If you’re wandering around central London and sick of the sight of Topshop and Oxford Street, the Photographers’ Gallery is a hidden oasis of cultural calm. As the largest public gallery specifically dedicated to the medium of photography, the international exhibition programme and showcasing of new talent is worth keeping an eye out for. As one of my favourite galleries to visit, I caught up with Sam from the press office and curator Claire Grafik (yes, what an amazing name?!) to ask them a few questions.

How long has the Photographers’ Gallery been around on the London scene?
The Photographers’ Gallery was founded by Sue Davies, OBE in 1971 at 8 Great Newport street, just off Leicester Square, in a converted Lyons Tea Bar. It was the first independent gallery in the world devoted to photography. Sue Davies had formerly worked at the ICA where she assisted in organising photography exhibitions and talks. It was during her employment here that she perceived the need for a gallery space dedicated to photographers, a place of their own to display and discuss photography as a serious art form. The Gallery opened its doors on 14 January 1971 presenting an exhibition called The Concerned Photographer curated by Cornell Capa and first shown in New York in 1967.

As a strong supporter of new international talent across the art/design field, why do you feel that it is important to bring this to the capital? What is the public response?
Claire: ‘London is a unique city in terms of its cultural mix and openness to new ideas. For this reason it is also a particularly exciting place to bring new work by international photographers and artists whose work can be seen in a different context and by a huge range of people. The response to work can be as varied as the people coming into the gallery to view it, the important thing is to provide an opportunity for people to experience new ideas and form their own opinions.’

How do you find the content for each exhibition - are you also approached by local artists on a regular basis?
Claire: ‘The way we programme exhibitions varies from show to show, sometimes we bring an exhibition to the UK from an international partner venue and sometimes we may organise a solo show with a UK-based artist. We strive to maintain good contact with photographers and artists living and working in the UK in order to support their work whenever possible.’

Do you find that dealing primarily with one type of media allows an exhibition to come across more strongly on a political or social scale? Do you feel that documentary photography in particular is one of the more successful ways in which to portray this?
Claire: ‘The Gallery shows still photography as well as video and filmwork. In an age when more and more people, artists and non-artists alike, are used to creating and using both still and moving imagery it is important that we reflect this in our programme. Art and photography can be political without being strictly ‘documentary’ in style, but the documentary medium obviously lends itself to certain ways of exploring particular issues.’

Do you rely on volunteer gallery assistants or do you have a large team?
Sam: ‘We are a relatively small team of dedicated, knowledgeable staff and we do have a vital team of part timers and also take on interns who are a great support to our work.’

Is the new building and location treating you well? You’re now tucked behind the ever busy Oxford Street!
Sam: ‘We’ve settled in extremely well and quickly and are delighted that we’ve taken our audience from Great Newport Street with us. Everyone seems really happy with the new space and it has a lovely atmosphere. We are still doing everything we did in the previous site - exhibitions, talks & events, courses, café, Bookshop, Print Sales but in a far more gallery friendly site which means we now have a dedicated gallery space which we didn’t before. The location is obviously fantastic and we pride ourselves on being an oasis from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street. We are only 10 minutes form the previous site but are now also accessible to a completely new audience of photography and gallery lovers.  This is only really the beginning for us as  we will be redeveloping  the site next year so we finally have the gallery that photography and our audiences deserve.’

You stock a wide range of books, cameras, cards etc in your shop. What is the most comical item you currently stock?
Sam: ‘I guess this would be our musical cat face camera which plays tunes while you photograph! It’s from Japan , unsurprisingly, and is the bargain price of £34.99 - a  must for every photographer.’

Why should people come to your cafe for lunch and not McDonalds?
Sam: ‘Our café is a beacon amongst all of the chain branches in this area. As well as being independent, the food is fresh, cheap and the homemade cakes are incredible. Also where else do you get to enjoy all of this while surrounded by beautiful photography and our fantastic bookshop. You certainly forget you’re right by the chaos of Oxford Street.’

And finally, can you sum up the Photographers’ Gallery in one sentence?
Claire: ‘The Photographers’ Gallery is committed to showing the best in UK and international photography and related media to the widest possible audiences.’

The Photographer’s Gallery website can be found here:
www.photonet.org.uk