I am an experimental photographer working with both analogue and digital mediums. Through my work I’m looking to find a balance between chance and control, and between; construction and destruction, signal and noise and ultimately, life and death. I embrace the accidents and errors as they not only remind us how vulnerable and delicate we are, they can often show us something new. It is at the point of breakdown that the medium begins to reveal itself. Through glitches and mistakes we get to see the base elements, the very construction of the material that creates those illusions of reality, the apparatus of photography itself.
For me the click of the camera marks the beginning of the process. Often that initial image is just an inkling of an idea, a feeling that it may be interesting. This then needs further work to tease out, to chip away at, until I can get to the essence of what it is. This process is a time of experimentation and of trying to find the correct expression of that initial idea. I may have many versions, before choosing the image that best satisfies this.
As a child, much to the annoyance of my family, I was always taking things like record players and radios apart to see how they work. More often than not I would get an electric shock and often things wouldn't go back together quite right. However, this habit of pulling things apart has continued into my photography. Never happy with the preferred way of making images, I enjoy tinkering below the surface to see what lies beneath.
Since being diagnosed with a neurological balance disorder I have been attempting to bring order, calmness and indeed more balance to my work. I’m interested in trying to reduce what is before me down to it’s simplest form whilst maintaining a sense of mystery that engages the viewer. More recently I have begun exploring how “breaking” images relates to illness and vulnerability.
Punk was a big influence on me. Not just the music but the attitude, the DIY approach of just getting on with it, expressing yourself. I loved the stripped down music, the freedom in just three chords. I find myself taking this approach to my images - stripping away the unnecessary to leave only barest amount of detail. I'm looking for the visual equivalent of that 2 minutes and 12 seconds of honed perfection that is Blitzkreig Bop.
Education
MA Photography, London College of Communication 2016-17
BA (Hons) Film, Video and Animation, London College of Printing, 1990 - 1993
Awards
Muse Gallery Residency 2017
National Disability Arts Collection and Archive Research and Development Award 2017
Book
Dis-location - view flip-through here
Talks
Mark Tamer in Conversation with IMA: Are there too many images in the world?
Recent Exhibitions
2019
This is It - Muse Gallery, London - solo show
Shape Arts Annual Open - Bow Arts
2018
The London Ultra @ The Bargehouse Oxo Tower, London
Muse Gallery Artist in Residence - 15 Year Show
Muse Gallery Artist in Residence - Final Show
Fringe Arts Bath Festival - live
Muse Gallery Artist in Residence - Final Show
2017
Final Show MA Photography - LCC, Elephant and Castle
Making It Real, - Ugly Duck, London
AIR Competition Finalist - Muse Gallery, Portobello Road
Revolv Collective: Archives as Medium, live creation of zine - Four Corners Gallery
Interim Show, LCC, Elephant and Castle
2016
CTRL, Spitalfields Studios, Whitechapel
2015
Déjà Vu, BAR Gallery, Willesden
Opposite Fields, Willesden Library Gallery
2014
Queens Park Photo Festival - Around A Mile
[In]Visible - Shape Gallery, Westfield, Stratford, London
ART-ITECTURE, BAR Gallery, Willesden
2013
London Independent Photographers Annual Exhibition - Strand Gallery
Open Studio - Kensal Rise, London
Creative Future's Tight Modern - Olympic Park, London
Imapct Art Fair, Brixton
Explorations - Electric House, Willesden , London
Sample 13: a celebration of the best photography from 2012, at theprintspace gallery, Kingsland Road, London
Cork Street Open Winter Exhibition - The Gallery, Cork Street, London W1
2012
Christmas Exhibition - Artisan Gallery
Glimpse - Espacio Gallery, Bethnal Green
London Independent Photographers Annual Exhibition - Strand Gallery
Queens Park Photographers Annual Show - Willesden Green Library Centre
Brent Artist Resource Annual Show - Willesden Green Library Centre
Perceptions of Balance - Curated by and exhibited at Creative Steps and then toured to 40 Gracechurch Street in the City of London
Lauderdale House Hidden/Exposed - Mile End Art Pavilion Annual
Photographic Competition - Lauderdale House, Highgate Hill, London
Brent Artist Resource - Willesden Green Library Centre
Publications
Black and White Photography magazine
fLIP magazine
Alter Analog magazine Vol 1
Recent Work
Hestercombe House, artist residential
Three day residency at the Shape Gallery, Westfield, Stratford 2015
Artist in Residence, Malorees Infant School - Arts Week 2014, 2015 and 2016
Old Stories for New Times - Photographer. Heritage Lottery funded community project