Photographs by Anthony Webb
July 23rd – August 6^th, 2023
Preview evening July 22nd 7-9pm

General Office Gallery, 12 Hagley Road, Stourbridge, DY8 1PS
Gallery open 11am-4pm Weds–Sun. Closed Mon & Tues

General Office is pleased to present its forthcoming exhibition of portrait photographs by Anthony Webb. Anthony’s skillful portraits capture the captivating and vibrant personalities of the East End of London. Taken over twelve months, these photographs not only showcase the landscape but also celebrate the self-expression and individuality of those who dared to be different in this creatively inspiring location.

“All the people in these images were strangers. We shared or played for a few seconds or minutes. My aim as a designer was to record fashion expression and as a photographer it was to capture a mood. My aim as an artist was to create a feeling.”– Anthony Webb

After being diagnosed with Bipolar and struggling with his mental health, in May 2019 Ant took his own life.

Ant had hoped to be able to hold an exhibition of his work and we are now able to fulfil this wish. We hope that you enjoy your time here viewing just a few of the images from ‘East End Fashionistas’.

All profits from the sale of photographs, books and cards in this exhibition will go to support the work of St Mungo’s . https://www.mungos.org/

St Mungo’s is one of the UK’s leading homelessness charities. We provide over 2,800 people with housing and support on any given night across London and the South of England. We work to prevent homelessness and support people at every step of their recovery to end homelessness for good.

The family of Anthony Webb and General Office Gallery are grateful for the support of Dunns Imaging in printing these remarkable photographs.
https://www.dunnsimaging.co.uk/

Anthony Webb Bio

Anthony Webb (Ant) was born in Hereford in May 1972. Later, in the late 1980s, he relocated to London and became a part of the Photography Department at Sotheby’s. Making a decision to further his education and follow a career in the Arts, he successfully obtained a BA (Hons.) Degree in Graphic Design at Central St. Martins, London. At Central he conceived, developed and implemented both the Travel Photography course and the London Street Photography course, lecturing to mature students from the UK and abroad.

Ant established THEM, a successful graphic design consultancy, securing projects from renowned companies like EMI Music, Fuji Film, and Hugo Boss. The client list also included prominent publications and organizations like Condé Naste Traveller, Time Out, Graphics International, and The London Institute.

Anthony Webb Photography Ltd. was established, subsequently achieving “preferred supplier” status at Transport for London Group. This commendable feat consequently earned recognition from the Mayor of London.
Additionally, Anthony Webb received a commission from The Guardian, collaborating with the Spanish Tourist Board to capture captivating photographs for four Spain supplements. These supplements comprehensively showcase over 120 locations across eight vibrant Spanish cities.

Publishers Booth-Clibborn commissioned him in 2002 to photograph numerous food outlets in London for the book ‘Take Away,’ which became his first photography book. Afterward, Thames & Hudson commissioned him as they were launching their ‘StyleCity’ series of travel photography books. The first publication was StyleCity London. Subsequently, the series expanded to include Paris, New York, Barcelona, San Francisco, Amsterdam, and StyleCity Sydney.

From 2010 to 2012, he served as a part-time lecturer in Photography at Langley College, Slough.

Ant approached Thames & Hudson with an idea for a book photographing in the East End, particularly the environs of Brick Lane, portraying the extremely diverse fashion and culture of this vibrant, and often challenging, part of London. Thames and Hudson accepted his proposal, and in 2014, the work began. Throughout the following year, he dedicated days every week to meeting people in the East End. Ant’s remarkable ability to engage with individuals on a personal level proved crucial in capturing the diverse personalities through his camera lens. Consequently, in 2015, Ant took sole responsibility for all the work in this captivating book, from the Introduction to the final page.

For further information and images, you can reach out to us at the following contact details:

Simon Meddings  simon@generaloffice.co.uk 07976 935413 / 01384 396100