Alex and Josh by Idil Sukan
“When I close my eyes all I see is comedians, so after a decade of suffering I want to inflict this on a non-paying public. Come to think of it, most of the exhibition is just photos of my ex-lovers. So it’s basically like a Tracy Emin show, but tidier and isn’t that really what everyone wants?
But seriously, ‘This Comedian’ is about the way comedians define themselves as comedians, and the different versions of ourselves we present in different situations, even though sometimes we claim we’re just being ourselves. There’ll be pictures of celebrities, actors, stand-ups, voice-over artists, sketch comedians, directors and up and coming talent. I think it’s going to be really fun.”
– Idil Sukan
This Comedian will be a retrospective of Idil Sukan’s work in production, design, photography and the comedy industry over the last 10 years; giving a unique insight into how visual marketing has evolved and emerges from the same creative world as the artistic vision.
Idil is a trailblazer in evolving the value of design and photography as a creative outlet for the comedian and the show; bridging fine art with communicative design. She has proven to be one of the most successful and prolific photographers and designers at the Edinburgh Festival over the last ten years and some of her most impactful marketing devices from the Festival, such as wall-to-wall poster coverage, will be recreated in the gallery for this exhibition.
The exhibition will also include some 200 portraits and photographs of live performance, including, much-loved comedians Eddie Izzard, Clive Anderson and Paul Merton, never-before-seen-images from around the comedy world and Idil’s famous photographs of The Muppets!
Idil’s iconic portrait of Celia Imrie, captured during her work as official photographer at the British Independent Film Awards will also been shown; this work has now been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery.
The breadth of Idil’s work makes it an unprecedented document of visual marketing in comedy over the last decade – making this exhibition worthy of a ‘go-to’ note in your diary!
Exhibition dates Fri 20 Feb – Mon 2 March
Embassy Tea Gallery, 195-205 Union Street, London SE1 0LN
Alongside the exhibition, there will be free workshops for new photographers and visual artists, building on the successful masterclasses Idil developed for Soho House and IdeasTap; subjects will include photographing actors and comedians, visual marketing for comedy, improvisation for photographers, and feminism in photography.
Live comedy night in the gallery space – 26th February, 7.30pm: Details will be posted on www.thiscomedian.com
