Stereoscope Launch Party

I’m no expert on photography, but it was impossible not to appreciate the talent evident in the contributions to Stereoscope magazine.

The exhibition launch was a very stylish and civilised affair, complete with atmospheric live jazz floating through the air – the kind of music you wish was the theme tune to your life, as my friend remarked. I felt like I should be holding a martini, but I settled for a cup of the St Andrews’ own Squeeze lemonade that they were selling. A tad less sophisticated perhaps.

The Barron was elegantly decorated with red velvet draped chairs and fairy lights against the sleek black backdrop. But maybe the weird lava lamp projection on the wall was a step too far. Although, seeing as it was an art show geared toward an artsy crowd, they got away with it.

The turnout was fantastic, with people almost queuing to sneak a peek at the carefully arranged photographs. The theme was ‘Stereoscope Stereoscope’, encompassing duality of any kind. The magazine’s clever title is in honour of an historic St Andrews resident, David Brewster, the man responsible for the invention of the stereoscope – an instrument that allows the viewer a dual perspective on something. The parallel is that, like the instrument, the magazine and theme of its first mini-issue aims to provide us with views of both the past and the present.

The theme produced an interesting mixture of antique photos borrowed from the St Andrews collection and modern ones submitted by students, with photos paired together to illustrate duality in some sense. On the whole, it was a great selection of photos, but because the theme was so broad many of the pairings seemed enigmatic.

As an event, it was well-organised with plenty of merchandise to purchase – issues of the magazine were sold for a reasonably priced £1.50. Older issues were also for sale, as were disposable stereoscopic cameras, and even tote bags. Oh yes.

This student-produced magazine has a professional finish with artistically impressive contributions, qualities their launch party showcased to a tee. The theme for the full-size issue coming soon is ‘heritage’.

Get snapping.

Written by Emily Arbis, standing-room-only writer