The main themes of these particular photographs were his family, animals and landscapes. He normally groups these themes separately, however it the nice thing about this exhibition is that it displayed a selection of a mix of these. One thing I find about his photographs is that they really engage me, more than most photography does. I can appreciate photography, but most of the time unless it's David Lachapelle or Nan Golden-eqsue in your face and larger than life visuals or subjects, I find myself to drift from finding any connection with the photos themselves.
Richard Billingham has a way of capturing a fairly normal looking setting, but giving it a sense of the unknown or intrigue, very very subtly. I love the photo below, because he cuts out the face and head of the main character in the photo, but doesn't leave it feeling like it's missing anything necessary to the photo. For me, it creates an atmosphere and feeling that I just can't place. I'm tempted to feel a certain sadness, but am not sure of the history behind the people in the photo. I am aware that Billingham has had a quite a hard relationship with his family, especially with his father, as he is an alcoholic.
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