Students work alongside world-class female photographer in celebration of International Women’s Day

Hartlepool Art Gallery, in partnership with The Northern School of Art, commissioned one of the fashion world's most noted photographers, Alice Hawkins, to create a series of striking photographs supported by the degree level students which will later be showcased publicly as part of the exhibition ‘The Female Gaze: Revisited’.  

The retrospective exhibition, which is at Hartlepool Art Gallery until Saturday 23rd April, features highlights from Alice Hawkins’ 20-year career and showcases an extraordinary panoramic portrait of women around the world, examining changing perceptions of femininity, fashion and gender over the past two decades.

Alice Hawkins has shot editorials for Pop, i-D, Love, Vogue, L’Uomo Vogue, SHOWstudio, Arena Homme+ and British Vogue, and her celebrity subjects have included Donatella Versace, Paloma Faith, Pamela Anderson, Gisele Bündchen and Tom Jones.

The two-day photoshoot involved ten students from the Northern School of Art working together with Alice Hawkins to create a set of photographic portraits depicting the contemporary character of Hartlepool and the people who live here.

Alice Hawkins photographing Northern School of Art student Margareta Aakermark.

Photograph by Bethany Mitchell, Northern School of Art (BA(Hons) photography student.

Alice Hawkins said: “Making this new work with the students in Hartlepool brought back my spirit of adventure. Discovering and photographing strangers is always a thrill and I am so thankful for this opportunity.

“It was a whirlwind two days shooting back to back, there was so much to love! I was truly mesmerised by the characters and the landscape I captured. I've just returned home and couldn't feel more excited to edit the work and soon display these incredible local characters in Hartlepool Art Gallery alongside my current major retrospective exhibition.”

Alice Hawkins photographing Northern School of Art student Tobias Freeman.

Photograph by Bethany Mitchell, Northern School of Art (BA(Hons) photography student.

Alyson Agar, Senior Lecturer coordinating The Northern School of Art’s involvement in the project, said: “We are delighted and extremely grateful for the opportunity for an icon like Alice to come to Hartlepool to work with our students.

“In a time where students have missed out on so many opportunities for projects and creative collaboration, to offer such a high-profile project to the students has been amazing. We’ve loved every minute of the collaboration and can’t wait to see the final results in the exhibition.”

Alice Hawkins - Self-Portrait as Dolly Parton, Nashville 2011.

Following the shoot, a selection of images chosen by the artist will be incorporated into The Female Gaze: Revisited exhibition. The images will be screened digitally and acquired permanently for the Hartlepool Borough Council collections.

Georgina Ascroft, the Council’s Museum and Gallery Manager, said: “We’re really excited to see the work produced by this commission. We’ve been given the opportunity to capture a moment in time and preserve it in the collections cared for by Hartlepool Borough Council for future generations. The collaboration between Alice and the students should make for a compelling insight into the people and places that make Hartlepool unique.”

‘The Female Gaze: Revisited’ exhibition has been created in collaboration with Alice Hawkins, Hartlepool Art Gallery, the Northern School of Art and the Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, with funding from Hartlepool Borough Council, Tees Valley Museum Group and the Northern School of Art. Entry is free.

Hartlepool Art Gallery is in Church Square and is open 10am – 5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays. For more information call (01429) 869706 or visit www.hartlepoolartgallery.co.uk