About Me

Until 1997 I was a psychologist, writer and musician who painted and took photographs in his spare time. It was when I came back from a year spent travelling in south and south-east Asia with 1,500 photographs and wondering what to do with them, that I was introduced to the mind-blowing potentials of digital imaging technology – and that changed everything.

Passion became obsession as it gradually took over my life. I finally left my day jobs in mental health and the treatment of heroin addiction in April 2004 to become a full-time artist. Since then I have exhibited in many high profile galleries across the north of England and in Dubai. I have also completed a wide range of public, private and corporate commissions.


Curriculum Vitae

Exhibitions :   

April 2004    The White Room, Meltham, Holmfirth
                     Featured artist for 2 months, 30 pieces

June 2004    The Design Innovations Centre, Leeds
                     Solo show, 4 weeks, 28 pieces

Oct 2004      Manchester Art Show, 3 days, 39 pieces

Dec 2004      Cupola Gallery, Sheffield
                     Mixed exhibition, 6 weeks

Dec 2004      Dean Clough Galleries, Halifax
                     Mixed exhibition, 5 weeks

June 2005    Dukes Gallery, Brereton Green, Cheshire
                     Mixed exhibition, 6 weeks

July 2005    ‘Resident’ artist, The Verve, Huddersfield

Aug 2005     Cre8 Gallery, Wakefield
                     Mixed exhibition, 4 weeks

Sept 2005    Cupola Gallery, Sheffield
                     Mixed exhibition, 6 weeks

Sept 2005    Le Chateau de Fleurs, Huddersfield, 19 pieces

Dec 2005    Cupola Gallery, Sheffield
                    Mixed exhibition, 6 weeks

April 2006    Ripple Art Fair, Marsden
                    Mixed exhibition, 18 pieces

June 2006    3 Albion Place (ex The Yorkshire Club), Leeds
                     3 large pieces.

June 2006    Holmfirth Art Week, Fringe Venue
                      Mixed exhibition, 15 pieces

Nov 2006      Index Exhibition, World Trade Centre, Dubai (12 large canvases)


Dec 2006    Cupola Gallery, Sheffield
                    Mixed exhibition, 6 weeks (7 pieces)

May 2007    Newby Hall, North Yorkshire
                    Mixed exhibition 6 weeks

Sept 2007    Brethericks, Chapel Allerton, Leeds (7 pieces)

Jan 2008      North Light Gallery, Armitage Bridge (8 pieces)

May 2008     Leeds Art Fair, The Light, The Headrow Leeds (3 large pieces)   
       
May 2008      Ripple Six Art Fair, Marsden (12 pieces)

May 2008      Lawrence Batley Theatre (Main Foyer), Huddersfield (8 pieces)
       
July 2008      Holmfirth Artweek (invited artist, 3 pieces)

Sept 2008     The Wall Gallery, Wakefield (15 pieces)

Feb – May 2009    Solo show “The Geometry of Waiting”, Dean Clough Gallery, Halifax
       

Commissioned Artworks :

June 2004    Roman Catholic High School, Heywood, Lancashire. Composite of 6 images based on original photographs of the interior and exterior of the school.

November 2004    Two large works commissioned by the Cupola Gallery, Sheffield for permanent external installation in their courtyard / sculpture garden, based on original photographs of passion flower and English ivy
(15ft x 8ft, 8ft x 8ft).

September 2005    Lifeline Kirklees Drug & Alcohol Agency, Wellington St, Dewsbury.
22 original artworks, including a major piece narrating the conversion of the building from a derelict warehouse.

September 2005    Bespoke artwork, Carl Wilde’s ‘Chateau des Fleurs’, Huddersfield

January 2006    Café Interiors, Manchester. Realising a design by Juss Szabo based on photographs of bamboo rings for installation as large canvases (Bradford College) and as bespoke wallpaper (Bar Azure, Liverpool) 

July 2006        3.6 x 1.8 metres piece of three-dimensional wall art : ‘All That Jazz’,
The Verve café-bar, Huddersfield

Sept 2006        Private commission : 1 x 1.4 metres impressionistic photomontage of
the interior and exterior of a large Victorian house

July 2007        Six bespoke artworks, Nawaab Restaurant, Huddersfield

November 2007    Seven bespoke artworks as part of an 18-piece collection, The Mustard Pot, Chapel Allerton, Leeds

August 2008    Leeds CityScape : 3 x 1.2 metres piece of three-dimensional wall art (commissioned by Select Data Centre Facilities).


Public / Community Arts :


August 2006    ‘Flowers in the Frame’ project, Parsons Cross estate, – helping a group of local residents experiencing mental health problems or social isolation to learn how to use a digital camera and basic digital imaging techniques to create a public art installation and gallery exhibition of council-planted meadows of wild flowers Sheffield (through Eventus, The Workstation, Paternoster Row, Sheffield).

Feb 2007    Creative Consultation Event with homeless people in Sheffield about their views and experiences of homeless hostels, using photography as a consultation facilitator (through Eventus).   

August 2007    Batley Enterprise College through Loca, Redbrick Mill, Batley). Working with a group of 11 year olds to create a large, themed, digital photomontage based on their photographs of the school.

Oct 2007    ‘Flowers on the Manor’, Sheffield (through Eventus). Helping a group of elderly residents learn how to use a digital camera and basic digital imaging techniques to create a set of banners to promote the work of Green Estates and the regeneration work ongoing in the area.

Jan – Mar 2008    Working with the Tinsley Community, Sheffield to create an artistic response to the impending demolition of the Tinsley Cooling Towers (by the M1 opposite Meadowhall), resulting in a set of multi-view postcards (through Sheffield City Council and Eventus).


Graphic Design :

2003 - 2007    Graphic design work for a range of community organisations, including MIND,
mental health community groups, and a community arts agency. Brochures,
leaflets, exhibition flyers, annual reports etc

Jan 2007    Corporate re-branding of ‘Build’, a state funded organisation working within
the construction industry.


Other :

June 2006    Elected to the Executive Committee of Leeds Fine Art Club UK


Pre-2004    Published book : ‘Poles Apart : The Experience of Gender’, Dent (1989). Led to 6 television and 3 radio appearances, and an article I was asked to write for the Guardian.

Singer/songwriter with bands ‘Bof’, ‘Treatment’ and ‘The Celebrated Utang Tumblers’.

A large number of journal articles, conference papers and presentations from 1976 - 2004, including invited guest speaker, MIND annual conference, Harrogate, 2004.


Educational Qualifications :

B.Sc.(Hons) Psychology, University of Leeds, 1970

M.A. (Econ) Sociology, University of Manchester, 1986

M.A. Film Studies (with distinction), University of Derby, 1994


Employment History :

2004 -         Full-time artist

2004 -         Sessional worker, The Staying Out Project, North Kirklees Mind, Dewsbury

1999 – 2004    Project Manager and group facilitator, The Staying Out Project, North Kirklees Mind, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. (Part-time, then full-time)

1998 – 2001     Senior Practitioner & Addictions Worker, Lifeline Drug & Alcohol Agency, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. (Full-time then part-time)

1996-7        Year spent travelling through central and south-east Asia.

1971 -96    Lecturer in Psychology, then Senior Lecturer, then Course Leader, B.Sc. Behavioural Sciences, University of           Huddersfield.