LONG WALK HOME
2023
48 Pages
Monochrome Riso print on Munken Cream 115g
Black screen printed cover on Sirio Ultra Black 290g
128.5x190 mm
'Long Walk Home' takes a diaristic approach to documenting the places which Olly has called home over the past four years - Glasgow, Stuttgart and Rotterdam. In contrast to the rural village where he grew up, these industrial cities form a concrete-clad backdrop to the Scottish photographer's life. The series explores the idea of home and acts as a tool to gain a deeper understanding of his surroundings.
Photos and scans by Olly Geary
Edited and designed by Yanni Caloghiris
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LONG WALK HOME
Photographer Olly Geary’s (b. 1997) practice is rooted in fragments of everyday life, often consisting of personal narratives and his immediate surroundings. His latest photo series Long Walk Home ponders on our conflicting, restructured society, as Geary explores the intersection of natural and automated environments. Growing up in the west of Scotland, in a village once famed for its textile industry, Geary’s work investigates the industrial scars left on the landscape and how to approach these remnants after the factories close and workers leave.
The multidisciplinary exhibition investigates the correlation between the natural and man made, shot between the places in which Geary has called home over the past four years – Glasgow, Rotterdam and Stuttgart. Their industrial similitude is a focal point, as Geary immerses himself and the viewer in the varying stages of decline and metamorphosis, eager to provide a deeper understanding of our surroundings. Each photograph mirrors the beauty of the ordinary, whether it be an impromptu shot or stumbling across the object portrayed. Originally published as a photo book, the objective of Long Walk Home is to create a sensory experience, intertwining Geary’s monochrome photography with graphic designer Yanni Caloghiris’ (b. 1998) audiovisual practice – collaborating as Electroménager. The intersection between photography and design is pivotal, presenting large monochrome prints on brushed aluminium alongside a diverse array of artwork, continuously experimenting with different materials, sizes, and placements. The idea is the duality of matter and multiplicity of function; to utilise and configure industrial material as an act of repurposing, to create art which could similarly be returned to the building site if needed. In addition to the visuals, there is an accompanying sound piece playing simultaneously. Field recordings resemble the sounds accompanying a walk home, from vibrant cityscapes to rural tranquillity, mixed with a deep, hypnotic rhythm.
After graduating high school, Olly Geary moved to Edinburgh to study film. He then crossed paths with classmate Yanni Caloghiris, who had a great interest in music production and visual narration. Over time, Geary developed a stronger penchant for photography, seeing it as a more effective and familiar tool to express his ideas. Photography was his entry point into visual art as a child, being exposed to the craft through his father, who is a photographer. In 2017, Geary and Caloghiris studied a year abroad in Stuttgart, eager to combine their distinct creative practices. Caloghiris founded Electroménager in 2019, which serves as an outlet for personal interests and narration, exploring music, photography, graphic design, film, and putting on events. Geary now resides in Amsterdam working as a freelance photographer, primarily in fashion, while collaborating on the Electroménager project with Caloghiris. Caloghiris is based in Paris, working as a Graphic Designer in the fashion industry.
Electroménager is an experimental music label and platform for visual practice,eager to broaden perspectives and challenge the contemporary zeitgeist. Yanni Caloghiris founded Electroménager in 2019, which was launched with a release party at Galerie Kernweine in Stuttgart, now housing the Long Walk Home exhibition. Translating into home appliances in English, their first releases incorporated devices and manuals to better establish the industrial concept. Holding a monthly residency on Rinse France since 2019, Electroménager originally catered club music, but has transcended into ambient composition and leftfield, experimental pop. They release music by international artists, such as Spivak, Daniel 58, De Grandi, Realitycheck, Thodén and Porter Brook. September 2023 marked Electroménager’s first physical launch, EM006, consisting of 30 lathe cut vinyls alongside an edition of 50 silver risograph prints. For their four year anniversary in December 2023, Electroménager presented the photo book Long Walk Home by Olly Geary at Cahier Central in Paris, designed by Yanni Caloghiris, and published by Electroménager.