Laura Pannack is a London based photographic artist who is well known for her portraiture and social documentary work, she seeks to explore the complex relationship between the photographer and the subject. Her artwork has received much acclaim and has won numerous awards, among which are the John Kobal Award, Vic Odden Prize and the world photo press awards.
Driven by research, Pannack seeks to fully understand the lives of those she captures on film in order to portray them as truthfully as possible. Perceiving “time, trust and understanding” to be the key elements of achieving this, many of her projects develop of several years, helping her achieve a genuine connection between herself and her sitter and allowing her to capture the intimacy, shared ideas and shared experiences of this relationship.
Laura’s work has been extensively exhibited and published both in the UK and internationally, including at The National Portrait Gallery, The Houses of Parliament, Somerset House, and the Royal Festival Hall in London. In 2010, Laura received first prize in the Portrait Singles category of the World Press Photo awards. She has also won and been shortlisted for several other awards including The Sony World Photography Awards, The Magenta foundation and Lucies IPA. She was recently awarded the Vic Odden by The Royal Photographic Society award for a notable achievement in the art of photography by a British photographer aged 35 or under and the John Kobal Award from the National Portrait Gallery Taylor Wessing Prize.
“I learn most when I walk with a camera; about myself and the company I share. I engage. I stop mentally. I listen” – Laura Pannack
“Laura’s remarkable ability to build trust and respect with her subjects allows her to express a gritty vulnerability that is as sincere as it is elusive to capture” – Terry O’Niell (photographer with similar style of images as Laura Pannack)
Laura try’s to understand the lives of those she captures and to present them creatively. She is a firm believer that time, trust and understanding is the key to portraying subjects truthfully, and therefore many of her projects develop over several years.
This particular approach allows a genuine connection to exist between sitter and photographer, which in turn elucidate the intimacy of these very human exchanges. Her work aims to tell and inspire stories. She states that she “wants to connect and emotionally engage with you.”
A vast amount of Laura’s images are portraiture. For my personal study I am going to include less portraits and try involve the teenage atmosphere and surroundings. I will try take images of common teenager acts around Jersey with an interesting environment and subjects.
Links used:
https://bransch.net/artists/laura-pannack/