The Perfect Photograph? Kids Jumping on to Mattresses
In the coastal town of Margate is the Turner Gallery. I recently visited an exhibition there called Resistance - How Protest Shaped Britain and Photography Shaped Protest." Curated by the artist Steve McQueen, the exhibition covered a century, from 1903 to 2003, showcasing various struggles and protest movements in British history and among them i may have found the perfect photograph
The exhibition could be seen in two ways: as a record of protests, from the suffragette movement to the Iraq war, and as a display of documentary and street photography. With nearly 200 black-and-white images by over 60 photographers the gallery was full of powerful stories and emotions.
Was this a perfect photograph?
As I walked through the gallery, one image caught my eye, and I couldn't look away. It was Tish Murtha's 1981 photograph from her Youth Unemployment series, titled Kids Jumping on to Mattresses. I had seen it before, and it was an ideal example of Murtha's talent. I kept going back to it, each time noticing more details and stories within the frame.
Just as I was about to leave, a friend came over, excited, asking if I had seen the Tish picture. We had both admired Murtha's work since watching the documentary Tish directed by Paul Sng, and we discussed why this image stood out among so many.
The socio-political context was part of it. Murtha's photograph was taken during the Thatcher era, a time of deindustrialization and economic hardship in the Northeast of England. Murtha was deeply connected to these communities and documented their struggles as a participant, not just an observer. Her images, including this one, featured her family and friends, adding authenticity and intimacy.
But it was the photograph itself that captivated me. I began to wonder, "Is this the perfect photograph?" The more I looked, the more I saw its purity. Documentary and street photographs are expected to tell a story, and this one was full of them. The overall composition and individual elements fit together like a jigsaw puzzle, creating a larger, profound narrative.
The photograph showed a group of children, full of energy and joy, jumping onto discarded mattresses. The scene was both touching and playful, showing the resilience of youth amidst unemployment and poverty. The children's expressions, their carefree movements, and the urban backdrop combined to create a powerful image.
As I stood there, I realized the power of great photography. It can stop us, make us see the world differently, and evoke deep feelings. Murtha's photograph was more than just an image; it was an experience, a journey into a community's heart, a reminder of the past, and an inspiration for the future.
Tish Murtha - Kids Jumping on to Mattresses
The photograph’s title explains why it was taken: kids jumping onto mattresses. The boy jumping is Murtha's brother Glenn, and the rest of the children had gathered to watch, creating a dynamic scene. In the top left, we see the jumping story, while the bottom right depicts the watching story. Between these two narratives, another unfolds. A youth stands on a window ledge, climbing onto the derelict open-ended room, momentarily distracted by Glenn's antics. We wonder about his next move. The entire image is filled with verticals, horizontals, and diagonals, occupying every empty space and directing our vision from corner to corner, person to person, and story to story.
Intriguingly, at the bottom left corner, there is another youth, Murtha’s brother Mark, holding a ventriloquist’s dummy. He had been entertaining the kids with it when Glenn decided to perform his heroic act and upstaged him. The puppet, named, Randolf, is the only figure in the scene who appears to have noticed Tish Murtha.
The combination of all these elements in a single image makes it, for me, the perfect photograph. It encapsulates a moment of pure interaction, rich with stories and connections, all delicately balanced within the frame.