Christopher Wren did not set out simply to create monuments for the ages but was responding to the urgent social questions of his time. This photographic exhibition at the Old Royal Naval College will draw attention to people living today who are continuing the different legacies of Wren - from nutritionist to sign language inventor and astronomer to town planner.
Part of Wren 300, a programme of events across England marking 300 years since the death of Sir Christopher Wren.
Christopher Wren: What Legacy Now?
The exhibition will be located in this tunnel at the Old Royal Naval College - one of Wren’s last architectural designs. Each niche will feature an image 84.1 x 118.9 cm and a short text describing who the portrait, why they have been selected and Wren’s corresponding achievement.
The exhibition will feature eight original portraits taken with an LED flatbed scanner that creates an unusual, dark and mysterious quality. Above is an example of this method. It has been chosen to allude to the ideas of legacy, time and history.
There will also be a portrait of a bust of Wren. Above is an example using a bust of Nelson.
The project is part of an ongoing practice of using an LED flatbed scanner to take portraits. The scanner is a Canon LIDE-400 (above). Each scan takes about eight seconds in which you will need to sit still with a soft black cloth over you to shut out external light. A thin, not very bright strip of LEDs will pass close to your face face and you will not need to look directly at the camera.
You can read more about LED light at https://health.ec.europa.eu/scientific-committees/easy-read-summaries-scientific-opinions/are-led-lights-safe-human-health-0_en
The process can take place at the Old Royal Naval College (where I can give you a tour of the site), your office or some other location in or near London that is convenient to you.
The whole process will take no longer than hour including set up, taking several images, and having conversation about the project and your relationship with Wren. In the following days I will share the images with you and in the following weeks I will share a short text for the exhibition for your approval.
There is no fee for being photographed in this project.
