Robert Darch
Robert Darch | |
---|---|
![]() Robert Darch | |
Born | 1979 (age 44–45) |
Nationality | English |
Alma mater | University of Wales, Newport Plymouth University |
Known for | photography |
Robert Darch (born 1979) is a British artist-photographer.[1]
Life and work
Darch was born in Birmingham and grew up in Droitwich Spa.[2] He studied Documentary Photography at University of Wales, Newport, graduating in 2004. He returned to study photography at Plymouth University in 2013 after a long period of illness, gaining a Masters in Photography & The Book and an MFA in Photographic Arts.[3]
Darch resides in Devon, England, where he located the fictional town of Durlescombe, the setting for an on-going series exploring his familial attachment to this specific region of England.[4]
Darch's documentary-style images, both archival and contemporary, of the fictional town of Durlescombe harken back to some of the long-standing questions about the veracity of photography. Ranging from portraits to the smallest details of rural life, the series works together to paint a convincing picture of this non-existent village. But beyond this conceptual framework, his photographs are also powerful atmospheric constructions. There's a great tension between stillness and motion in many of his images, used successfully along with bold composition strategies. — Cliff Lauson, Hayward Gallery, 2016[5]
Darch's first photo-book, The Moor (2018), depicts a fictionalised dystopian future situated on the bleak moorland landscapes of Dartmoor, Devon.[6][7][8]
Publications
Publications by Darch
- The Moor. Another Place, 2018. ISBN 9781999607746. Edition of 500 copies.
- Vale. LIDO, 2020. ISBN 9781838219505. Edition of 750 copies.
Publications with contributions by Darch
- Portrait of Britain Vol 1. London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2018. ISBN 9781910566381.
- Portrait of Britain Vol 2. London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2019. ISBN 9781910566541.
- Portrait of Britain Vol 3. London: Hoxton Mini Press, 2020. ISBN 9781910566770.
Awards
- 2016: Portrait Salon, for "Boys on the Estuary"[9]
- 2017: Winner, single image in Life category, Renaissance Photography Prize[10]
- 2018: Portrait of Britain, British Journal of Photography[citation needed]
- 2019: Portrait of Britain, British Journal of Photography[citation needed]
Selected group exhibitions
- Facing Britain, Museum Goch, Germany, October 2020. Work by Darch and John Bulmer, Rob Bremner, Thom Corbishley, Anna Fox, Ken Grant, Judy Greenway, Mohamed Hassan, Paul Hill, David Hurn, Barry Lewis, Markéta Luskačová, Kirsty Mackay, Niall McDiarmid, Daniel Meadows, Peter Mitchell, Tish Murtha, John Myers, Jon Nicholson, Kevin O'Farrell, Niall McDiarmid, Martin Parr, Mark Pinder, Paul Reas, Simon Roberts, Syd Shelton, Dave Sinclair, Homer Sykes and Jon Tonks.[11]
- Distinctly, Look Photo Biennal, Liverpool, U.K., September 2019. Work by Darch and Martin Parr, Chris Killip, Daniel Meadows, John Myers, Markéta Luskačová, Tish Murtha, Ken Grant, Niall McDiarmid and Kirsty Mackay.[12]
- Distinctly, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China, September 2018. Work by Darch and Martin Parr, Chris Killip, Daniel Meadows, John Myers, Markéta Luskačová, Tish Murtha, Ken Grant, Paul Seawright, Niall McDiarmid, Elaine Constantine, and Kirsty Mackay.[13]
References
- ^ Elicia Epstein. "The Work of Robert Darch". Juxtapoz. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ Steve Bisson. "Robert Darch. Connection With a Place". Uranautica. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ Alan Williams. "Photographer's named amongst UK's best emerging talent". Plymouth University. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ Ruby Boddington. "Robert Darch explores identity and nostalgia through the fictitious town of Durlescombe". Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ Cliff Lauson. "Source Photographic Review Graduate Photography Online 2016". Source. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ Charlotte Jansen. "A Dystopian vision of Dartmoor unfolds in Robert Darch's haunting photographs". Wallpaper Magazine. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ Ruby Boddington. "Robert Darch's series The Moor argues that we are already living in a Dystopia". Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ Foto Room. "Robert Darch constructs a fictional series set in the English Moors". Retrieved 2019-05-10.
- ^ "Another shot: highlights from Portrait Salon 2016 – in pictures". The Guardian. 21 November 2016. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-06-17 – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "Renaissance photography prize 2017 – in pictures". The Guardian. 12 October 2017. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-06-17 – via www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "Facing Britain, British documentary photography since the 1960s". Institut für Kunstdokumentation und Szenografie. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
- ^ "Distinctly". Art Rabbit. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
- ^ "Documentary photography stars in the Distinctly show". British Journal of Photography. 15 August 2018. Retrieved 2019-06-17.