galleries International with the body of work they have both created on the island.

Both artists were awarded £10,000 to work in the island and have both chosen different projects, Tanja photographed underwater landscapes while Jonny focused on the island’s ancient landscape, monuments, institutions and archives through the motif of the mouth.

All roads lead to photography, or so it seems. For both Tanja Deman and Jonny Briggs, the journey started with architecture. While she was born in Split, he is from Berkshire. She obtained a BFA and MFA from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb; he graduated from the Royal College of Art with a MA in Photography.

Tanja says she came to photography organically. After a Masters in sculpture, she spent years playing on the perception of space by creating photocollages on the edges of cities, the grey areas between living and industry zones. After seeing nature as a setting for architecture, she decided to make it her main focus.

“There was a rupture in 2015. I went to the Adriatic Sea to photograph underwater rocky landscapes. It made me want to move to pure photography, and it was like learning it for the first time. The Archisle residency came at the perfect time, as I was feeling a need to create work in complete silence. Underwater, I am physically inside the subject, it feels more intimate.”

Pictured: Tanja photographed eerie underwater landscapes around Jersey.

For Jonny, the switch came after he was told he didn’t think like an architect. He found more freedom in other media, but felt his ideas often made more sense in photos. “I didn’t choose consciously. My ideas took me there. My appreciation for photography almost came from my dislike of it. As a child, I found family photos excruciating. I hated having to perform for the camera for idyllically staged shots. My dad had mental issues and it seemed like those pictures only showed a veneer. It gave me something to kick against.”

Each followed their own path, but they somehow met in the middle in Jersey. Tanja and Jonny have spent the last five months in the island producing a body of work that goes on show this month at CCA Galleries.

She spent most of her time in a wetsuit photographing, “overwhelming, magical woodlands where light behaves in a surreal way.” He chose to cut through domestic settings and played around with lipstick at the former Police Headquarters at Rouge Bouillon, all in order to create confusion, a running theme in his work. 

Pictured: Jonny played with the island's landscape and heritage to create his intriguing photographs.

If they didn’t collaborate on a piece of work, they prefer solitude and their own ‘cave’ to create - Tanja and Jonny enjoy each other’s company. “The connivance was fruitful and fun. We were laughing and talking like siblings,” Tanja says.

One thing they both agree on, their time in Jersey was too short. But all good things come to an end, and the end of their Jersey journey will be marked with
a dual exhibition at CCA Galleries.

Gareth Syvret, Société Jersiaise Photographic Archivist and Archisle Project Leader, said that the artists' practices are diverse but equally powerful in their aesthetic quality and incisiveness. He added: "The Jersey community has benefitted hugely from the opportunity to learn from artists with their breadth of experience throughout the residency programme. This exhibition is a wonderful opportunity for the public to engage with the exciting new works that are joining Jersey’s art collection as an outcome of the project. We are extremely grateful to One Foundation and Economic Development Tourism, Sport and Culture for enabling its delivery."

To learn more about what's buzzing on the Jersey arts scene, read Connect magazine's 'Soul Food' feature here.