Graham Dew
Introduction
Graham’s images concentrate on life as it is lived, life’s fleeting moments or those things that seem permanent but will change.
Graham's philosophy
It was being shown his father’s new camera in 1980 whilst a student that first kindled Graham’s interest in cameras. However, it was the discovery of a pile of ‘Camera’ magazines belonging to a friend’s father a couple of months later that started a lifelong passion for photographic art, both as a practitioner and viewer.
A major catalyst in Graham’s development was the Photographers Workshop that operated in Southampton in the 80s & 90s. An exhibition course run there by Mike Skipper proved to be the key that unlocked many working methods and techniques. Along with other members of this course, Graham set up the Image Workshop, a cooperative group that provided a critical forum for the development of its members, and a means of organizing exhibitions of their work. Since then, Graham’s pictures have been shown widely at venues across the South of England, and exhibitions have been an important part of his photography.
Graham’s work has always concentrated primarily on life as it is lived; the camera providing permanent witness to fleeting moments, moods and life’s passage. In the past, this meant finding a likely location or event and working out the opportunities for meaningful images. These days, with a young family and a busy job, he has much less spare time and so now carries a pocket digital camera at all times to allow the snatching of images and thoughts as they occur during the flow of other things happening in life.
Both approaches have resulted in a portfolio of images that are far from project based in outlook. Instead, common themes have developed that provide threads that link various subjects together. One major theme in his work is that of time. Many of his pictures are of fleeting ‘decisive moments’, the instant when form and content come to a climax. But there are other events do not have to happen in instant. Such images might show more seasonal variation, growth or decay. These apparently static moments are actually slowly changing and will vanish before their loss is noticed. Another major theme is that of relationships; of people themselves and their interaction with their environment. These pictures might manifest themselves as portraits, street pictures or landscapes of the worked countryside.
Stylistically, much of Graham’s work is underpinned by tight geometric compositions, which have become simpler over time, especially for modern colour work. Surrealistic approaches and subdivisions of the picture space also help to present an image that invites inspection and re-interpretation by the viewer. Graham has used whatever technology has been available, but prefers a modicum of equipment. For many years this meant working on 35mm film and printing monochrome on fibre based papers. Today, without the darkroom, all of his work is shot digitally and printed using archival pigment inks, and because it is now practical to do so, much of his work is now in colour.
further information
Graham's work has been widely exhibited at venues around the south of England. Please visit the diary page for current and forthcoming exhibitions. Graham is also happy to give presentations of his work. If you would like to arrange a talk, please contact him at the address below.
contacting Graham
If you would like to discuss the images in the galleries, order prints or arrange a talk, please contact Graham at graham.dew@arenaphotographers.com