SUNDERLAND.- My Name is Harry… is the first gallery exhibition of British photographer Harry Griffin on display across NGCA Collection Space and Pop Recs (172-175 High St W, Sunniside, Sunderland, SR1 1UP). The exhibition comprises hundreds of photographs from Harry’s photographic archive providing a unique insight into Britain’s vibrant comedy circuit, family and friendships, moments of joy, celebration and boredom all shot through with wit, humour and candid moments of life on tour.

From his position as tour manager Harry Griffin has photographed what is normally unseen, the everyday life of gigging with some of the UK’s most loved and celebrated comedians and performers including Joe Lycett, Phil Wang, Nina Conti, Philip Rosenthal, Elis James, Matt Chorley to name a few. The close personal photos capture a vibrant comedy scene consistently pushing the boundaries and addressing important political and social issues both on and off stage. This is seen in a selection of photographs taken at a Pride event organised for Joe Lycett’s comedy tour in 2023. The photographs demonstrate how humour, creativity, performance and freedom of expression connect across society.

Several of the stories contained within the photographs are illuminated through a newly commissioned interview film between Harry Griffin and Joe Lycett where they share their close friendship, touring experiences and favourite service stations.

Harry’s photography also moves beyond the stage and green rooms, to capture the particularities of human nature, good old British wit and urban landscapes. The photographs reveal a sharp eye for composition and a warmth and tenderness achieved through the reassuring lens of Harry Griffin.

Using a Canon Sure Shot 80 Tele camera and Ilford xp2 film for black and white, and Kodak Gold for colour, Harry embraces analogue photography and the process of the unknown by accepting that you must wait to see the result in the developing process, following the click of the camera.

Harry positions himself as a facilitator of the curious, playing into the instincts we have as human beings to engage and observe the many facets of human life. He provides glimpses of the extraordinary within the ordinary, capturing the transitory moments of daily life and transforming them into tangible moments to be viewed through still images. He observes moments of frenzied activity, but also of repose.

Curated with Gabrielle Barkess-Kerr. This exhibition has been produced in partnership with the Northern Centre of Photography, University of Sunderland.

Joe Lycett, comedian, television presenter and painter says ‘Harry Griffin takes nice photos and some of those nice photos are nice photos of me. Some of them are not so nice photos of me but I don’t mind because I’m not always nice.’

Gabrielle Barkess-Kerr, anthropologist, curator and academic, says ‘It is a joy to work with artist photographer Harry Griffin and NGCA curator Jonathan Weston to tell the stories of people and spaces behind the scenes, predominantly in the comedy sphere. With a focus on the quirks within his daily life and the personal relationships formed along the way, Harry captures the humour, friendship, fame and tedium felt during days off and on the road. In candid moments that bring to life the social and cultural scene of the UK and beyond, Harry provides an insight into behind-the-scene worlds that we would not ordinarily be privy to. Harry unpicks the interplay of highly social environments and his nomadic role, where he captures brief and often highly charged interactions with people through the lens of his camera.’