Benjamin Jones presents "Odd Sympathy" at Santi Gallery in London, an exhibition accompanied by an essay by Duncan Wooldridge. The show explores how photography can foster deep observation and material experience, drawing on Claire Bishop's writing about 19th-century theatre audiences who moved in and out of focused attention.
The exhibition matters because it engages with contemporary debates about attention and distraction in visual culture, positioning photography as a medium that can both capture and challenge how we look. By connecting photographic practice to historical performance theory, the show offers a nuanced perspective on how art creates conditions for sustained viewing in an age of constant visual stimulation.