- Music
- 01 Jun 12
Annie Atkins presents her images of a violent and volatile society.
Filmbase in Temple Bar is the venue from June 14 to 17 for We Love You Oakland: Images From One Of America’s Most Dangerous Neighbourhoods.
The exhibition is the work of Annie Atkins, a Welsh-born, Dublin-domiciled snapper and graphic artist who was there last year with filmmaker Astrid Edwards to shoot a video for Cornershop’s ‘Milkin’ It’ single.
“I’d been told to stay away from East Oakland,” Atkins says. “The first thing that happened was two people were shot dead outside our hotel. We were trying to shoot footage from the car. We passed a guy loading up his gun on a street corner. (Minder) Desi assured us nobody would bother us, but what about getting caught in crossfire? Crossfire! I’m from Wales – I’d never even seen a gun before. But there was no point in getting blurry footage taken from a moving car. So we parked up and got out. The more I learn about photography the more I realise it isn’t about pointing a camera at something, it’s about talking to people.”
Admission to the exhibition is free.