Labour of Love: Chorlton at Work
Labour of Love is a photographic journey into the businesses of Chorlton and the people that drive them. Starting in May 2024, the project gained momentum as I engaged more and more with familiar faces from the community.
This year I began re-engaging with the subjects in order to furnish each image with its own detailed story based on both the business’s and individual’s journey. These interlinking narratives soon unlocked a rich social and industrial history aided by local historian, Andrew Simpson, along with the shop owners themselves.
Labour of Love’s journey will arrive in exhibition-form at The Carlton Club, Whalley Range in July, after stopping-off at Chorlton Methodist Church (as part of Chorlton Arts Festival) in May. Full dates, and how you can participate are detailed below.
Jake
11 June, 2024
Katie
9 Aug, 2024
Shane
7 Oct, 2024
Exhibition: Dates
The images will be on display at:
The Carlton Club on 24th July – 21st August 2025, 113 Carlton Road, Whalley Range, Manchester, M16 8BE.
And previewed at:
Chorlton Methodist Church on Friday 23rd & Saturday 24th May 2025 as part of the Chorlton Arts Festival.
Exhibition: Get Involved
The more businesses representing Chorlton in the exhibitions, the better!
The deadline for booking a photoshoot for the exhibitions is 14th July.
Brand Promotion
If you would like your business represented then I am offering a 1 hour photo session with 10 digitally edited full resolution images with the option of your portrait appearing in the exhibitions for £100. Additional images will be available at £5 per image on request. The hour an be used for either staff portaiture, interiors, food / product shots, or a mixture of these.
Friends and Families
Individuals, friends and families can also take advantage of the 1 hour photo session and 10 full resolution images for £100.
For £175 they will receive the photo session (as above) plus 18×12″ bespoke framed print of the portrait of their choice.
Exhibition Prints
Framed prints will be available for purchase after each event at a cost of £120 each.
Chorlton Arts Festival 2025
Labour of Love enjoyed its stop-off at Chorlton Methodist on the weekend of 23rd/24th May 2025, as part of Chorlton Arts Festival.
It was great to have the work shown in physical form, especially as part of such a long-running event that strives and succeeds to bring the community together through different art forms.
It was a pleasure to meet and share the space with Mark Pilkington (@thought_universe_), Rachael Mackerness (@justagirlthatlikestopaint), Angela Hogan (@artangel111) and West Didsbury Astronomical Society (@wdastronomicalsociety), not to mention all the people who came to show an interest… So many in-depth discussions were had during the two days, and I made some good connections for taking this thing forward.
Especially enjoyed seeing a couple of my subjects (Hazel Lancaster of Sue Ryder Care and Katie of Lucky Dog Groomers), and having my picture taken with each. It was a surreal experience seeing them seeing themselves depicted in photographic form.
The next step is to now build the project further by getting more local companies involved (more portraits and more stories from each), and drive it forward into the solo exhibition in July into August at The Carlton Club.
Onwards and upwards.
Contact Me
To book me for any of the aforementioned offers please email jon@jonaspinallphotography.co.uk or give me a call on 07980 335584.
GoFundMe
To help towards the cost of the exhibition – the printing and framing – I am running a GoFundMe of £700 (half the cost).
To make a donation please scan the GoFundMe QR code or click gofundme.com/labour-of-love-chorlton-at-work.
Donations of all kinds are thoroughly appreciated.
I look forward to seeing you at the exhibitions!
Jon Aspinall: Photographer
I specialise in Environmental and Editorial Portraiture, with a particular interest in industrial spaces; spaces not usually associated with the photographic. I am not so much interested in documenting the task at hand, rather the individual that performs it. I am taking them away from their everyday activity to allow for greater objectivity and engagement with the viewer. This way of working allows for an individual story to unfold.
Inspired by the work of Martin Parr, Paul Graham and Jim Mortram, I have conducted similar projects in different districts in and around Manchester for well over a decade now.
This objective and engaging way of working (favouring authenticity over artifice) forms the basis for further exploration of other genres of photography, such as corporate and lifestyle and commercial / branding, lending itself to a steadily-developing client-base.