Jim Goldberg has been awarded the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize 2011 in an award ceremony held at Ambika P3 Gallery last night. Jim was presented with the £30,000 award by broadcaster and critic Miranda Sawyer for this exhibition "Open Sea." A friend who was there last night said Jim was very shocked and extremely humbled by the judge’s decision.
"Jim Goldberg’s series Open See documents the experiences of refugee, immigrant and trafficked populations who travel from war torn, socially and economically devastated countries to make new lives in Europe. Originating from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, these ‘new Europeans’ have met violence and brutality as well as hope and liberation in their new homes.
Merging Polaroids, video, text, ephemera and large and medium format photographs, Goldberg employs his varied and experimental approaches to photographic storytelling to reflect on issues of migration and the conditions for desiring escape."
Although I wanted Elad Lassry to win, I do feel that in light of the recent events, Jim Goldberg is a very deserving winner. He produced work that documents stories of suffering and puts himself in places that others wouldn't or couldn't. He tells and shows us a tale in an exciting photographic way we wouldn't have otherwise seen or known.
I would like to add, after hearing about the tragic death of Tim Hetherington last week; the entire photography industry was shocked and saddened by the news as we had lost a great master in his field and my deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends in such hard times. He will never be forgotten and he inspired so many.
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