Gemma Fletcher launches new photography podcast, The Messy Truth

All things considered, the podcast has been a pretty good recent human development. Sure, lots of podcasts are just a few blokes murmuring bad analyses of half-remembered sitcom episodes into a cheap microphone but the good ones are really, really, really, good.

One of the good ones – thankfully, given that she’s an It’s Nice That favourite – is Gemma Fletcher’s newly-launched The Messy Truth, a podcast all about contemporary photography. And yes, eagle-eyed reader: it does share a title with a piece that Gemma wrote for us last year. Ten points to you for spotting that.

Giving photographers, commissioners, and editors alike the chance to share their thoughts on work and process, The Messy Truth aims to create and curate a space in which candid conversations about “the future of visual culture and what it means to be a photographer today,” can thrive.

Debuting last month with an appearance from INT regular Catherine Hyland, Gemma’s just dropped a new episode of the podcast that we’re pretty certain you’re going to be tucking into with gusto on the bus home from your studio for the foreseeable future.

“A lot of my work is spent mentoring photographers, helping them overcome challenges and move towards their goals,” Gemma begins when we ask her to explain what podcasts can offer those of us in the creative industries. “I have so many one on one conversations about industry challenges and how the visual landscape is shifting and evolving, it felt important to share these with a broader group, creating an honest and direct dialogue.”

Gemma goes on to say that “photography can be an isolating industry. The intimate and accessible format of a podcast allows the listener to be part of the conversation anywhere in the world. It’s a companion for busy creatives on the go, and I hope the conversations provide listeners with insight and inspiration.”

This second instalment sees Gemma joined by Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize winner Alice Mann. “I was interested to talk to Alice about representation,” Gemma tells us. “As a white South African photographer making work about her homeland, her work raises a lot of questions about the responsibility of gaze and representation.” The pair spoke the day after Alice had won the award for her project Dummies.

“I love Still Processing,” Gemma says on her favourite podcast. “Two New York Times journalists, Wesley Morris and Jenna Wortham unpick a huge array of culture from art and music to TV and film. They go deep on the ideas and issues that move them, never shying away from challenging topics and themes sharing the emotional resonance and cultural significance from every angle.”

The Messy Truth is available on iTunes, Spotify and Acast. Future guests include Jack Davison, Lydia Pang, and Alexander Coggin.