Body Armour | The Palace Armoury | Valletta, Malta | 18 September 2014
Objects
Helmets | The Palace Armoury | Valletta, Malta | 18 September 2014
Roadside Antiques | Malta | 31 August 2014
The National Museum of Archaeology | Valletta, Malta | 25 August 2014
The National Museum of Archaeology displays a significant array of artefacts from the Islands’ unique prehistoric periods, starting with the first arrival of man in 5200 BC, running up to 2500 BC. The first rooms trace man’s early settlement on the Islands up to the temple-building periods using a reconstruction of a rock-cut tomb. The collection includes obsidian cores and the Red Skorba figurines, which are predecessors of the temple period objects and statuary. The main hall is devoted to temple carvings and the collection continues with representations of animals, temple models, and the remarkable human figures. Of particular note are the exquisite figures of the ‘Sleeping Lady’ from the Hypogeum, and the ‘Venus’ of Hagar Qim. The last room exhibits some pottery from the temple period, together with tools, beads and other ornaments.
Information from:
Web: http://www.visitmalta.com/en/info/nationalmuseumofarchaeology
The National Museum of Archaeology is housed in the Auberge de Provence, in Republic Street, Valletta. The building, an example of fine Baroque architecture, was built in 1571 and followed a plan by local architect Ġilormu Cassar. The Auberge de Provence was house to the Knights of the Order of St John originating from Provence, France and displays beautiful architectural features. Of particular note is the Grand Salon, with its richly painted walls and wooden beamed ceiling. The Museum exhibits a spectacular range of artefacts dating back to Malta’s Neolithic period (5000 BC) up to the Phoenician Period (400 BC). On display are the earliest tools used by the prehistoric people to facilitate their daily tasks and representations of animal and human figures; elements which not only show the great artistic skills of the first dwellers of the island but also gives us an insight of their daily lives.
Highlights include the ‘Sleeping Lady’ from the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, the ‘Venus of Malta’ from Ħaġar Qim, bronze daggers recovered from the Bronze Age layers at Tarxien Temples, and the Horus and Anubis pendant and the anthropomorphic sarcophagus, both belonging to the Phoenician Period. The Museum provides the visitor with a good introduction to the prehistory and early history of the Maltese Island sand acts as a catalyst to the other archaeological sites in Malta. Works are currently in progress to include another hall dedicated to the Punic period and others dedicated to the Roman and Byzantine periods in Malta.
Information from:
Web: http://heritagemalta.org/museums-sites/national-museum-of-archaeology/
© Tony Blood – Phoenician Coffin. The National Museum of Archaeology. Valletta Malta, 25 August 2014
Transition | Exhibition | 2014
I have an upcoming exhibition on 8th January 2014 at:
Quadrant Lounge
25-27 Lichfield Street
City Centre
Wolverhampton
WV1 1DG
Transition | 2013 | Film
These are my final 7 images for the series.
Transition – The process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.
The work addresses the idea of remembrance, loss, memory, recollection, transition and death through the notion of the object. These objects were originally photographed at a relative’s home after she passed away. The images combine the Still Life with the Portrait whereby each relative of the deceased is seated alongside the ornaments and objects they inherited.
Comments about my work are very much appreciated.
All images copyright ©2013 Tony Blood Photography
No copying without the photographer’s permission.
Work in Progress| Transition | 2013 | Film
More images from the current work ‘Transition’. I am in the process of editing and selecting the final 7 images for the series.
Comments about my work are very much appreciated.
All images copyright ©2013 Tony Blood Photography
No copying without the photographer’s permission.
Work in Progress | Transition | 2013 | Film
Transition – The process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another.
The current work in progress addresses the idea of remembrance, loss, memory, recollection, transition and death through the notion of the object. These objects were originally photographed at a relative’s home after she passed away. It is a continuation of work which began in the Evanesce series. The difference with these images is that they combine the Still Life and the Portrait whereby each relative of the deceased is seated alongside the ornaments and objects they inherited. [More images to follow]
Comments about my work are very much appreciated.
All images copyright ©2013 Tony Blood Photography
No copying without the photographer’s permission.
Evanesce | 2013 | Film
Our momentary belongings – ornaments, photographs and clothes are collected and displayed in our homes throughout our lifetime. They mark our identity, our taste in fashion and our taste in design. When we pass away, these temporary possessions are left behind to embrace new lives. They can show traces of our characters but are only recognisable to those who know us well; the suit in the wardrobe, the decanter and glasses, the jug from an antique market etc. Relatives and friends eventually remove these items; they get passed on, inherited, or even discarded. They are linked to themes of death, loss, memory and absence. They eventually become monuments to our loved ones. Transition takes place and the objects adopt new homes and form new identities. The absence of an object signifies the end of a lifespan and the beginning of a new one. Replacing the missing objects with words describes ‘the thing that has been there’ (Barthes, 1980, p.76). The photographs preserve the memory of their occupancy before their evanescence ensues.
All images copyright ©2013 Tony Blood Photography
No copying without the photographer’s permission.
