About GARRY CLARKSON : PHOTOGRAPHER
GARRY CLARKSON is a photographer and film maker based in Leeds, United Kingdom.
Clarkson began his photographic work with coverage of the 1989 book burning in his home city of Bradford, following the publication of Salman Rushdie's controversial book The Satanic Verses. The pictures were published widely, including The Independent, Sunday Telegraph, New Statesman/Society, New Internationalist and Channel 4 Television as well as 1989 'Pictures of the Year' in The Guardian newspaper.
He worked as picture editor for the 'chartist' Northern Star newspaper in Leeds and Archive Manager at the Bradford Heritage Recording Unit before persuing a BA (Hons) degree in Film at the University of Westminster, at the same time working in the film industry in London. He returned to photography in 2001, after publication in The British Journal of Photography led him to pursue long-term documentary projects. After graduating from the MA Documentary Photography course at the University of Wales, Newport in 2005, he has worked on editorial and book projects, notably: Time Magazine (Europe), Libération (France), Saturday Times Magazine (UK), and Dominical (Spain).
In 2003, Garry began a photographic survey of the burgeoning father’s rights movement in the UK, culminating in several published photo stories and exhibitions; notably, La Repubblica 'D' magazine (Italy) and Time magazine (UK). The subsequent impact of this included documentary photographs, informing public policy; such as the publication of A Blueprint for Family Law by Matt O’Connor, Gary Burch and Barrister Michael Cox presented to the UK government in 2006.
In 2008 Garry was selected as one of 70 participants of 900 photographers from 42 countries to take part in the Descubrimientos (Discoveries) platform for the promotion and dissemination of works by ‘emerging international photographers’. This forum, at the Community of Madrid’s Council of Culture, was part of Photo España photography festival and Garry was one of the 5 eventual finalists interviewed in a special supplement in the Spanish newspaper El País.
Exhibitions:
2011 Poking about: Selection from the BHRU archive curated by Jeremy Deller - Impressions Gallery, Bradford, UK.
2010 Name of the Father - Photo-month Krakow, Poland.
2008 Name of the Father - 'Descubrimientos' Photo España, Complejo El Águila, Ramírez del Prado, Madrid.
2005 Uncertain Aspects - Newport Group Show, Ffotogallery, Penarth, Wales.
1987 New Roads to an Old Town - Bradford Heritage Recording Unit (BHRU); Old Quaker School. Bradford UK.
Awards & Bursaries:
2009 4th Annual Black & White Spider Awards. Nomination. Beverly Hills, California.
1992 University of Westminster Inaugeration Bursury, London.
1991 Thomas Wall Trust Bursury, London.
1989 Yorkshire Arts Development Grant.
1986 Child Poverty Action Group. 'Divided Britain' Photography Award, Bradford UK.