Labour Of Love
Published 30th Oct 2008 by Mark

"Labour of Love", a photography exhibition by Julia Horbaschk, which documents the lives and loves of eastern European immigrants, opens on November 1st in the Jubilee Library, Brighton.  Julia's third Brighton Photo Fringe exhibition tackles the stereotypical representation of migrants to this country and is the final piece of her Masters Degree in International Photojournalism.

“In my work I try to combine sensitive and objective portraiture," says Julia. "For my book I have used revealing research and interviews to create a positive representation of the UK’s newest arrivals.”

Julia has photographed the wide range of roles now filled by Poles, Slovakians, Bulgarians, Hungarians and Romanians, living in and around Brighton.

Her work captures the individuality of each subject. It brings out their character, and reveals their hopes and dreams for a new life in this country.

"Labour of Love" draws on contributions from Dr Eugenia Markova, who contributed to a recent study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and a piece by Daryana Kotzeva from the Bulgarian Embassy in London.

By integrating interviews, anecdotes and documentary photography into her work, Julia has produced a fresh insight into our evolving community.

Margaret from Poland was photographed for the project, which aims to show immigrants as they are: “People might see that we do something good here," she commented.

"It was good that I had the chance to express myself,” said Richard from Slovakia. "It added value to my work, which has since been taken more seriously.”

With the book of the project already on the shelves of the Jubilee and City College Libraries, "Labour of Love" is set to tour from Jubilee Library (1st Nov. – 14th Nov. 2008) to City College Brighton and Hove (20th Nov. – 4th Dec. 2008).

It is available to buy from City Books, Western Road, Brighton and the Jubilee Library's Booklovers Store.

Accompanying Julia's work will be Hannah Matthew's collection of photographs of domestic security guards in New Delhi.

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