Michael Collins: The Long Look

6 August – 20 September 2008

As Bedford enters one of the most significant periods of development in its history, with the imminent construction of 19,500 homes and the regeneration of the town centre, BCA Gallery in association with Renaissance Bedford has commissioned artist Michael Collins to make a series of ‘Record Pictures’. A ‘Record Picture’ is a detailed and faithful representation of a scene, providing the viewer with what Collins advocates as photography’s unique and greatest asset, what he describes as the ‘long look’. His photographs reveal facets of the town, its infrastructure and industry, on the brink of unparalleled change. These images showing the town as it is today will be exhibited alongside photographs of Bedford as it was 100 years ago, from the Bedfordshire & Luton Archive Service.

Do you have photographs of Bedford from yester-year? Would you like to share these photographs with others? If so, bring them to BCA Gallery, where your images will go on display for the duration of ‘The Long Look’ exhibition in ‘The Bedford Townscape Family Album’.

Join us for the launch of this exhibition on Saturday 9 August 2008.