The master of provocative, controversial and candid art gives his name to this wonderful workshop exploring the joys of the Polaroid at Vivid Projects Art Space. The history of art is coloured by the eccentricities of artists and how they’ve honed their skill to create something unique to delight their audience, but also the timing and relevance of the art that is produced. And a prime example of an iconic medium of its time is the humble polaroid. Although it was initially welcomed with open arms, it soon become irrelevant in the wake of digital media, but has made an insistent and sexy comeback, despite its apparent redundancy – and perhaps because of its cheap thrill throw-away charms. With all this in mind, Vivid Projects the perfect opportunity to delve into the world of cheap-thrill photography and the many ways in which to use this medium of light, for expression. After a tantalising starter of ‘polaroid popping,’ the documentary ‘Mapplethorpe: Look at the pictures’ by the directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato will be screened for your pleasure, detailing and exploring the controversy of Robert
Mapplethorpe’s sexually charged work and how it was denounced in a scandal that rocked the American senate. Shocking stuff.

Thu 22 Sep, Vivid Projects Art Space, 16 Minerva Works, 158 Fazeley Street, Birmingham B5 5RS. 7pm-10pm, £10/5 www.eventbrite.co.uk