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.