LONDON.-The exhibition “Pressure” featuring photographs by photographer Horace Ové at Nottingham Castle will begin on May 1, and continue through June 20, 2004.  Trinidad born Horace Ové is a pioneering filmmaker providing a perspective on the black experience in Britain. Living and working in London for three decades from the 1960s onwards he captured the emergence of black politics in Britain. This landmark exhibition presents the first in-depth look at his photographic back catalogue. Opening 1 May 2004, Nottingham Castle will be the first gallery to show ‘Pressure’.

Horace Ové is internationally known as one of the leading black independent filmmakers to emerge in Britain since the post-war period. But he was also actively documenting events in the 1960s through photography. The images are not journalistic or documentary in the Picture Post genre, but are time-based stills that utilize Ové’s skills as a filmmaker, painter and writer to construct images or key moments of the black community in Britain.

“Horace Ové is undoubtedly a pioneer in Black British history and his work provides a perspective on the black experience in Britain.” 100 Years of Cinema, British Film Institute

1960s Britain was a hotbed of political and creative activity, as writers and thinkers came from around the world to discuss civil rights issues and form new movements.  Horace Ové was at many of the meetings and captured the events as they unfolded, including the first Black Power meeting with Stokely Carmichael, Allen Ginsberg and Michael X, founder of the black power movement in the UK with John Lennon and Yoko Ono. He also photographed figures of the period including C L R James, James Baldwin and Darcus Howe as well as Sam Selvon, Andrew Salkey and John La Rose, the founding members of the Caribbean Artists’ Movement.

Ové also recorded the birth of the Notting Hill Carnival and charted its growth through the 1970s and 1980s from the early beginnings with the first Windrush generation to the pumping sound systems, fashions and street dancing of the younger generation.  He has also recently brought his work up to date with new portraits of people such as Sir Trevor MacDonald and Professor Stuart Hall.

This new exhibition provides an incredible insight into an explosive and culturally exciting period of British history. 

A series of Horace Ové films will be shown at Broadway cinema during the exhibition. Horace Ové will be ‘in Conversation’ at Nottingham Castle on 19 June, 2- 4pm. Tickets must be booked in advance on 0115 915 3648.

Young Afro-Caribbean people from Nottingham city are looking at Black identity within the Museums and Galleries’ collections and taking inspiration from Horace Ové’s work. Working with performance poet Panyo Banjoko and Jes Hill from Folk Industries Film Company the young people will be creating new work looking at young black identity in the city of Nottingham in 2004. Horace plans to meet the young people on a walk through St Anns giving film tips. Their work will be showcased later in the year during Black History Month.

This exhibition is co-curated by Jim Waters and David A. Bailey, and in association with Autograph - ABP.