I use two different approaches to take photographs – according to whether I’m actually ‘there’, in the place the picture shows. Or seeing something vicariously, on the Internet, or TV. Either way, I take photographs of what I find.
‘Being There’, as you might expect, involves going somewhere with a camera & taking photographs. The pictures that result are taken in real time, in real space, developed in chemicals and are not manipulated.
The second approach also involves a film based camera process – but applied to imagery I find online or TV broadcast – that I appropriate and re-photograph. I call these pictures ‘Telescreens’. (Note: sometimes, when these pictures are viewed through via a website, the data compression involved can cause stroboscopic anomalies to appear in an image – that do not happen in their paper prints.)
There’s no hierarchy or boundary of subject matter across this divide of direct, ‘In Real Life’ experience versus indirect / vicarious screen viewing. The contrast between the visual syntaxes reflects how I engage with reality – sometimes ‘Being There’ in the moment. Or at other times watching TV, or the Internet.
The foundation of the work is an exploration of how these different approaches affect our perception and interpretation of reality.
Citizen Reality is a mix of aimless serendipity and a calculated desire for memorability. The pictures taken in real life – are not manipulated. But the telescreens have metaphorical intent and sometimes include deliberate changes to the scenes that they portray to emphasise their aesthetic and allure – to promote ambiguity.
Shows:
‘Daily, Weekly’, Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, Australia, February 2012
‘A Machine for Living in’, Hannah Barry Gallery, London, May 2012
‘New Community Design’, Tokyo‘Wondersite’, Tokyo, Japan,April 2012
‘Wondersite’, Japanese Embassy, London, May / June 2012
‘Bend Over Shirley’, Beaconsfield Contemporary Art, London, July 2012
Chelsea Salon, South London Gallery, London, October 2012
Chelsea Salon, Chelsea College of Art & Design – The Bakehouse, November 2012
‘Perfect Patio’, Space Station 65 – London, May 2013
MA Degree Show, Chelsea College of Art & Design, London, September 2013
‘Morphol Scream’, Piccadilly Place, Manchester, March 2014
‘Fake Phoney Reality’ – (solo show) in the ‘Balfron Season’ @ 67 Balfron Tower,London, September 2014
Summer Arts Prize shortlist show 2015, Lacey Contemporary Gallery – Holland Park London
‘ENDS’, Group show, Hundred Years Gallery, London, July 2016
Summer Arts Prize shortlist 2016, Lacey Contemporary Gallery – Holland Park London
«2016 days of awesome photo books», LhGWR gallery, The Hague, The Netherlands
It’s all about the image; What you see is what you see – 2021, solo show, Blackshed Gallery, Robertsbridge, East Sussex
Nobody can hide, but everything is under control – 2021, solo show – Trinity 7, Hastings, East Sussex Athens Photo Festival – 2022, shortlisted
Group show / IMPACT 12 Printmaking Conference at The Centre for Print Research, University of the West of En- gland, Bristol in September ’22
‘Weather fair, visibility good’. Solo Show – Coastal Currents Arts Festival, Hastings, September ’23
Shutterhub – Yearbook Exhibition 2024
Project: six months in Africa, ‘All along the African road – it’s only ever now’ 2023/24
Project: A road trip to Kyiv, ongoing –
Art Book Fairs & photo’zine collections
Encontros da Imagem – International Photography Festival – Soap and Rocket photo’books shortlisted,
Sep / Nov 16 Tijuana Porto 12a Feira de Arte Impressa – Soap and Rocket photo’books selected, Oct ’16
Tijuana collection, São Paulo – selected September 2016
Self Publish – Be Happy, collection, selected September 2016
Publications:
Soap and Rocket episodes 01 to 05 / ISSN 2399 3065
Residencies:
Queensland College of Art, Griffin University, Queensland, Australia February 2012
Tokyo ‘Wondersite’, Japan, March 2012
Flat Time House, Camberwell, London, June 2012
‘Cellusys’, Africa, 2023 – 24
Education:
Masters Degree in Fine Art 2013, Camberwell College of Art, Chelsea College of Art
– University of the Arts, London
