PRESS RELEASERhubarb-Rhubarb Talks Business -Leading Image World Experts Convene in Birmingham, UK

In August 2008, Rhubarb will host what is now known as Europe’s premiere review of theimage – bringing to Birmingham 60 of the world’s most renowned international gallerists,curators, agents, photo publishers and picture editors. As part of the Festival of Light,Rhubarb joins Birmingham with 31 international cities through photographic events, profilingthe city, West Midlands and the UK as sites of excellence in traditional and new technologyimaging.The event, now in its eighth year, has an international reputation for the high standard of workshown by the photographers and its success in bringing them together with experts who canassist with their futures, through exhibitions, publications and sales. The review consolidatesthe annual programme of Rhubarb-Rhubarb, which has had continued success in mentoring

graduate, emerging, mid career and internationally renowned regional talent, into newmarkets.This year reviewers include Rebecca Wilson – Head of Development and Editor, SaatchiOnline; Mark George – Photographers Agent; Katy Baron – Purdy Hicks Gallery; SheyiAntony Bankale – Editor, Next Level Magazine; Ashley Givens – Assistant Curator,Photography, Victoria and Albert Museum; – London, UK; Fred Baldwin and Wendy Watriss –Fotofest, Houston; Maarten Schilt – Mets and Schilt Publishing, Netherlands; Simone Klein –Sotheby’s, Cologne; Dominique Charlet – Les Independences, Paris – the list goes on.Simon Bainbridge, Editor, represents the BJP – British Journal of Photography – the mediapartner for Rhubarb 2008.As a result of last year’s review, Rhubarb placed the work of 13 West Midlands photographersin the new festival of photography in Lianzhou, China, some of whom have recently beenprofiled in Houston, Texas, and Toronto, Canada. Others have gone on to gain representationin London, Paris and Holland.In a timely coincidence, Rhubarb has this week brokered the sale of prints by Max Kandhola,an internationally renowned fine art photographer living in Birmingham, to the world’s largestcorporate fine art collection – Deutsche Bank.Creative Director, Rhonda Wilson MBE, says, “

“This year we’ve been ‘Talkin’ Business’ atRhubarb, so its an apt title for the International Photography Review. As well as hosting thePortfolio event, we’ll be working with our experts to predict the changes in the sector overthe next ten to twenty years, so Rhubarb can continue to be ahead of the field. With thefast moving changes in technology particularly, we want to see what effects this will haveon photography and digital imaging, on both education, practice and markets - this is abrilliant opportunity to have the world leaders of the image world in Birmingham, to sharewith us their experience and vision, which we can then incoporate into our programme of support for West Midlands based photographers and fine artists using the image, for theirfuture place in the international markets.”

‘Talkin’ Business’ has the very suitable venue of Aston Business School. In addition to thereview itself, the event includes a half day seminar on

The Value of The Image

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July, with award winning photographer Simon Roberts, Brighton, UK; Collector of Photographs from George Eastman House, Rochester, USA – Alison Nordstrom, andImage World Future Forecaster – Stephen Mayes, USA. They will discuss what skills arerequired to stay at the top of the fine art ladder, the world between traditional and newtechnologies for museum collectors and the effect of the web on copyright and how