Face Value with Brock Elbank: Recent Episodes
Brock Elbank
Face Value comes from London-based photographer Brock Elbank (The Brock Elbank Foundation).
Brock revisits his extensive archive of phenomenal subjects who all have sat for a variety of portrait series to raise body-positive and mental health awareness via his @mrelbank Instagram page. People from over fifty countries and six continents have kindly travelled to London to feature for his previous portrait series including Beard (Somerset House London), Freckles (Region Museet Kristianstad) How Do You C Me Now? (OXO Wharf London) as well as Vitiligo and currently Scars to discuss their individual paths.
Face Value is an honest and relaxed in conversation that shares these first-hand experiences to inspire and inform the listener, as well as allowing those to also relate to such challenges in life.
Celebrate & Educate is what it's all about.
Follow Brock on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mrelbank/?hl=en
Visit Brock's Website: https://www.mrelbank.com/
‘If you’re the smartest person in the room you’re in the wrong room.’ And when I hosted @tendergramps pre pandemic I was definitely not in the wrong room that’s for sure. I could honestly listen to Cole as their way of informing me on at that time a whole new area was most fascinating. Cole had enquired about Freckles wayback though when Cole applied for Scars their own personal journey and experiences really needed to be documented first and then shared, because Cole’s delivery with their knowledge on Non-Binary matters demands your attention. Even though technically this was recorded as EP10 for Face Value with Brock Elbank it’s now running in the EP8 position and will be available today. These are new works from Cole’s series and revisiting the work somehow presented a new feel to their original posts. I received shortly after they returned to the U.S. a typed letter typed on a good old fashioned typewriter and the simple fact they had taken the time to send this kind of sums Cole up. The technical photographic process is one thing that is generally always familiar and second nature to me, but the individual subjects experiences and their knowledge is always something I learn from.
Thanks again Cole for sharing much of your hurdles overcome and being part of this new venture that is the podcast!
Back in March 2019 on the eve of the private view for our Caring Matters Now 'How Do You C Me Now?' exhibition at the OXO Wharf Gallery London, I received a DM from Lucy Reeves enquiring about tickets for the show. What began on the Friday morning at the opening to the general public was a journey of discovery, self-acceptance, inner peace, connection and growth for Lucy who on that morning for the first time in her 35 years met not just one but over twenty other human-beings with Congenital Melanocytic Nevus (CMN), an extremely rare type of birthmark 1/20,000 people worldwide.
Lucy's start in life was that of a book or movie script, an uphill struggle from day1 to today where Lucy post exhibition and portrait discusses how day by day she's learning to see herself in a much more positive light. As the Caring Matters Now exhibit makes its virtual way to the U.S. for Nevus Outreach to host the online show to continue the work started by Jodi Whitehouse and the phenomenal team of trustees who have presented this unknown condition on a global scale and celebrate the diversity in skin.
A must listen for parents and folks alike connected with CMN or any kind of birthmark.
Bashir 'Bash' Aziz has become friends with Brock since he documented Bash on Brock's birthday for Vitiligo in 2017, Brock recalls Bash was nearly 4 hours late and was one of the closest living subjects he's documented! Born with Vitiligo some also mention Piebald they candidly talk moving from Africa to England when very young, looking after his mum, going to school knowing you look different, football, art, shooting and embracing his appearance and everything in between. Brock and Bash have created a bond that's for sure..
Kiana who applied for Brock's Scars portrait series before the pandemic finally visits his London home studio to take part and record only the second face to face episode. Globe-trotter Kiana grew up in Kenya though travels constantly after her diagnosis of facial cancer at nearly 14 years old. Artist and Poet and soon again mature Student, Kiana talks openly with Brock about staying positive, even in those extremely dark months when day to day life was difficult simply to eat, talk and exist.
Kiana's energy is infectious, and overcoming cancer not once but on three separate occasions will definitely be an inspiring listen for those who have or are walking a similar path.
Face Value comes from London-based photographer Brock Elbank (The Brock Elbank Foundation).
Brock revisits his extensive archive of phenomenal subjects who all have sat for a variety of portrait series to raise body-positive and mental health awareness via his @mrelbank Instagram page. People from over fifty countries and six continents have kindly travelled to London to feature for his previous portrait series including Beard (Somerset House London), Freckles (Region Museet Kristianstad) How Do You C Me Now? (OXO Wharf London) as well as Vitiligo and currently Scars to discuss their individual paths.
Face Value is an honest and relaxed in conversation that shares these first-hand experiences to inspire and inform the listener, as well as allowing those to also relate to such challenges in life.
Celebrate & Educate is what it's all about.
Follow Brock on Instagram @mrelbank
Visit Brock's Website: https://www.mrelbank.com/