By Coincidence

I bought some gift cards from my favourite book shop*, I’ve never sent them to anyone, because I like them too much, selfish, me?

I liked them so much I went back and bought some more cards, the lady in the book shop (because she was the sort of well read gal that knew this sort of thing)   told me that the photographer was one James Ravilious, the son a painter and engraver Eric Ravilious (see, would any one in WH Smith or on Amazon tell you that.)

So imagine my delight on Christmas day, when I unwrapped a parcel from my sister in law and her family, that by coincidence, it was a whole book full of his images:

the book An English Eye  (Bardwell Press) is a delight.

Ravilious made it his life’s work to record the lives of those living in rural Devon most of the photos in the book date from the 1970’s and 80’s, (I was surprised I thought they were earlier but it just shows how isolated and ‘time warped’  the community was until recently) he liked black and white because Devon it seems is just too green.

There is a wonderful  BBC4  documentary (with narration by Allan Bennett) on the Bardwell Press website it’s  a touching portrait of Rvilious.

Wouter, on his photo blog ask who’s your inspiration, well this is the man for me, (Wouter, watch the film, and see what ‘adaptations’ Ravilious makes with and a roll of gaffer tape to his camera!) and there is another book to buy as well, Down the Deep Lanes, so that my Christmas book voucher spent.

*now, sadly no more.

Technorati Tags: Ravlious, Black and white photography, farming, Devon, landscape