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Buddha can you spare a good photograph for Bill - PICTURES
IT'S a Zen thing.
Walk into the Airy Fairy Gallery on London Road between now and the end of the month and you might feel a whole lot calmer.
That's because there will be dozens of pictures of Buddha staring back at you.
The pictures were all taken by Sheffield photographer Bill Bevan who has just returned from Thailand after spending 10 weeks chilling out and seeking out images of Buddha.
Bill scoured Thailand looking for Buddha statues to photograph, travelling from the Grand Palace in Bangkok to the hill town Chiang Rai in the north via the ancient Siamese capitals of Ayotthaya and Sukhothai.
The exhibition is a labour of love for Bill who admits the Buddha makes a good subject for photography.
"I have long been attracted to the calm influence that Buddha statues have when you spend time in a temple or ruined city," said Bill.
"The opportunity came up to visit Thailand at the end of last year so I decided to make the most of it and seek out as many temples as I could.
"Buddha images appear in every town and city. Sometimes you are surprised on a bus journey by the sight of giant golden Buddha looming above the trees.
"One of the things I like about photographing Buddha is that he sits very still for his portrait!"
Bill, an archaeologist who works part time for the Peak Park Authority, also believes the restful, relaxing trip was just what the doctor ordered for his wife Georgia who is expecting their first child.
He said: "Georgia is very understanding in allowing me to spend 10 weeks taking pictures of Buddha but I reckon the trip did us all good."
The exhibition represents the latest phase in Bill's fascination with photographing world heritage sites.
He was granted an unprecedented week's access to Stonehenge during 2007 and spent part of last year in Central America working at the internationally important Mayan cities of Tikal and Copan.
"I spent a week at each site. I was up each morning before dawn to catch the first light of sunrise and still there for sunset over 12 hours later.
"I didn't meet any other visitors spending so much time at the ruins."
The exhibition is open between 11am and 5pm Monday to Saturday and runs until the end of March. Entry is free.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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