Guy Martin introduced to us his most recent work - The Parallel State, made after he moved to Turkey, having been seriously injured whilst covering the conflict in Libya when a mortar struck and killed the two photographers working with him. An event which had a deep impact on him both personally and professionally. I think perhaps we all see images and film clips of violent conflicts across the world, but often fail to recognise the personal danger journalists and photographers place themselves in to bring their stories to the public. An essential job, but carrying a huge cost.
It took Guy a year to learn to walk again, and several months before he started to take photographs again. In that time, his relationship with photography had undergone a radical shift, with Guy taking back control. By then he was living in Turkey, and had become fascinated by the lavish Turkish soap opera industry, gaining access to spend as much time as he wanted to on set, and to photograph as he pleased, exploring the blurry line between fact and fiction. The work was made over a few years, covering the explosive political scene in Turkey, mixed with fake news and social media - it’s hard to work out what is real and what is fiction. A powerful piece of work which has far wider implications for society as a whole.
Guy is a highly articulate, self motivated and commercially aware photographer - essential qualities in a hugely competitive industry. He came armed with copies of his books, and a card machine. Sorted.
