Jonny Briggs work is firmly embedded in photography despite being informed by his perception of the medium’s inadequacies. Although he has worked hard to break free from traditional paradigms, it nevertheless continues a long tradition of constructed tropes and illusions.
His work is sensitively conceived through the optics of his own psychology and familial relations. Although at times he has moved away from this tight subject matter towards a more general view of things, he always gravitates towards the nuclear family both for subject matter and technical assistance: this seems to be where his strengths lie for the moment. Though the images may be appreciated without explanation, a fuller knowledge of their genesis and background makes them all the more engaging.
His carefully constructed images always leave clues as to their artificial nature confessing their falsity in an honest declaration of that fact. This partial unveiling of the inversions between what is authentic and what is not can only be a form of authenticity itself. This is a case in which knowledge of the subject matter and artist benefits the work and does not detract from the trope but rather adds a further layer to its fabric.
The simplicity of his repertoire possesses a freshness which is in tension with an undeniable claustrophobia. This may evolve into something else in time with life’s experiences.